Deciphering Northfork

April 5, 2004 10:15 AM

The film Northfork: Thoughts or comments? If you have seen the film, you will understand why I am not asking a more specific question. "What're you talkin' about, Willis?" In a way, I loved the film, yet I am still very confused (despite the fact that I'm rarely the guy who is confused by this type of movie.)

Okay, here is a specific question: Do I really even want "answers," or do I just want to watch the film again and let it wash over me without explanation? :-)
posted by Shane to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

Did you see the DVD? Did you watch the director's commentary of the DVD? I think the film actually, despite the surrealist apsects of it, did have a narrative structure of sorts. If you've seen other movies by the Polish Brothers, you'll know that their films teeter on the edge of surreality and this one definitely goes over the edge. I saw the movie, then read some of the comments about it on IMDB, then watched it again with the commentary. I really enjoyed it, but was okay not really understanding some of it. And hey, my uncle was in it!
posted by jessamyn at 10:31 AM on April 5, 2004

It's a beautiful, brilliant movie. Not everything was clear, but I certainly understood it (that is, I understood my own understanding of it). I haven't listened to the commentary, but discussing it with friends was even more illuminating. Anything in particular you're still wondering about (and want some ideas for)?
posted by Marquis at 10:38 AM on April 5, 2004

I saw it at SIFF last year, and was not particularly confused by or taken with it. If I recall correctly I was mostly frustrated by what I took to be leaden pacing with minimal reflective content. I definitely recall thinking that it came across as an homage to Wings of Desire, and thought that a re-viewing back-to-back might help me to finalize or dismiss that perception.

It's of interest to note that Nolte came on-set for Northfork directly from his role on The Hulk and once I saw that film, I concluded that the two performances are probably related.

Perhaps some more specific questions?
posted by mwhybark at 10:39 AM on April 5, 2004

Response by poster: I should probably watch the DVD commentary, but my reaction is that I just don't want to yet. I think I want to see it one more time before I hear what it is "supposed" to be about.

I suppose I wondered how it all really fit together into a cohesive whole. Of course, we have this theme (treated VERY abstractly) of progress wiping out innocence. Sometimes this manifests itself not just in the overall plot, but in small, funny comments or incidents, like the "fast food" comment or the scratch in Willis's car's paint. But then we have this literal plot point of Northfork once having been populated by angels. Or is it literal? I think it is. I loved the "otherworldly folk," by the way.

Wow. Sorry, folks. I don't think I can formulate specific questions yet. Without inciting a catch-all discussion, I'm just interested in other people's impressions of the film, and how they relate to my own.

Here's something funny: I watched Northfolk on "movie night with Mom." Now, Mom is brainy as hell, but she usually just doesn't go for anything too far out. Yet she really enjoyed Northfolk, with even less of an idea why than myself.

I dunno. Maybe Northfork works best without concrete answers or analysis. "Why" is often an idiotic question.
(Coyote was great, jessamyn!)
posted by Shane at 11:05 AM on April 5, 2004

It's a hard one to talk about. The only thing I have to say is that, you know how directors/actors always say on commentaries that, "Well, we really wanted [name of city or town] to be another character... I think we succeeded." and you always roll your eyes and scream "Get over yourself!" at the screen? Well, if the Polish brothers don't say that on the Northfork commentary then I didn't understand the picture.
posted by dobbs at 11:37 AM on April 5, 2004

FWIW, I'm both a Northfork devotee and a DVD commentary addict - and I've still resisted any temptation to listen to the commentary on the Northfork DVD. I've discovered that it's one of those films with a small but absolutely devoted audience who seem to revel in just allowing the dream to happen in front of their eyes, while the best the general public can do is shake their collective heads bemusedly in our general direction...

Ask yourself this, shane: Do you really need to know any more than you already do? Or is Northfork's imagery and narrative pretzel logic enough to keep you intrigued and entertained?

Uh-huh. That's right. That's what I thought...

(For nothing: I was recently forced to watch execrable Holes by a pre-adolescent fan of the novel and was struck by the vice-versa scenario of a dead dry desert that's appeared where a lake once was, with all sorts of secrets to be found "underwater"...)
posted by JollyWanker at 9:21 AM on April 6, 2004