For my money, I'll still take Polanski's apartment trilogy when I want old school paranoia/mental breakdown type cinema
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Seconds
prelude_e_n_i_g_m_a — 12 years ago(November 27, 2013 06:05 PM)
For my money, I'll still take Polanski's apartment trilogy when I want old school paranoia/mental breakdown type cinema which I do a lot!
This ones very inventive with a few things, especially camera angles.
I score this 8/10.
I think Polanski's films feel more arty and polished, while Seconds is more overtly aggressive and brutish somehow. The arty way works on a deeper subconscious level for me. I also like how there's a surreal feel to Polanski's work. The neighbors are amazing in his trilogy! That digs into the subconscious and makes the paranoia fester from a deeper psychological place.
The logic of Seconds is a little off too. There's no reason for the lead to need to change his look a second time to escape anything, he already has a new look that people don't recognize. Also, why would he ever trust this group to change his identity again.
This film definitely deserves more credit and should be seen by any fan of cinema.
By the way, Aronofsky gets a lot of influence from both of these guys. He makes his own world and does it perfectly, and his artful paranoia might be the most thrilling of any filmmaker.
Below are concise lists of important/unique films that shape the dark and poetic boundaries of cinema.
www.imdb.com/list/TBaIZLGzzCI/
Films
www.imdb.com/list/phrdh4k22_I/
Directors
www.imdb.com/list/KRiQzimHsPo/
Future Films -
roncerabona — 12 years ago(November 30, 2013 04:08 AM)
If he's a famous painter - as he has been set up to be - a new start would make sense: the whole idea is supposed to be you start afresh, no ties to your old life. And that's how the company works (or is supposed to). As for trusting them, he probably doesn't, but he doesn;t have much choice: they're watching him all the time and he was blackmailed into going ahead with his initial change anyway. He's paid the price (in more ways than one) and figures he deserves satisfaction.
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prelude_e_n_i_g_m_a — 12 years ago(March 06, 2014 06:16 AM)
Repulsion 1965 - Might remind you of Black Swan a little
Rosemary's Baby 1968
The Tenant 1976
If you don't watch old movies much they might feel kind of slow, but they're all great and slightly surreal.
Below are concise lists of important/unique films that shape the dark and poetic boundaries of cinema.
www.imdb.com/list/TBaIZLGzzCI/
Films
www.imdb.com/list/phrdh4k22_I/
Directors
www.imdb.com/list/KRiQzimHsPo/
Future Films -
templesofice — 12 years ago(March 06, 2014 08:20 AM)
Awesome! I'll rent all three of these this weekend. I read the Ira Levin novel, Rosemary's Baby, but have yet to see the movie. And I have the book Seconds but from what I've read on these boards the movie is better.
I'm not afraid of the dark..I'm afraid of what's in the dark. -
bon22 — 11 years ago(June 27, 2014 09:35 PM)
I don't see this as an "either, or" comparison: either Polanski or Frankenheimer. While they both dealt with themes of paranoia and made films in the 1960s, they dealt with different subject matters and had different styles.
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IEatWords — 11 years ago(June 29, 2014 03:42 AM)
Polanski's version of paranoia is so dated. Repulsion is just dripping in it. From the ridiculous music to the dramatic visuals, it's just not thought provoking in any way. While Seconds had some annoying parts, the wine making scene, it also had scenes that far surpassed any in Repulsion.
Aronofsky is like a watered down David Lynch and is way past his peak. "Art" for the cool kids.