Displaying items by tag: Paul Schrader

OH CANADA

US, 2024, 91 minutes, Colour.

Richard Gere, Jacob Elordi, Uma Thurman, Victoria Hill, Michael Imperioli, Caroline Dhavarnas, Penelope Mitchell.

Directed by Paul Schrader.

A Paul Schrader film, written and directed by him, based on the novel, Forgone, by American novelist, Russell Banks, with whom Schrader had collaborated in the film version of Banks’ novel, Affliction, 1998. Schrader notes that he had three bouts of Covid and hospitalisation, saying that he became more conscious of mortality, was interested in Forgone  and collaborated with Banks who preferred the title Oh Canada – and then Banks himself dying while the film was in production. Prior to Oh Canada, Schrader was focusing on older men reviewing their lives, First Reform, Card Counter, Master Gardener.

Watching Oh Canada is both an interesting and intriguing experience.

The film opens with an ominous comment that a son has not seen his father for 30 years. Then the setting up of cameras by a documentary filmmaking trio in the house of a famous documentary filmmaker, Leonard Fyfe, now in his 80s, dying of cancer, an opportunity for him to tell his story for the television audience. The crew have been Leo’s former students, as has been his wife, Emma, living with him for 30 years and concerned for his health and the strain of doing the interview. The other character during the filming is Leo’s full-time nurse.

It is usually pointed out that Paul Schrader came from a strict Calvinist background and has been concerned with religious themes in many of his films. This is not just a documentary about the life and career of Leo, but his opportunity to face the truth and lies of his life, seduction and exploitation, but also skills as a filmmaker and lecturer.

And Leo is played impressively by Richard Gere in his mid-70s, old, almost bald, stubbled chin, experiencing the pain of cancer, determined to go through with the interview, despite the effort and strain, by to tell the truth, uncovering lies, and all the time dedicating this to his wife who, he says, has never known him fully.

The intriguing part of the experience is the range of flashbacks, not always in chronological order, moments of memories by Leo, puzzle pieces for the audience to put together. And, some of them are in bright colour, others in black and white, often stark. So the memories are invested with moods, colourful and severe. Most of them go back to 1968, Leo aged 26, his hometown and family, the calling in the priest for a family discussion about his future, his marriage, a son, pregnant wife, prospects, the Vietnam war, the draft, and his decision to avoid the draft – Oh Canada.

The young Leo is played by Jacob Elordi, making an effective contrast with Richard Gere, though Schrader also using the device of having the older, but healthier, Gere take Elordi’s place in many of the sequences of the past. His wife, Emma, is played by Uma Thurman (and, indicating confusion of memories, she also plays the wife of his artist friend in 1968.)

There is discussion about photography and filmmaking in black and white flashbacks to the 1990s and his academic career and his eager students.

With the filmmaking, Leo has the opportunity for some kind of assessment of his life, acknowledging the good and the bad, the hurt to others, deceit and lies, an opportunity for truth in the deathbed confession.

1. The title, the national anthem of Canada, the perspective of Canada in 1968, draftees avoiding Vietnam? Life in Canada?
2. The settings, Montréal and the house, interiors, the filming? Massachusetts towns, in the 60s? Richmond Virginia? Vermont? The Canadian border? The atmospheric score?
3. The work of Paul Schrader, his later interest in older men and coping with life? The adaptation of Russell Banks novel? as writ Schrader er and director?
4. The situation, Leonard Fyfe, the opening comment by his son not meeting his father for 30 years? The documentary filmmakers, setting up, Leo and his health, cancer, weak, agreeing to the film? His having taught Emma, Malcolm, Victoria 30 years earlier? His agreeing to do the interview, his impatience? A deathbed confession?
5. The structure of the film, the interview in 2023, the many flashbacks to 1968, the flashbacks to the classes in the 90s? The range of flashback memories? The style of the film, muted colour for the interview, bright colour for some of the flashbacks, the many black and white flashbacks?
6. Richard Gere, his career, in his mid-70s, portraying a dying man, but also the flashbacks the 1990s and teaching, and the insertion of the older Leo instead of the younger Leo in flashbacks? Jacob Elordi as the younger Leo?
7. Leo reviewing his life, facts, lies, confessions, confusions? The effect on him, wanting to keep going, wanting Emma to be present, for her to know the man she married, his tiredness, the nurse, going to the toilet? Coming back, his insistence? Finally stopping, his attitude towards the filmmakers? In his room, with Emma and the nurse, Sloane putting the camera in the room, the filmmakers watching his dying scene?
8. Leo, his family, his home town? His wandering, the relationship with Amy, her pregnancy, loving her not, the encounter with Amanda, sexual relationship? Meeting Alicia, the marriage, her son, her pregnancy, Leo and his writing, the prospect for teaching, going to Vermont, the pressure from his father-in-law and his brother, to work for the firm? The break, his going away, not seeing his son for 30 years, the loss of contact with Alicia?
9. The various pieces of his story, 1968, the draft, his lining up, costume, questions about being gay, his answers, awaiting his documents? Going to Vermont, hiring the car, the scene in the shop, the clothes, stealing the money and the clothes? Visiting Stanley, the conversations, Stanley and draft dodgers, his art, relationships, Gloria (and being played by Uma Thurman), the sexual encounter, his leaving?
10. The visit to his hometown, the diner, memories of his family? the family discussion, all in the priest, his declaration going to Cuba – is not getting there, the story of his crossing America like Jack Kerouac, the calling of the priest for advice?
11. Going to the border, the signpost, his choice, standing in the field, the sign, his crossing the border to his future?
12. The documentary makers, past students, the scenes of their eagerly listening to him, his invention of the camera and looking at the interviewer on camera, his comments on Susan Sontag and photography, the meetings, the tutorials? His relationship with Emma and Victoria?
13. Marrying Emma, the 30 years, her devotion to him, her concern in his illness, during the interview?
14. Leo and his career, the film about testing weapons, the glimpses of his further films, about exploitation of the Arctic, about the sex offending Bishop? His reputation? His being introduced, bringing Emma on stage?
15. The encounter with his son, the son driving to the screening, talking to his father, Leo turning his back and disowning him? The son and his conversation with Emma? The news about what happened to Alicia?
16. The final death scene, Emma and the nurse, breathing his last, having made his confession?

MASTER GARDENER

US, 2023, 111 minutes, Colour.

Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, Quintessa Swindell, Esai Morales.

Directed by Paul Schrader.

A reassurance for those who feel set up by the title of the film: there are many beguilingly beautiful close-ups of flowers during the opening credits, wonderful vistas of flowers, geometric French gardens, natural British gardens, wild gardens, after the reassurance, an alert that we begin to see fewer and fewer flowers, rather more human thorns. While this is a drama about an expert gardener, and many explanations of seeds, growth, flowers, it is more a drama about human nature.

And a message, that whatever the destruction, natural, all with human malicious motivation, rejuvenated regrowth is always possible. This is a Paul Schrader film. Schrader has been writing strong, often grim movies (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Last Temptation) for almost 50 years as well as directing many films, quite a wide range of themes, more recently on significant male loners (First Reformed, The Card Counter). With his name, we can expect serious themes, sadness and violence.

This is a drama about Norval what Roth, played intensely by Joel Edgerton, a sombre master gardener in the spacious grounds of a Louisiana mansion, presided over by a bitterly rich dowager owner, Norma, played imperiously and often impetuously by Sigourney Weaver. She has had a long family tradition with the gardens, quite a local reputation, and has her gardener obedient to her beck and call. He is a respectful loner, a mysterious background, gradually revealed, a far different life, a far different ideology, a history of violence.

Into the mix comes Norma’s grandniece, Maya (Quintessa Swindell), Norma agreeing to take her in as an apprentice to Normal, but disdain for Maya’s mother, keeping her distance, some dastardly unpleasant eventual encounters.

After the serious exhilaration of life and work in the gardens, Norval and his relationship with his enthusiastic staff, instructing, training, appreciating the floral results, the drama intensifies with Maya and her increasingly bitter grand aunt, something of what we might have been expecting, especially Norval’s fascination with Maya, his being upset when she is beaten by her drug dealing boyfriend, his connecting with his parole officer trying to get some justice, and then his own moral decisions.

Apart from the beauty of the flowers, this is a rather sombre drama, becoming evermore sombre as the flowers disappear.

1. The title, the emphasis on expertise, Norval as a master gardener, in action, in theory, study, achievement?
2. Paul Schrader film, audience expectations about a lone male, the past, drama, violence? The imagery and symbolism of the garden in flowers? Bloom, destruction, regrowth?
3. The Louisiana setting, the mansion, the beauty of the grounds, the gardens in flowers, the greenhouse? The mansion, interiors, wealth? The contrast with the streets, homes, drug dealers? Diners and police meetings? The countryside, the open road? The musical score?
4. The credits, the beauty of the flowers, close-ups, the different gardens, French geometric, and British nature, wild gardens, the visuals, the workers, the greenhouse, feeling the soil, smelling the soil, notions of seeds, growth, the range of staff, their enthusiasm, their tasks, Norval and his books, his knowledge about seeds?
5. Norval, his keeping the journal, his commentary, about gardens, about Norma, about himself in the past, about Maya? The journal important in the past, meeting of Maya, the relationship with her, the journal no longer necessary?
6. Norval, his appearance, overalls and jacket, in the greenhouse, with the staff, in the garden? The audience seeing him with his shirt off, the tattooed is, the swastikas? The contrast with his dressing up to go to the main house with Norma? The contrast with the revelation in the flashbacks, the Neo-Nazis, racists, thick hair and beard, seeing him in violent action, the shootings?
7. Norval, accepted by Norma, on parole, the meetings with his officer? Her attitude towards him, Sweet Pea? Inviting me to the house, the housekeeper, Ronnie and the drinks? The expectations, the sexual encounter? Giving him information about Maya? To be an apprentice, and not wanting to see her? The history of her mother?
8. Maya, her age, arrival, meeting Norval, explanations, working in the garden, the uniform, smiling the soil, working with the other members of the team, her learning? And not seeing Norma, puzzled?
9. The encounter with Norma, the new dress, the tea, the lunch, Norma in overalls, to work in the garden? The discussions, misinterpretations, clashes, Norma walking out?
10. Maya, being beaten, her boyfriend, drug dealing? Norval and his reaction, the appointment with his officer, their discussions, memories of the past, the officer retiring, a replacement? The information about the dealer and Norval expecting some action?
11. The encounters with Maya, the attraction, his advance and drawing back, her response? Being together, his letting her see the tattooed is? Her questions? His reaction to Norma’s treatment of her?
12. Maya getting things, to go into hiding, staying with Norval? His taking the time, confronting the boyfriend and the others, the threats? Their retaliation, the destruction of the gardens?
13. The new parole officer, Norval testing him out? His decision to take action, confronting the two, breaking their knees? Norval and Maya in the car, feeling free, yelling out the windows?
14. Decisions, his memories of his wife and his disappeared daughter, change of life, confronting Norma, living with Maya? And the reconstruction of the garden?