Displaying items by tag: Bill Skarsgaard

NOSFERATU

US, 2024, 133 minutes, Colour.

Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgaard, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney.

Directed by Robert Eggers.

Nosferatu was the title of the early film version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1922, Germany, vivid black-and-white photography, angles, framing, Expressionist. The title was also used in 1979 for Werner Hertzog’s version of the story and tribute to the 1922 film. Now, a 2024 version, once again the tribute to the 1922 film, not only tribute but incorporating many of its visual aspects, and directed by Robert Eggers, only a few films so far in his career, but atmospheric, the Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman.

Since the 1920s, there have been Dracula and vampire films every decade, some serious, many British, some parodies, even the recent Renfield with Nicolas Cage’s Dracula, also featuring Nosferatus, Nicholas Hoult.

We are in Germany, 1838, wonderful recreation of the town, the streets and ambience, the homes, elegance. There is a very strong supporting British cast including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph ineson, Simon McBurney. There is also a lot of strong dialogue throughout, the point of view of the rationalist who does not believe in the supernatural contrasting with those who do believe and those who are pragmatic faced with unexplained phenomena.

The question can be raised, why another Dracula film in 2024. And will it contribute to an appreciation of the Dracula and vampire legends?

The first attempt at an answer is to consider this film as a drama apart from the horror. The focus is on a young woman, Ellen, Lily-Rose Depp in a striking and physically and emotionally demanding performance. She dreams, has mystical experiences, is in love, makes a pact – which, in fact, will be a diabolical pact. But, she has the possibility of living a normal life, marrying Thomas (Nicholas Holut), hope that he will support and save her. But, he is commissioned by his manager to travel to Romania to negotiate with a mysterious Count Orloc who wants to buy a Castle in the German town. Ellen is fearful as Thomas leaves, and rightly so…

There is mysterious drama, Thomas finding himself in a strange village, superstitious villagers, and then his encounter with the Count.

And the second attempt at and some is to consider the film as horror. The atmosphere at the castle is more than eerie, the suggestions of the malevolent presence of the Count, his face, his behaviour and cruelty, his threats, diabolical consequences. Is played by Bill Skarsgaard as monstrous Some direct horror scenes but always the sense of horror menace. And, when Thomas returns home, the psychological disturbances in Ellen and her erratic behaviour, the count killing his friend’s wife and child, the discussions with an expert (Willem Dafoe) and the explanations of vampire behaviour. And, as well, the town is besieged by a plague of rats. And, Ellen’s disturbed dreams, erotic menace and horror, the unmasking of the Count.

And so, we can ask what are the comparisons with other versions of the story, how well these variations work as drama and horror, and how we are immersed in a world of evil destroying hope and love.

1. The literary tradition of Dracula and Nosferatu, the late 19^th century, Bram Stoker’s novel? The cinema tradition, the 1922 version, the English language tradition of Dracula, serious films, horror films, comedy and parodies? Werner Hertzog and Nosferatu 1979, homage to the 1922 version? This 2024 version, homage, reworking the particular perspectives of the writer-director?
2. Audience familiarity with the story, the traditions, the variations? This version changing the names of the characters, the German city? Drawing on the basic ideas and themes from Bram Stoker and the Nosferatu films?
3. The style of filmmaking? The importance of colour, colour grading, black-and-white, vivid colour, scenes tinted, unsaturated colour, but sometimes with bright highlights? The overall impact of this colour experience? The framing of the film, the angles, the homage to the 1922 version, using its styles? The style of the dialogue, old classical style, all, sometimes arch and artificial, placing the audience in the period, Germany, 1838? The film presented as a modern interpretation of old filmmaking styles?
4. The framework, Ellen, young, the focus on her face, her calling out to the vampire to come to her? Her age, her commitment, her dreams, her melancholy, psychological states? The years passing, her marriage to Thomas, happiness, yet her melancholy, fears, love, his going away, her anxieties? Staying with Richard and Anna? Her dreams, her moods, their concern, a sense of what was happening to Thomas while away, the coming of the mysterious lover? The doctor, his concern, treatment, seeking out of Professor von Frantz, his diagnosis, treatment? Further dreams, the return of Thomas, the sexual encounter and her wanting love, the continuing menace of the mysterious shadow, the shadow coming to the house, overcoming her, the sexual encounter, the sun rising, her commitment, his sacrificing himself for her love?
5. The title, the focus on the vampire, the estate agent, Knock and his eagerness, Count Orloc wanting the house, sending Thomas, the buildup of financial advantage, for his marriage? Knock, his madness, in servitude to Nosferatu, his madness, in the cell, confrontations, killing the guard, the interview with the professor and the doctor? Death? The plague?
6. Count Orloc, in Ellen’s visions, the Shadow, skeletal, the long fingers and nails, Thomas arriving at the village, the village people and their fears, the atmosphere, singing and dancing, yet warnings, was going to the Castle, walking in the snow, the carriage, his experience in the Castle, overwhelmed by the count, violence, blood, his debilitation, escape, taken by the nuns, the Orthodox religious ceremonies, his leaving, out of the power of the Count, his return, debilitated, with the doctor, the professor, Richard, Anna’s death, the plague?
7. The Count, the voyage, in the container, the sailors, the Captain, the rats, the plague, the deaths, the ship arriving in the Port, the dispersion of the rats, the plague and deaths, deaths in the street? The Count, visiting Anna, her being pregnant, the blood? His attack on the two daughters, the deaths, Richard and the burials? The mausoleum and his visits?
8. The doctor, his concern, medical help, friendship with Richard, the reputation of the professor, going to visit him, persuading him to join in? The professor, his personality, reputation, researchers, the occult? The visits to Anna? The visits to Ellen? Thomas’ return? Richard and his scepticism?
9. Richard, friendship with Thomas, lending the money, Richard and his wife, the family, the boisterous two daughters, in the shipping business? His scepticism about the professor, the support of the doctor, his narrations, the death of the family, the burials?
10. The buildup to confronting the Count, the three nights, his approaching the town, coming to Ellen, her trying to resist? The scenes of his possession of her, her not being herself, her face, the town, Thomas and his shock?
11. Thomas and his determination, hurrying to the mausoleum, expecting the vampire, discovering Knock, his madness and death, through the heart?
12. The hurrying back, the encounter with Ellen, the sun rising, remains of the creature, Thomas and his grief, in the final image of Ellen and the remains of Nosferatu?

THE CROW

US, 2024, 111 minutes, Colour.

Bill Skarsgaard, FKA twigs, Danny Huston, Joette Simon, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila, Jordan Bolger.

Directed by Rupert Sanders.

The Crow is based on comic novels by James O’ Barr. The first film, in 1993, made quite an impact in the era before the success of the Marvel Universe and its glamorous superheroes. Eric Draven, guided by a Crow, is a very dark comic book hero. (And the film had some notoriety because of the accidental death of its star, Brandon Lee, during production). 1996 to 2005 there were three sequels, much less successful than the original. There was also a television series.

The present film has been in production discussion since 2008. It was finally directed by Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman, Ghost in the Shell). And, for the new incarnation of Eric, Bill Skarsgaard (sinister as Pennywise in the two It films, villain in John Wick 4). All was set for a revival of the franchise – but this film was not well received.

For audiences who have been following the franchise with enthusiasm, they will probably be in favour of this version. However, for the ordinary audience, there will be need to express a word of caution. In an official synopsis of the plot, the word to describe many of the deaths throughout The Crow is “savage”. As we watch so many of the killings of Eric’s enemies, swords and knives, guns and physical attacks, “savage” seems something of an understatement. They are particularly graphic, some visually brutal, alarming, and many audiences they will feel they want to turn away.

With this caution, it can be said that James O’ Barr as created quite an intriguingly dark mythology, a young addict in rehabilitation (where all the inmates where pink tracksuits! A bit of colour in the dark film) meets a young woman on the run from psychotic criminals who finds it safer to be in jail. They bond. They escape. They fall in love. They are tracked down – and murdered.

And here is the intriguing aspect. Eric comes to life again, in a strange purgatorial railyard, encounters Kronos, who enables him to go through experiences of death, violent assault deaths, but self-heal, not die. He has the task to rescue his fiancee from hell. He is commissioned to wreak revenge on the sinister villain, played in gentlemanly but slice style by Danny Huston, a man who has sold his soul to the devil long since, surviving by killing people, whispering in their ear to control them to self-destruction.

A revenge quest, a challenge to audience sympathies about Eric (with Bill  Skarsgaard looking particularly young, too young? Even though he is in his early 30s). The violent culmination takes place during an Opera, the violence being operatically violent.

While this film contributes to the legend of The Crow and an alternative hero to the glamorous superheroes, it reminds us that we live in a violent era.

1. 21^st-century version of the comic book character? The popularity of the books? The Brandon Lee film version and the accident? The sequels and the impact? The television series?
2. The basic plot, Eric, his fiancee, death, not dying, the revenge pursuit of the criminals, the supernatural elements? A new interpretation?
3. The opening, Eric with the horse, the barbed wire, wanting to save it, the injuries to his hand? These images recurring later? His growing up, drug addiction, arrested, imprisoned? Life in prison, everybody wearing pink tracksuits? The discipline, the training, the sessions?
4. Shelley, friends with Zadie, the video, compromising, Roeg and his determination, Marion as his assistant? Capturing Zadie, whispering in her ear, her death? Shelley pursued, the police, safer in prison than out? In prison, the encounters with Eric, friendship, dependence, the escape, setting up house, falling in love? Safety? But Roeg pursuing, Eric having seen Marion and Sophia in the prison? The irony of Shelley being Sophia’s daughter?
5. The pursuit, Roeg and the dangers, capturing the couple, their deaths?
6. Eric, age, looking young, the tattoos, waking up, the encounter with Kronos in the railyard, explaining his situation, Shelley and her being lost forever, the possibility of redemption, Eric and never dying but experiencing the pain of death and injury, the guidance of the symbolic Crow, the mission of revenge?
7. Eric, his new situation, the friendship with Chance, the thugs catching up killing Chance?
8. Eric, the confrontations, the deaths, his not dying, self-healing? The cumulative effect of the revenge theme, so many deaths, the brutality, the variations of weapons, numbers of death? The effect on Eric?
9. Learning about the video, Shelley and the killing, losing faith in her, Kronos warning Eric?
10. The interview with Sophia, Roeg and his promises, choosing her lifestyle over her daughter? Roeg whispering, her death?
11. The buildup to the opera sequence, the performance of the Opera, the audience, Marion and her associate in the box, the phone calls to Roeg? The operatic nature of the revenge, Eric as an operatic figure, the succession of deaths intercut with the opera, Marion and her warning?
12. The buildup to the confrontation with Roeg, his self-confidence, the back story of doing the deal with the devil, living on but killing people? Marion and her death? Her head? The final defeat of Roeg?
13. And the possibility for future life and death experiences for Eric?

BOY KILLS WORLD

US, 2023, 111 minutes, Colour.

Bill  Skarsgaard, Jessica Rothe, Michelle Dockery, Brett Gelman, Isaiah Mustafa, Yayan Ruhian, Quinn Copeland, Sharlto Copley, Famke Janssen. Voice: H.Jon Benjamin.

Directed by Moritz Mohr.

It is probably best to give an alert immediately. This is an action fantasy but at times it is a wallow in what a clockwork Orange calls "a bit of the ultra-violence," which can best be defined as excessive or even over the top levels of brutality – Alex and his droogs would certainly enjoy it.

This is a highly macho show, not much female interest until the finale, but the filmmakers seem to have a younger audience in mind, a macho junior kind of entertainment.

Throughout the film, with its totalitarian futuristic city, its purge, this time called “The Culling”, with its initial reminders of The Hunger Games, and, in the latter part, a television musical special parallel with the gladiatorial combats of The Hunger Games, there were constant reminders of Graphic Novels, the panels of cartoon action, the dialogue in the bubble of the cartoon panel. Which means, of course, that it is not meant to be taken as realistic in any way. It is a fantasy.

Then, the final credits are exactly that, a whole range of cartoon characters and action, of graphic novel comic panels, the instant action, the cartoon-style dialogue, the stylised impact.

The overall plot is basically interesting, an explanation of the domination of the leader, Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen) the ruthlessness of The Culling, the execution of a very nice family, the survival of the boy (Bill Skarsgaard, Pennywise in the It movies), his being trained by a shaman in the jungle, lots of episodes of martial arts, combat, motivation to have his revenge on Hilda Van Der Koy. The boy is deaf but there is an inner gruffly aggressive voice, and regular appearances of his executed little sister, a kind of Anama figure trying to control his passionately aggressive Animus.

In fact, the action gets very quickly into the attack, and here is the wallow in the ultraviolence, combats, fights, deaths galore. There are also some nasty characters, Sharlto Copley as Glenn, a clownish spokesman on behalf of the regime, violently ruthless, but then we see his even more ruthless wife, in control of the state, Melanie Van Der Koy, Michelle Dockery a long way from Lady Mary at Downton Abbey. But, the boy finds two allies who are able to join him in the combats, rescue him when captured, lead to the final confrontation.

And, it takes place in the staging of a television special, song and dance, vast sets, studio audience (definitely reminding us of The Hunger Games) but the victims of the culling on stage and being hunted down and killed ruthlessly. But, when the boy and his associates go into action, the villains being hunted down and killed even more ruthlessly.

Perhaps a word that needs to be introduced into reviews of this kind of action show is “slaughter”.

However, interest is certainly raised when there is quite an unexpected twist at the end, dramatic.

The office of classification has given Boy Kills World an MA certificate, and references blood and gore.