I just got through watching Only God Forgives, director Nicolas Winding Refn's hotly anticipated follow-up to Drive, which happened to be my favorite film of 2011. And my brain is swirling in a neon-drenched pool of deep thoughts. Drive 2, this sure as fuck was not. That may be why so many critics and filmgoers alike have been bashing the film. It reportedly was met with a chorus of boos when it debuted at Cannes, although I also hear it got a standing ovation at the same time so that proves nothing. Then, when I went to rent it on VUDU tonight I see that it only has 1 1/2 stars. I don't let this kind of negativity dissuade me because every film is a subjective experience. I'm sure Refn's earlier film Valhalla Rising would have been universally skewered had it followed up Drive. Coincidentally enough, some reviews have compared Valhalla to Only God Forgives due to a deliberate pacing coupled with a lack of on-screen dialogue.
It's true. Ryan Gosling only has 22 lines in the film, but his words aren't important here. Not so much as his actions, at least. There's a ton of symbolism at play here, more than I could have ever hoped to catch the first time around. The film's plot sees Gosling, at the behest of his domineering, belittling mother, seeking revenge against a Thai cop, Chang (also known as the Angel of Vengeance), who is responsible for his brother's death. He doesn't seem eager to carry out this act of retribution, though, because his brother died at the hands of the man whose daughter he raped and killed. Not exactly grounds for a sympathy revenge kill. But Gosling's mom, played here by a particularly venomous Kristin Scott Thomas, is a stone-cold woman who uses her sons as instruments for her drug empire. Gosling's character, Julian, has got some real deep-seeded mommy issues. This is Oedipus complex to the max, with plenty of Freudian symbolism here to keep psychology buffs busy.
Refn places the onus more on the film's mis-en-scene than he does the actual writing of the scenes. So many of the shots look like stylized neon paintings come to life. This is where the film likely lost many viewers - people are often turned off when they face a challenge at the movies. I'm not saying this is true of all filmgoers, but the vast majority of Joe Six Packs couldn't hope to get through this and not proclaim it a piece of shit once the credits began rolling. This is cerebral cinema, though it could be easily dismissed as pretentious garbage by those who refuse to seek deeper meaning in the films they watch. Refn is not one to shoot something because it looks pretty (but it does); there's always something else bubbling just beneath the surface. As evidenced with Valhalla Rising, he can make a nearly-silent film compelling through the use of symbolism, quality acting, and imagery. Only God Forgives is steeped in allegory, perhaps moreso than any of his films yet.
While this is ostensibly a vehicle for Ryan Gosling, the real star of the show is Chang, played here by Vithaya Pansringarm, who also does all of his own singing. The dude is a real double threat. Chang seems to represent "God" in the film; all of his actions are the work of a man who judges men before meting out their just punishment. Then, afterwards, he loves to sing karaoke. Gosling and his family are "dirty". They run a drug ring in Chang's town. Julian's brother, Billy, beats and rapes a 16-year-old girl at the beginning. His mother is a manipulative whore who runs the drug ring with her sons. Hell, even Julian, despite being an outsider within his own family, has dirty hands. The only difference being that Julian wants his hands to be clean, but he's powerless as long as his mother is in the picture. Enter Chang. It would truly take an academic paper to dissect every nuance here and explain its meaning, but suffice it to say that Chang is God here, and as the film's title suggests, he is the only one who can absolve Julian of his crimes. Really, there's some powerful stuff going on in this picture.
Just as in Drive, the film's other star is unseen - that would be composer Cliff Martinez, who has managed to possibly top his work on that previous film. Similar to his work on Drive the score here is hypnotic, lulling viewers into a state of complacency that often winds up being shattered by a burst of on-screen ultra-violence. I've been listening to it intermittently for the better part of two weeks now and it's certainly one of the best film scores this year. In particular, his cue during Chang & Julian's big fight is a gothic synth nightmare that elevates the scene tremendously. Also highlighting the score: Chang's karaoke! Now, I don't have a clue what he's saying because I don't speak Thai, but there's something charming about his voice. He has a good singing cadence. Really, though, this is one of the best soundtracks of the year. Ominous, foreboding, electric.... Martinez is quickly becoming one of my favorite composers.
Only God Forgives is a challenging film. If you enjoy that sort of thing, then it comes highly recommended. Sometimes I think that people will dismiss a smart film as boring crap for no other reason than they couldn't understand it. These are the same people who would just as easily dismiss a true classic of cinema like David Lynch's Mulholland Dr., a film that I consider to be one of the all-time greats. Initial viewings of this film are probably going to leave even the most ardent cinephiles scratching their head. Give it time. Let the film soak in. Consider the deeper meaning behind it all. The words and images you see on screen hold the key to unlocking its true nature. Subsequent viewings will yield these rewards. Movies are not all made to be equal, with some requiring much more effort on the part of the audience than simply showing up. Only God Forgives may seem like a shallow pool of neon sludge, however, that is just the surface layer. We can always go deeper.
ETA: Re-watched this for a second time because I had it on the mind all night. Yep, definitely my favorite film of the year. Everything works for me, on every level. Understanding what the film is going for, and what to look for, makes it such a clearer picture. And, man, that fucking score!
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