Seneca

To be honest, I almost turned it off at the very beginning of the film because it seemed like a bad joke. I read some very bad reviews and some great praises, so I decided to be open-minded about it. Obviously, it's controversial, which might be what's so fun about it.

I appreciated hearing some of the insightful thoughts presented by Seneca (John Malkovich) about the human nature, life and death etc. In this way, the film is meditative.

I enjoyed the visuals to an extent. I noticed the grotesque visual elements, which were certainly not easy on the eyes, but they had a purpose and actually went well with Nero's horrible character, as well as the absurdity and malignancy presented in the movie. There also were some "quirky" and seemingly unnecessary components.

However, in general, the characters and spaces seemed to be visually portrayed in accordance with the personalities - when you observe them, it just makes sense. Furthermore, this piece also contains elements more pleasing to the eye. I liked the recording style, the perspectives, the way scenes were organized, the colors used. That being said, the movie still definitely has a bizarre quality to it and not everyone could enjoy it.

While the piece offers some profound thoughts, it also contains plenty of frivolous elements. There were things I liked and things I disliked, as well as some choices that just didn't seem to make sense.

All things considered, I don't regret watching it. It was certainly entertaining and even thought-provoking. It's an occasionally smart movie, but it's not supposed to be taken too seriously.

My library provides Kanopy as a streaming service. Tonight we decided to try "Seneca."

The plot, the setting, the characters remind me of stage plays that take themselves too seriously and after a while make the audience go to the restroom for some fresh air. I'm halfway through it and can't decide if I want to keep going. I think I've already got the message and it is not reassuring. We are all in trouble and good people cannot stop it hurtling at us.

I can't stop thinking of my own era as I watch this film. Things in the U. S. are even worse than when the film was made. There is a ton of connections to the era I find myself in.

Just in the last few days Trump's E. P. A. Has turned its back on important climate legislation here and in the world, the President is on a tear because he wants us to look elsewhere (Epstein, Obama, 2016 election, "nasty people," more) instead of at his behaviors and desires. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has shut down because of funding cuts, we're getting pseudoscience regarding the nature of carbon in the atmosophere, for lack of funds my state has closed down major programs and our access to records in our historic Minnesota Historical Society that was founded before statehood, the air in my state has been unsafe for many days this summer because of planetary wildfires, the ocean warming is causing conditions for hurricanes, the Supreme Court has condoned rogue opinions promulgated by haters against our citizens and the years of cumulative advance toward a better life for the many, the nighttime temperatures for the planet have inched forward to prevent essential cooling that thwarts overly high daytime temps, the Administration's eccentric announcements about tariffs and tribute to be paid by nations who negotiate "deals" with Trump have caused whipsaw movements in the stock market and made impossible the creation of an orderly business climate. Knowledge is now considered boring and the Constitution is only a set of guidelines, not a sacred document, a contract between Americans for the betterment of all. The founding fathers never planned on Nero wanting the Presidency.

Messengers appear out of nowhere to tell us that we have no power. The costumes of the film players look like Zippy the Clown of the comic strips, but the maddening passivity of Zippy is also present. No one one speaks clearly on behalf of any forces that oppose the Trump juggernaut. Our citizens have shown their disdain for tradition, truth, longterm goals, and kindness to the rest of the world and our own grandchildren's generation. Yes, Seneca is threatened by Nero with death. Will he die? We see the juggernaut approaching. No one can help him. Cynicism and selfishness override altruism and good faith. If Seneca, Nero's mentor, gets killed by Nero, well, hey. So it goes.

Please pass me the bowl of chips and a beer.

"This is not for everyone"... if you've seen movies described in a similar vein and appreciated them, there's a solid chance you'll enjoy this one too. If not, well, you might just find out within the first few minutes, especially when Nero, in all his whimsical glory, whips off those purple sunglasses - it's just that movie that you either love, or hate.

Prepare for a handful of those "WTF" moments that, in my view, add a delightful quirkiness. The visuals are captivating, enriched by impeccable costumes, and there's this persistent feeling of strangeness, accentuated by the score (sometimes trendy, sometimes deeply atmospheric) and compelling yet unexpected sound/visual FX.

John Malkovich is unmistakably himself, radiating a jovial energy throughout the film. Expect a hefty dose of dialogue that oscillates between eloquent monologues and stark colloquialisms, often transitioning from archaic phrases to modern slang seamlessly (which is odd but fun), and, just to throw it in, a fair bit of that dialogue is inspired by Seneca's own words or at least resonates closely with his ethos (as far as I can tell, anyway - I'm no Seneca scholar).

Props to director Robert Schwentke for this unique spin on history. "Seneca" is quite a trip. Whether you're here for some cerebral stimulation or just seeking a detour from the norm, this film ticks some boxes (at least it did for me ;)

In short, if you're in the mood for something different with a hint of crazy, give "Seneca" a shot. But, you know, come in with zero expectations and just roll with it.

The film adaptation of Seneca's "On the Creation of Earthquakes" unfortunately misses the mark. While the philosophical ideas in the original work are fascinating, the film version fails to capture the essence of the text. Instead, the film creates a badly theatrical style that is always over-explaining jokes and making edgy commentary. This is a shame because the philosopher is portrayed extremely badly in the film, and his ideas are not given the attention they deserve.

I had the opportunity to watch this film during its premier week at the Berlinale festival, and unfortunately, many people left before the film ended due to how bad it was. While the idea of adapting Seneca's work for the big screen is admirable, this particular attempt falls short of expectations. The film fails to convey the beauty and depth of the original work, and instead opts for a style that tries too hard to be clever and edgy.

In conclusion, while the film adaptation of Seneca's "On the Creation of Earthquakes" has its merits, the overall execution leaves much to be desired. The badly theatrical style, combined with the over-explaining of jokes and edgy commentary, detract from the philosophical ideas that are at the core of the original work. It is unfortunate that the film did not do justice to the brilliance of Seneca's ideas.

Seneca was a stoic philosopher and moralist known today for his letters, dialogs and plays, all of which are readily available and eminently readable. He survived the brutal reign of Caligula, was exiled under Claudius, and was a tutor and advisor to Nero. Like many close to this emperor (or Mr. President in the film), Seneca did not survive the experience, and committed suicide in 65 AD on orders of Nero.

Malkovich delivers a fine performance while quoting various Senecan type things. It's very close to a monologue. Being an art film, it has some very weird twists, most of which fall very flat indeed - from Nero's sunglasses to the bizarre paper-mache microphone and the bizarre staging of the play-within-a-play, Seneca's own Thyestes. That aside, it's an interesting meditation on death, and worth watching if you're a fan of the classics.

The modernization and attempted comparison to modern falls flat, and spoils what might have been a fascinating stoic 'letter' to the present.