Why “The Father” is an Apotheosis of Cinematic Experience
Who are we but glass figurines which void is encapsulated by the presence of memories which define our existence?
“When you look at a piece of delicately spun glass you think of two things: how beautiful it is and how easily it can be broken.” — Tennessee Williams
Who are we but glass figurines which void is encapsulated by the presence of memories which define our existence? But what happens when an internal parasite, which gradually shatters the layers of mental activity, initiates fractures in our wholesomeness? Then, we start attempting to find in motion what was lost in space.
Did Florian Zeller make a good film?
At first glance, “The Father” permeates an impression of ostentatious filmmaking forwarded towards the award season. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in the hands of Hollywood bosses have long been a success recipe — it is rather impossible to avoid arousing sympathy for the protagonists who are defeated in the battle with the internal parasite, especially if they are played by the stars of the first echelon. It seemed like “The Father” would join the same category, hiding its banal leitmotif behind the veil of pomposity, but instead Florian Zeller presented one of the most immersive, intimidating, honest, provocative, and creative film pieces — an instant classic to be studied by future generations.
The majority of the films about the topic of mental disease are built on the documentation of the painfully slow process of decay — the viewer observes the drama of a person who ceases to be himself and, in the eyes of loved ones, becomes a shell of the previous version of himself. It’s certainly emotionally draining to watch, but the filmmakers’ obsession with a physically helpless hero looks manipulative and head-on. In this sense, “The Father” is a unique movie that managed to look at the usual plot from an alternative perspective.
The viewer is not forced to associate himself with relatives exhausted by care, or simply empathize with the dissolution of the protagonist’s identity — instead — the creators try to convey the bewilderment, anger, and fear of a patient with dementia, who sincerely does not comprehend the gravity of saneness which gradually and inevitably abates.
“The Father” is an adaptation of the play of the same name by the European playwright Florian Zeller, who personally transferred it to the big screen. Often, adaptations of theatrical performances turn out to be non-cinematographic and devoid of a sense of freedom in the frame, but in the case of “The Father”, the accentuated intimacy, on the contrary, helps to convey claustrophobia, as if the spectator and Hopkins’ hero were locked in an ordinary but constantly changing environment. Zeller uses fairly basic techniques to submerge, disorientate the audience, simultaneously depicting Anthony’s discomfiture — no cliche tricks tearing the cinematic fabric, instead, the echoes of an unreliable narrator, casting other actors for the same role, confusing dialogues or changing surroundings, accompanied by a non-linear screenplay and ingenious attention to details alluding to the dismal surrealism.
This intelligent simplicity works splendidly — the most common and accessible maneuvers turn the story into an everyday thriller, a Kafkaesque horror about a man who cannot understand who has gone mad: he or the world around him. At the same time, “The Father” does not abuse formalist techniques and uses a narrative concept to tell a story about a person who rediscovers the tragic moments of the past and learns to live in a new way. Fears while watching were caused only by the ending of the film — when you understand the rules of the game, you begin to wonder what can even put an end to the odyssey of a hero wandering through the labyrinths of memory. However, even here, the creators did not reinvent the wheel and presented a simple, but true ending, knocking out the spirit of childish naivety from the viewer.
However, it is unlikely that the above techniques and ideas would have worked with the same force, were they not intended to accumulate into unison with Sir Anthony Hopkins’ immaculate impersonation. Even by his inflated standards, Hopkins performed one of the most defining and difficult roles in a fruitful career. This is not just senile helplessness, but a desire to prove artistic greatness.
It is anger, resentment, and frighteningly believable fear in the eyes. A masterfully played role worthy of any recognition and indisputable Academy Award.
“The Father” is not a sole film, it is a metaphysical feeling that transcends above the boundaries of screen ratio, thus enabling an opportunity to experience what it would be like to be trapped in the downfalling nightmare of dementia, where at any moment you could lose complete understanding of not only your surroundings but your persona — who are you but a hollow figurine devoid of identity.
STYLE: 7/10
PLOT + CHARACTERS: 10/10
ACTING: 10/10
MOOD: 10/10
FINAL REVIEW: 9.25/10
