chart17629
Joined Jul 2009
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chart17629's rating
Great 60 minute story.
The only problem is that the writer/director took 90 minutes to tell it.
Ponderously slow.
Lots (and lots) of long, lingering takes.
Mr. Ponciroli seems to be of the opinion the only way to emphasize the seriousness of something is to stretttttttch it out on camera. Allowing, (or directing?) his actors to convey depth of feeling by acting doesn't seem to be in his wheelhouse.
I re-watched the film it at 1¾ speed. It was powerful more tolerable that way.
I'd recommend that at first viewing.
The only problem is that the writer/director took 90 minutes to tell it.
Ponderously slow.
Lots (and lots) of long, lingering takes.
Mr. Ponciroli seems to be of the opinion the only way to emphasize the seriousness of something is to stretttttttch it out on camera. Allowing, (or directing?) his actors to convey depth of feeling by acting doesn't seem to be in his wheelhouse.
I re-watched the film it at 1¾ speed. It was powerful more tolerable that way.
I'd recommend that at first viewing.
Good story, A faith versus nihilism argument.
The story gets a bit repetitive prior to the climax. McCarthy might have benefited from chopping off 6 or 8 minutes. But that's a quibble, easy to ignore.
The movie here is well acted. I've seen productions where either or neither actor is believable as their character. Believe me, a man who seems never to have personally even Imagined violence playing Black or a man who seems to never have personally even Imagined academia playing White are both disappointing distractions from the story.
Again, kudos to the actors here. Even the bits where the playwright slides towards stereotype (e.g., Black's arithmetical acumen; White's literary quotes) they keep things from sliding over the edge.
That being said, the problem I've had with this work since its original publication and production is the nonsensical use of a NOLA to LA Amtrak train on the D line in Manhattan. Every time either character mentions the "Sunset Limited", or even refers to the "commuter train", it is a jarring disruption of my suspension of disbelief in the story.
If you think this a bit of nitpicking, imagine a tale where the characters REPEATEDLY refer to the Orient Express being in Rio de Janeiro. As a longtime resident of NYC and its environs, it is maddening distraction.
The Sunset Limited is a long distance train traveling East/West through five US states. The D is a subway train traveling North/South through three NYC boroughs.
The Sunset Limited comes nowhere near 155th St & 8th Ave. The Sunset Limited does not even IMAGINE Harlem.
Again, good story with fine acting. But with a Constant intrusion of gross unreality. To enjoy the former, you need to set yourself to ignore the latter.
Which is why I can only judge it at 9 stars.
The story gets a bit repetitive prior to the climax. McCarthy might have benefited from chopping off 6 or 8 minutes. But that's a quibble, easy to ignore.
The movie here is well acted. I've seen productions where either or neither actor is believable as their character. Believe me, a man who seems never to have personally even Imagined violence playing Black or a man who seems to never have personally even Imagined academia playing White are both disappointing distractions from the story.
Again, kudos to the actors here. Even the bits where the playwright slides towards stereotype (e.g., Black's arithmetical acumen; White's literary quotes) they keep things from sliding over the edge.
That being said, the problem I've had with this work since its original publication and production is the nonsensical use of a NOLA to LA Amtrak train on the D line in Manhattan. Every time either character mentions the "Sunset Limited", or even refers to the "commuter train", it is a jarring disruption of my suspension of disbelief in the story.
If you think this a bit of nitpicking, imagine a tale where the characters REPEATEDLY refer to the Orient Express being in Rio de Janeiro. As a longtime resident of NYC and its environs, it is maddening distraction.
The Sunset Limited is a long distance train traveling East/West through five US states. The D is a subway train traveling North/South through three NYC boroughs.
The Sunset Limited comes nowhere near 155th St & 8th Ave. The Sunset Limited does not even IMAGINE Harlem.
Again, good story with fine acting. But with a Constant intrusion of gross unreality. To enjoy the former, you need to set yourself to ignore the latter.
Which is why I can only judge it at 9 stars.
If you can set aside the implicit CSA sympathies (Quantrell's Lawrence pre-dawn ambush/massacre was "just war"), this is a solid, quick oater.
A little more complicated than most, greed, skullduggery, honor, betrayals, loyalties, and gun play (not to Peckinpah levels, but enough) abound here.
The script is tight and never lags. The acting and direction are top notch - Paul Fix's turn as Yancy, for example, could easily have slid to caricature but never does. Most of the men characters have some surprises and three-dimensionality to them. Unfortunately the women characters are strictly two-dimensional.
"Fighting Man of the Plains" has its flaws - the redeemable outlaw's past is whitewashed, Jim Dancer would never be so slow to reach his weapon (except as needed to advance the plot) and, as mentioned above, the women are cliché. Still, overall, it is 90 minutes well spent.
A little more complicated than most, greed, skullduggery, honor, betrayals, loyalties, and gun play (not to Peckinpah levels, but enough) abound here.
The script is tight and never lags. The acting and direction are top notch - Paul Fix's turn as Yancy, for example, could easily have slid to caricature but never does. Most of the men characters have some surprises and three-dimensionality to them. Unfortunately the women characters are strictly two-dimensional.
"Fighting Man of the Plains" has its flaws - the redeemable outlaw's past is whitewashed, Jim Dancer would never be so slow to reach his weapon (except as needed to advance the plot) and, as mentioned above, the women are cliché. Still, overall, it is 90 minutes well spent.