Monday, February 20, 2012

THE BEST CELLULOID IMAGE OF 2011



Every year I choose one celluloid image that burned itself into my mind. This past year (2011) the image comes from a film called TAKE SHELTER starring the awesome Michael Shannon. TAKE SHELTER is a paranoid thriller in which the main character is the only person who keeps seeing visions of the coming apocalypse. But is it all in his mind or is he actually a prophet? The above image, which takes place at the beginning of the film, is literally clouds in the shape of a person's mind -- "blowing up" -- like an atomic bomb. It could be interpreted as a visual representation of a man losing his mind. The image embodies the fears and anxieties that plague us when we go to sleep at night. The film is filled with the anxiety of joblessness, lack of medicare in the US and pollution. I don't want to spoil the film. The ending is extremely controversial and open to multiple interpretations. Watch it and let me know what you think of the ending.

Your Friend,

D.