!VAR HAGENDOORN

Up

Up is such a perfect movie. I've now watched it twice and I could wax lyrical about it for hours.

The first 10 or so minutes are simply amazing. As in Wall-E it is mostly without dialogue, it shows more than it tells. I have nothing but praise for the filmmakers for their courage to let a beloved character die in the first few minutes of the movie and to thus tackle one of the most difficult issues in life: death.

The rest of the movie is more conventional, its basic structure is that of a quest with obstacles that need to be overcome. But then half way into the movie the filmmakers introduce a second quest and with that they introduce a moral dilemma: stick to the original goal or pursue the second goal. Again the import of this narrative twist should not be underestimated. Of course the choice is obvious, but it is really a classic dilemma about one's allegiance to the deceased.

I was impressed by how well thought out all the movie's symbolism is. Everything about Carl, the grumpy old man, is square, from his head to his glasses. This "squareness" symbolizes his rigidity. If you look closely you notice that the picture frames in which he appears are also square. The pictures of his wife Eleanor are in an oval frame. But what about the pictures in which they appear together? A square frame with an oval matte!

But does anyone besides borderline perfectionists like myself notice? Do all these minute details matter? I think they do. Not every viewer picks up on all or the same cues, but if there are many, chances are every viewer will pick up on some cues. I'm pretty sure I have missed out on various other cues. I'd have to watch it again.

When I first saw Carl walking through the forest with the house suspended from a rope attached to his body I was reminded of Fitzcarraldo by Werner Herzog in which a man pulls a steamship across a hill in the Amazon. There may be other movie references as well, such as the final fight scene which reminded me of the bridge scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. And the plight of Carl's house was no doubt inspired by the stories of Chinese homeowners who refuse to leave their house while the construction around them continues, such as this one.

If you haven't seen it yet, don't let the many positive reviews you may have read put you off, chances are that when you watch it you too will be moved and charmed.

Links

Anatomy of a scene