• The Immeasurable Corpse of Nature
  • Bibliography
  • About Me
  • Contact Information
  • Pseudomonarchia Daemonum

Christopher Slatsky

~ author

Christopher Slatsky

Monthly Archives: September 2016

High-Rise

11 Sunday Sep 2016

Posted by Christopher Slatsky in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

When High-Rise works it works brilliantly, but it never sustains that brilliance beyond a handful of potent scenes. The rest of the film is simply dull, and the aloof satire comes across as an apathetic shrug with little insight beyond the obvious when it comes to class struggles. The strokes are so broad (rich people dress up as 18th century aristocrats at a party!) it’s best to just appreciate the goofy tonal shifts, beautiful cinematography, and amazing soundtrack (Portishead’s cover of SOS is a thing of wonder).

There are some pointed observations on how women are all too often the victims of class revolutions, no matter the strata they’re on, but this is never seriously examined, but tossed aside for jokey decadence and dialogue like “Who is going to fuck me in the ass?”, a scene I assume is meant to be pitch-black humor… right? Most surprisingly, given the source material and director, the film is toothless, like a knife fight with foam weapons and knee pads.

Despite my lukewarm opinion, Wheatley is always an adventurous and fascinating filmmaker, so definitely take a stab at a viewing if you find any of his other films worthwhile, or if you admire Ballard’s work. While I admit I’m being unfair in contemplating this, I can’t help but wonder how Cronenberg’s icy intellect would have interpreted such an epic Ballardian nightmare that was long considered unfilmmable, given his excellent adaptation of Spider, another novel I never imagined could be successfully translated to the screen.

I guess we’ll always have Shivers to look at as a Cronenbergian suggestion of what High-Rise could have been.

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • September 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • August 2019
  • June 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • September 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • February 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015

Categories

  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Christopher Slatsky
    • Join 27 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Christopher Slatsky
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar