Friday, February 01, 2008

Death Proof Tarantino

I get the feeling that Tarantino really really enjoyed himself making this movie. But whether its audience enjoys watching it half as much, I doubt.

It was very much a self-indulgence, this homage to exploitation and schlock of the '70s. Lots and lots of film references as you expect from the man, and lots of self-referential, getting pretty self-reverential, motifs too. Much gratuitous, salivating butt-shottery as well along with the usual visceral violence.

Apart from with regard to the butt-shots, the female characters were nominally female: all his characters speak with the same voice in his films, burbling the same kind of bilge - they could have as easily been men in the rambling dialogue scenes. I can't decide whether that's a good or bad thing. A taste for Italian fashion magazines was the main marker and that makes me want to kick Tarantino in the shins a little bit.

Did I enjoy the film? Well, it was slow and lumpen in parts and questionable in other respects, but on the whole I did enjoy it. As long as one turns off one's brain, it's entertaining.

I wouldn't buy it though, and I do think that Tarantino might like to remove his head from his rectum at some point before he makes his next film, and perhaps not spend quite so much time with his hands down his pants.

No comments: