Man wow what a bummer.
Peele has actual themes at his fingertips (the untameability of nature, media sensationalism, corrosive whiteness) but never does more than vaguely grasp in their direction. For 130+ minutes. With a hammy, flabby writing job, a couple of inconsistent lead actors, and a cosmic jellyfish who gets way too much screentime by the end.
I've always thought Persona was primarily concerned with différance, the limits of representation, and what it means to be fully aware of those limits.
Communication can only ever approach truth, be it verbal (as in Alma's discourse) or visual (as in Bergman's movie). Persona is about the tension this limit creates within us, about making peace with the 'little lies' we are forced to tell. When Bergman pulls back and shows himself on camera shooting Ullmann on the ground, he…
Muted and passionless, which is a shame given how suited Effie's story would be to vivid melodrama. The restraint shown by the cast may have worked on paper considering the Victorian setting, but on screen the lack of a defining dramatic moment is painfully obvious.
Reminded me of something I once read about hikikomori, that one root cause is a rejection of the idea that the 'real' is implicitly more significant than the 'imagined'.
So inventive and haunting. Ends on a note that can be interpreted as either ironic or hopeful, and I'm not sure I come down firmly on either side based on a single viewing.
