"You can't look at the light. Don't look at the
light"
As I stare into the black light of
my computer screen after watching Coppola’s Tetro I again find myself at
a loss for words (I seem to choose films for these write ups that leave me
speechless). However once again I’ve chosen a film that floods my mind with a
barrage of reasons to turn you on to this recent masterwork from a proven
master of cinema. While the film is story of the dysfunction and rivalry that resides
at the core of family, the film unfolds like the petals of a blooming flower.
With each moment and each line of dialogue Coppola is strategically dropping
puzzle pieces that work together to scoot your rear to the edge of its seat.
The film begins with a series of
artfully blurred lights, the starkly contrasted black and white photography
brilliantly immersing the viewer in the world in which we are about to spend
the next two hours. Out of the sound of moth wings beating toward and against
an electric flame we meet our first character, Bennie. The story then proceeds
as we follow Bennie arriving at his brother, Tetro’s (Vincent Gallo), house in
Buenos Aries. After a brief time with Tetro’s wife Miranda (Maribel Verdú) and
a cold closed door from his brother, Bennie lays on the couch and pulls out a
well worn letter from his brother Angelo (Tetro’s name from another life) and
the scene fades as he falls into a tearful sleep. With a door slam in the
morning Gallo brings Tetro to life with cold nonchalance and a volley of
brotherly wit and sarcasm as the journey of familial discovery begins. To
attempt to boil the plot down for you would be a tad asinine; instead I feel I
can only allude to the virtuosity of this film’s Shakespearian plot.
Aside from the maze of story
luminously woven together to create a nearly perfect tale the film is graced
with fantastic acting that truly brings the narrative to life. Vincent Gallo
brings his abrasively subtle style to yet another stunningly complex character
(see also my review of Buffalo 66 which he wrote, directed and stared
in). Newcomer Alden Ehrenreich kills it as the young naïve brother looking to
find himself and the meaning behind his family’s turmoil. His playful demeanor
and puppy-like exuberance develops throughout the film coming to a powerful and
formative fruition in the end. The magnificent Maribel Verdú provides amazing
support as the two immensely different brothers hurl through this tale of
self-discovery. The entire cast is exceptional, however these three remain the
rock upon which this film is firmly and captivatingly anchored.
Turning to the all-important and
incandescent visuals, working with the relatively young cinematographer Mihai
Malaimare Jr. (who also shot Coppola’s Youth Without Youth (2007) and Twixt
(2011)) Coppola transports the viewer into a poetic black and white film noir
fantasy. While the film is ambiguously set in modern times, there is no
mistaking the beautiful light, shadow and reflective play that is most
definitely an homage to the stark films of the fifties. There are a few
flashbacks and surrealistic ballet sequences, which are all letterboxed and
shot in rich nostalgic Technicolor. These scenes littering the aesthetic of
vivid black and white photography serves to strengthen the entire look of the
film.
Now to tear through all of the big words (which I
felt necessary when talking about such a nuanced and meticulous film), this is
truly one of the most beautiful and intriguing stories about family I’ve seen
in a long while. The acting is spectacular, the story is complex and
consistently compelling, and the images are simply stunning. I don’t know how
else to put it – this film is flat out rad in every important category in which
I can assess it. Why should you buy it? You really need to have this movie in
your possession, you need to watch it, re-watch it with others, put it away and
re-discover it later (as I just did this evening), I’ve tried hard to convince
you without giving away any of the twists and turns of the narrative and now I
believe that it’s time for you to turn down the lights pop in the DVD and see
for yourself. If you need any further convincing feel free to find me here at
Twist or head over to the Sie Film Center and ask Will (who occasionally writes
for this movie blog) as he and I were both drooling over the prospect of
writing about this film.
- Edward
Hill
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