Film Review: Only God Forgives

For much of 2013, it seemed like the movie's poster, with the dragon in neon lights, was beckoning me, perhaps even taunting me and daring me to watch this film.  Since Drive was such a big hit just a couple of years earlier, this follow up from Nicolas Refn and Ryan Gosling looked like it'd be more of the same, but fans may find that Only God Forgives is a totally different animal of a film:  many find it distasteful, weird, shallow, and just plain bad.  I would have agreed with those assessments at first glance as well, but as with most works of art (especially in film), it took a fresh new viewing to look past the initial expectations and appreciate it as it is.  This is not Drive; this is Valhalla Rising, with all the same primal brutality, but swapping out the lands of the Norse with the seedy grungy streets of Bangkok.

This film moves with a slow and brooding pace, which will strain the patience of many viewers.  For those with the patience, the film will be mesmerizing and hypnotic, thanks to the film's beautiful compositions and vivid lighting.  Despite the pacing, most scenes rarely linger, and the film is pretty short overall; I think it's actually pretty notable that the film uses just as many scenes as it needs, cutting out the excess and keeping things simple.

The story is pretty simple and small-scale, but the narrative is not easy to digest.  Few words are spoken, and when they are, they're pretty quiet and they reveal very little.  Most of the film's story is relayed best through its imagery and the characters' expressions; the burden of the pathos rests purely on the way the characters regard each other, the way they treat each other, and the way they take revenge on each other.  Paying attention to these small nuances can reveal much about the characters, but without any straightforward answers, a lot of the story is left wide open to interpretation (and many viewers would probably dismiss it all as pretentious nonsense).  As I regard the story, I believe it lays out some basic archetypes (especially on a theological level) and sets up a massive series of eye-for-an-eye conflicts that lead up to an expressionist finale.  Ultimately, the characters go on to express themes of temptation, sin, vengeance, and authoritarian terror.

All that being said, the story is hard to take at face value.  Parts of it are hard to believe, if not outright unrealistic.  Parts of it make little sense, and the finale is pretty weird.

The film is as beautiful as they come.  It boasts some superb photography and editing.  Color and lighting are extremely vivid and powerful, painting each scene with bold imagery that drives the story and gives the whole thing meaning.  Acting is notably odd; most actors are statuesque and silent, but their expressions, movements, and compositions are very nuanced.  Writing is pretty minimalistic.  This production uses some very good-looking sets, props, and costumes.  Locales are authentic.  Cliff Martinez's music score is pretty awesome and accentuates the visuals beautifully.

Only God Forgives:  it looks like the companion piece to Gaspar Noé's Enter the Void, and it feels like Stanley Kubrick.  Its narrative and pacing is not nearly as palatable as Drive, and if you're expecting something on that level, you will likely be disappointed.  But what the film lacks in narrative or straightforward dialogue, it makes up for with pure expressionism.

Since the film is so polarizing, I'd only recommend renting this film first, to see if it can captivate you the way it's captivated me.

4.5/5 (Experience:  Good | Content:  Good | Film:  Perfect)