Two additional quotes that I liked were, "You have black." "It's most appropriate, isn't it?" and "We must make an idol of our God, and call it fear."
In this movie, I, unlike some other people, enjoy the utilization of the chess game. I can already tell that it's impossible for Antonius Block to win the game. The message is clear. You cannot escape death. Block can only delay, not escape the inevitable. My initial prediction was that Block would win the game, but it would be one of those , "Win, Lose, what's the difference?" (Runaway Train) where he would still die. But, considering the chess game must remain a symbol for the struggle for life and death throughout the whole movie, I think Block will only be able to hold off his death for so long. In this way, the film is questioning God's existance or at least the uncertainty of his existance much like Block's search for meaning in the world and God. Block says he will defeat death with a combination of knight and bishop. He himself is a knight and I see the bishop as religion or faith. Block is saying he will escape death through faith. But, he will lose the game because he must as we all must. In a sense, I like to see it as Block playing chess with himself. You cannot win. You can never be sure of God's existance. You can't escape death. You cannot know anything until you are dead. And at that point, you may not even exist.
Kamil, you write beautifully. Fluid prose, punctuated by variegated vocabulary, and spicened by subordinate clauses. And it isn't just sound and fury signifying absolutely nothing, in the case of so many students who can spew flowers across a page and yet say nothing. Your analysis is crisp. Thank you for not saying, "I like the film" or "I'm not feeling it" You simply analyze it. Your opinion is not wanted here, only your critical eye. Very good.
ReplyDeleteits a blog!! how is your opinion not wanted here? I for one want to hear what caught your eye in this movie, maybe it was something I missed, or something interesting. Block playing chess with death is symbolic for how we all play the game of life, never really understanding why. We are in fact playing against death, even though it is inevitable that we lose, we can still enjoy life amidst the chaos. This is evident with the wild strawberries scene.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ilya here, this is a blog and a blog is composed of one's own thought. One's own thought is an opinion, so to say that "only your critical eye" is wanted is just wrong.
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