12/11/2023 0 Comments Uncut gems howard![]() With Howard being the embodiment of this duality. That humans are, in a way, uncut gems-as rough as they are rich. By having a visual sequence that ties together the inner-world of the gem with the viscera of Howard Ratner, one could start to make a case about the value of a human life. Over the course of Uncut Gems there’s much emphasis placed on the value of the opal and the power of the opal. It’s now impossible to tell if we’re inside Howard or the gem. It’s as celestial and inspiring as the gem-scape was. Now, at the end, the interior-scape isn’t dull. ![]() In the first trip, the beauty of the gem gives way to the muted, far-less brilliant innards of Howard. Theory 2: The Real Gems AreĪt the end of Uncut Gems, when Howard’s dead on the ground and the camera enters the bullet wound, it’s similar to the earlier interior travel. But with them, you have the the kind of narrative in-roads necessary for a deeper hypothesis. Without those sequences, any argument the gem had power is based on nothing more than Garnett’s feeling. It also makes it less-than-obvious, allowing them to play with ambiguity. If the opal really did have power, then the mystical aesthetic of the “interior travel” sequences would be a visual way of representing a special quality without the Safdie Brothers going heavy-handed with exposition. So he credits his performance and the win to the opal. That Garnett literally has this rock he believes has special powers. “Give me the rock.” “Shoot the rock.” But, in context of Uncut Gems, we know the rock has deeper meaning. In basketball lingo, “the rock” is a common phrase for the ball. During the post-game interview on national TV, Garnett, talking about his performance, says, “It was just me and the rock, nothing else.” Garnett is a force and once again his team prevails. With the stone back in his possession, power flows through him once more. His team loses.īy the end of the movie, Garnett has purchased the opal from Howard. And what happens? Whether the gem was effective or served as a placebo, Garnett crashes and burns. Garnett, though, has to return the opal to Howard. And what happens? Whether the gem was effective or served as a placebo, Garnett has a dominant game in the NBA playoffs and his team wins. He’s convinced that it’ll allow him to play better. From the moment he holds the stone he’s convinced it has power. One of the main points of the Uncut Gems story is NBA player Kevin Garnett’s relationship with the black opal. Maybe that’s all the Safdie Brothers were going for? But there could be more. It’s not the only way to give audiences closure, but it’s an effective one. This technique has a lot of flexibility because it can be anything coming full circle. It’s confusing at first, but we soon discover we’re in Howard. At some point the beauty of the gem gives way to the muted colors of literal viscera. All of this accompanied by trippy synth music. Cloud after cloud of brilliant blues, reds, and oranges. ![]() The Safdie Brothers opted to go into the opal. Another version of the graphic match would be to zoom out from the men holding the opal to a wide shot of the mines, then cut to a wide shot of New York City and zoom in on Howard. Others might go for a graphic match, maybe cut from the shot of the opal in the hand of the miner to a diamond in the hand of Howard. Someone like David Fincher might solve by being to the point and clinical, just a basic cut from the rock to Howard. How do we transition from Ethiopia to Howard Ratner in New York City? Questions like this are the “problems” that allow filmmakers to show a sense of personality and style through the solutions they employ. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |