39 lines
3.3 KiB
Plaintext
39 lines
3.3 KiB
Plaintext
we share the descent into darkness of a talented boy pianist .
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years later we see his subsequent resurfacing ; in the mid 80's a damaged man walks out of a rainstorm and back into the world .
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the movie charts the causes of his mental breakdown .
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based on the life story of david helfgott , this australian film is a rich exploration of the pressures drilling in upon a child-genius , compounded by the looming shadow of a domineering father .
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in the 1950's helfgott emerged as a child prodigy .
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the film traces his relationship with his father , whose encouragement comes at the cost of demanding david have no life beyond that of the black and white keys .
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david is offered places in the usa , but his father refuses to let him leave australia .
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the effect this has upon helfgott is cleverly told via a single reverse tracked shot ; david is sobbing on the front doorway of his music teacher's house .
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he is well lit via the external house lights .
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his teacher isn't home .
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we pull back and see that the dark front room's window has it's curtains open .
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there , in a pool of blackness , is a grand piano .
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david's fall over the dark cliff has begun .
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instead of being told in a linear mode , shine jumps around in time , ala " pulp fiction " .
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this narrative device works well ; we see david as a boy , teenager in london and mental-patient in various snippets .
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the film then neatly loops back for its uplifting conclusion .
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adult-helfgott's return to the light is told in linear fashion .
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the lead role is played by 3 different actors , with the teenage-david ( taylor ) and adult-david ( rush ) standing out .
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whilst rush is known for his tv work in australia , i think this is his first major cinema work .
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his david , whilst clearly damaged - he keeps quoting his " daddy " in a babbling word torrent , cuddles strangers and grabs women on the breasts - is both touching and funny .
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taylor's teenage-david is the more sympathy producing role .
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we are mute witness to his gradual breakdown as the pressures just keep on building .
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his father wants him to play the very demanding rachmaninov's 3rd , whilst his teacher wants to start him with a simple mozart .
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technically this is a beautiful film and a lot of thought has gone in to the production .
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i particularly like the use of slow motion and sound effects .
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one scene has adult-helfgott happily babbling in a car in the rain .
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the sound of the windshield wipers fades up over his voice .
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with a clever subtlety , the wiper sound appears to morph into a rhythmic thumping , but of the same beat .
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the image dissolves and we realise the thumping is the slow motion applause of a crowd .
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but it's us being clapped .
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we are young-david walking up to the stage for our first public show .
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the music , as you would expect from a film of this subject matter , is critical .
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and it works very well .
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the 'miming' of the actors piano playing is faultless ( apparently rush didn't mime ; he really did play )
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helfgott's life is certainly not without it's sympathetic people .
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indeed his return to the 'normal' world is accelerated by his chance meetings with two very special women .
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his ultimately uplifting story is a magic piece of theatre craft .
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it shows that with the 'help of god' we can all find our way back home .
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