Beautifully filmed by Emmanuel Lubezki,
Terrence Malick’s latest production falls short of his previous work, which I
always enjoyed. However, this
production seems to be going over similar material as before, with even less
plot to carry the viewer along. Knight of Cups starts with a tale about
a prince charged by his father with finding a pearl, but the son goes after the
party life, forgetting all about the stone. The king does not forget, and sends repeated messages to his
son as reminders. Finally, an
earthquake catches his attention.
We’re then introduced to Rick (Bale), a
melancholy figure who appears to be working through his tumultuous
relationships with his father (Dennehy) and brother (Bentley) and tracing the
paths he took with the four women in his life (Blanchett, Pinto, Portman, and
Poots). Regret is a salient
emotion marking his memories of all.
His thoughts are marked by the rueful as well. “Pieces of your life never come
together; that’s damnation.”
“Dreams are nice, but you can’t live in them.” “So much I was given; so much I left behind.” “I spent 30 years not living life; I
couldn’t remember the man I wanted to be.”
The end contains short admonitions that seem to
come from father to son. “Love’s
so rare that when you find it, don’t let it go.” “Pay attention to this moment; everything is there, perfect
and complete just as it is.”
The characters don’t speak much in real
conversation—we mostly hear voiced thoughts—so most of what they convey is in
their movements. The film is
divided into sections that represent Tarot cards, i.e., The Hermit, The Hanged
Man, The Tower, The High Priestess, Death, etc. A closer viewing of the film might shed some light on the
metaphorical meaning of each section.
Much of the entertainment/enjoyment of the film
will be derived from Lubezki’s cinematography, although Jungian scholars will
no doubt understand the archetypes best, and derive more meaning from Malick’s
work.
Obscure meanings, but Lubezki’s sumptuous
cinematography compensates.
Grade: C By Donna
R. Copeland
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