Big Fish: the power of myth

Directed by Tim Burton and with Ewan McGregor playing the leading role, Big Fish (2003) could be nothing but an unusual and eccentric film which relates the story of Edward Bloom: a big fish in a small pond.

Ewan McGregor as young Edward Bloom

The film tells the story of Will, a 30-old-years man, recently married, who goes back home because his father is dying. After having argued strongly with him three years ago (because Will had always thought that his father stories where stupid lies), he tries to reconstruct his father’s fascinating and, for him, unbelievable story with the aim of know the truth behind the myth.

However, the protagonist of Big Fish is Edward Bloom, his unexpected and surprising adventures in the pursuit of doing great things. He believes himself destined for  achieving everything he wants, and is determined to it. Never mind the obstacles and never fearing death, Edward met extraordinary people, too incredible to be true, such as Karl the giant, a witch or the Chinese Siamese twins.

Talking about the structure of the film, it is told in flashbacks, from the present time to his father youth. Due to that, the most part of the film takes place from the 40s to the 70s and that is reflected in the dressing of the characters, the cars and behaviour of people. On this side, the film gives a realistic view of the last century, what involves the audience even more in the story. In Big Fish, the director of such illusory films as Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow (Tim Burton), tries to balance his gift for fantasy with a more naturalistic approach. It must be said that the Film is based in a book edited in 1998: Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions.

Is has been said that Tim Burton is not as good at ending stories as he is creating them. Sometime they are so fantastic that make you feel in a fairy tale, so when finally the end comes, is very disappointing. Nevertheless, this is not the case of Big Fish. It has the perfect compelling and happy ending for the perfect story.

Some critics have compared Big Fish with one of the biggest box-office hits in cinema history: Forrest Gump. Both stories have similarities, of course, they both tell, episodically, the life of  a US man with a very characteristic personality.  Nevertheless, while FG tends to realistic stories, in BF there is no limit for Burton’s imagination due to everything is a tale. Moreover, Forrest and Edward are totally different. While Forrest achieves impressive things by chance, Edward fight for his convictions to achieve what he wants.

It is important to detect the metaphor that Burton introduces in the film in order to understand the film in its entirety. We all have heard about the fantastic stories about huge fishes that fishermen tell among them, and Tim Burton creates a perfect metaphor about this topic because, though the size of the fish is open to question, its existence isn't. And so is his father life, his story is true, but...in which extent?

 

Big Fish is a 21^st Century fairy tale where drama, humour, realism and surrealism are perfectly combined, creating a magnificent and poignant story, for all audiences, where getting bored is impossible. Facts are fine, but some truths can only be told by fiction, and this movie tells a captivating tale that is a delight for the eye, the heart, and the spirit. Highly recommended. You will repeat every year.

Garden State

This is not the typical American film. Not the usual comedy, nor the usual drama, nor the usual love story. It is all these things...and none at the same time. Zach Braff (lead character at the sitcom “Scrubs”) creates a short and interesting story about home-finding and problems-coping mixed with a love story that engage the audience. In one word: different.

The plot of film revolves around the story of Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff), a 26 years-old actor who comes back home, after 9 years, due to his mother’s death. Back in town he meets again old friends, an old problems. The film is sunk in a depressing state until Andrew meets Samantha (Natalia Portman), a young, weird but interesting girl that changes his life in a couple of days.  They both are looking forward to spend some time together, showing each other their world, while they fall in love.

Talking about the lead characters, Large (as their friends call him) is a depressed young actor who has been out of home for 9 years after pushing her mother downstairs, which paralyzed her. Due to the medication he has been taken for years, he doesn’t feel any emotions until he stops taking and meets Samantha, that on the contrary, is a dynamic and energetic girl with a vivid imagination and whose youthful and innocent appearance makes you fall for her from the beginning. She makes him live again and discover himself, his feelings and emotions.

Garden State (“Algo en común” in Spain) was created totally by Zach Braff, who is director, lead character and writer. He chose the soundtrack of the film, which was filmed in his town.  In a story like this (told thousand times), details are the essential part of the film. All along the film, stupid, ironic and kind scenes follow one another and this is one of the main aspects of the film. Expect the unexpected. Maybe this unusual images are not impressive or astonishing facts, but it is difficult to know what is going to happen in the next scene. The movie is at its finest in these offbeat moments.

However, it would a mistake to expect the film to be an hilarious comedie a terrible drama. It is the combination of both aspects what makes the film special. Zach Braff shows a believable story, unexpected, atypical but real conversations with which everyone could see himself in.

Some may say describe it as boring, predictable, typical or overrated, and, in fact, the film is not more than a simple, correct, and funny anecdote that tell a love-discovering story with a simple but unexpected and nuanced plot. This is not compulsory a negative aspect, but the most positive one. Braff achieves a compelling and startling film through describing an easy, nearby, intimate and touching story, eschewing the resemblance to Hollywood films.

Pulp Fiction

For sure that we all have heard about Pulp fiction, possibly the most famous Taratino's film. It was released in 1994 and made a great impression on the audience. Consequently the film won some awards, but...do we all know what the film is about? Why is so famous and different? And why is going to be one of the most remembered films in the history?

 At the beginning of the film, Tarantino offers us a definition of what could be the film about:

      In Spain the title wasn't translated, on the one hand because Pulp Fiction is a very eye-catching title and it would have been a pity to lose it, and on the other hand because of the translation difficulties given that it reflects a cultural English aspect. Something like "literatura barata", that shouldn't be taken too much seriously, but like an entertainment. This fact conflicts with the extremely deep and important topics that the film deals with: drugs, strong feelings, death, bloody scenes, etc. 

      The storyline consists of 4 different short-stories related to each other, in which the leads cross their paths in a dramatic way. It is a circular storyline. What does it mean? The film starts and ends in the same narrative moment, the same scene, same place, same time, but told from the point of view of different characters. That’s important, because until you don’t watch the last scene you can’t imagine how the film is going to end. 

      The plot is divided in 4 chapters, let’s say, and we have 4 groups of characters. The main characters of the first and last scene are "Pumpkin" and "Honey Buney", an in-love couple of third rate thieves, with obvious mental problems, planning how to rob in the restaurant where they are. Then, the film focuses on Vincent and Jules, a pair of professional killers which give the impression of being cold and insensitive, but that afterwards demonstrate they also have feelings. The next part is about the relationship between Vincent and Mia, his gangster’s wife, a weird and heroin addict young woman looking for some fun with Vincent. They stage one of the most famous dance scenes in the story of cinema:  

      While he is with Mia, Vincent reveals his insecurity in human relationships and his sense of responsibility when Mia suffers a heart attack caused by the heroin. As the films advances, Tarantino makes the lead characters evolve, develop feeling and change their minds, fact that gives the film a credible plot. Shows the innermost thought of Jules and Vincent: their doubts, feelings, inner reactions, etc.  He doesn’t focus only on the killers side, but also on the human one.

      After a part where Bruce Willis (in the role of a boxer searched by Marsellus Wallace for having broken a promise) escaped with her young lady after saving the life  of Marsellus as a payment of the debt, the plot returns to Jules and Vincent, eating breakfast in a coffee shop and discussing about Jules's decision to retire. In a brief cutaway, we see "Pumpkin" and "Honey Bunny" shortly before they initiate the hold-up from the movie's first scene. And here’s when the film goes back to the beginning in order to end.

      As the films goes by, it is difficult for the spectator to know what is the next movement of the film going to be. The story-line “begins” and “ends” because Jules and Vincent have to take back a valuable briefcase to Marcellus, but the containing of this briefcase is never revealed. It means, this briefcase is an excuse to start the film, a “Macguffin”, an expression created by Hitchcock and very common in his films.

      Talking about the main characteristics of the film, Pulp fiction is not en exception, and shares with all the films of Tarantino typical features such us, the great quantity of blood, hard-to-swallow scenes, deaths, guns and katanas, and a contempt for life also seen in Reservoir Dogs or Kill Bill vol. 1 and 2. All these elements make the difference between a Tarantino’s film and the rest. 

      To sum up, this is not the typical gangsters films, it doesn’t have a normal plot or storyline, it will disconcert you, you will finish watching it and you won’t be sure of what has happened nor what is the story about, but it will also blow your mind with a different point of view of society, human feelings and gangsters topics while you get totally engrossed in the script that revolutionized Hollywood. Highly recommended if you look for something different and unexpected.

     Next stop: Big Fish

First Step!

Today, 29th of September I create my blog! I have to say that I have been thinking about creating one of these for months. Some of the translation professors at the University of Alicante had told us that it was a very useful way to improve our writing and, also make us a name in the professional translation world waiting for us. Since I started my degree (last year), I have been reading translation and interpreting blogs. I read these blogs with the purpose of knowing what it is outside, in order not to crash with reality at the end of my 4th year, but also because I am very interested in some areas of translation and I would like to explore them as soon as possible.

Despite my interest in translation, my firsts posts are going to deal with FILMS. To be precise with threes films that I am reviewing in this first term of my second year in Alicante. In this moment the only thing I know is that the first one will be Pulp Fiction, which I watched last week, and the second one will be Big Fish. I don't know the third film yet, I have not decided.

So...this is what my blog is going to be about. I'm sure I will enjoy it because I love writing, even in english. In spite of that, it's going to be a challenge. I'm not used to long writings in English and a lot less to reviewing films, but I hope I could improve this in this term!

Next stop: Pulp Fiction