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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
While I certainly don't look forward to seeing the ways Aronofsky leans into the grotesqueries endemic to this premise, I found this pleasantly surprising. It's oddly sweet, and I can see what attracted him to this material. Aspects of it feel kind of vital right now, and I think a modern updating could be pretty great (and it wouldn't take much doing to update it).
Brendan Fraser is absolutely perfect casting, as well. I hope people give this a shot. It's been largely pilloried based on the initial news articles and whatnot, but it'll be nice to see Aronofsky scaled back again, making something closer to "The Wrestler" than to, say, "mother!" People seem to really hate the guy now and I don't get it. Just because he and Jennifer Lawrence didn't work out? I have no doubt he's a tough hang, but he's a genuinely great filmmaker and it's been fascinating to watch his career unfold in something close to real time.
Brendan Fraser is absolutely perfect casting, as well. I hope people give this a shot. It's been largely pilloried based on the initial news articles and whatnot, but it'll be nice to see Aronofsky scaled back again, making something closer to "The Wrestler" than to, say, "mother!" People seem to really hate the guy now and I don't get it. Just because he and Jennifer Lawrence didn't work out? I have no doubt he's a tough hang, but he's a genuinely great filmmaker and it's been fascinating to watch his career unfold in something close to real time.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia
Moderate: Cursing
"The Whale" by Samuel Hunter is a powerful play that explores themes of isolation, grief, and redemption. The play centers around Charlie, a morbidly obese man who has secluded himself in his apartment and has become disconnected from the world around him. As the play unfolds, we learn that Charlie is haunted by a tragic event from his past and is consumed by guilt and regret.
One of the most striking aspects of the play is its exploration of isolation. Charlie has become physically isolated from the world around him, but his isolation is also emotional and psychological. He has shut himself off from the people he loves and the outside world, unable to cope with his grief and shame. Through Charlie's character, Hunter highlights the devastating impact of isolation on an individual's mental and emotional well-being.
The play also explores the theme of grief and how it can consume a person's life. Charlie is consumed by the grief and guilt he feels over his past actions, and his weight becomes a physical manifestation of his emotional pain. Through Charlie's character, Hunter shows how grief can take over a person's life and make it impossible to move forward.
However, despite the heavy themes of the play, Hunter also offers a message of hope and redemption. As the play progresses, Charlie begins to connect with the people around him and is given a chance to confront his past and seek forgiveness. Through this journey, Charlie is able to find a sense of peace and closure, and the audience is left with a sense of hope for his future.
Overall, "The Whale" is a powerful and moving play that explores important themes of isolation, grief, and redemption. Through Charlie's character, Hunter offers a poignant portrayal of the devastating impact of isolation and grief on an individual's life, but also offers a message of hope and redemption for those who are able to confront their past and seek forgiveness.
One of the most striking aspects of the play is its exploration of isolation. Charlie has become physically isolated from the world around him, but his isolation is also emotional and psychological. He has shut himself off from the people he loves and the outside world, unable to cope with his grief and shame. Through Charlie's character, Hunter highlights the devastating impact of isolation on an individual's mental and emotional well-being.
The play also explores the theme of grief and how it can consume a person's life. Charlie is consumed by the grief and guilt he feels over his past actions, and his weight becomes a physical manifestation of his emotional pain. Through Charlie's character, Hunter shows how grief can take over a person's life and make it impossible to move forward.
However, despite the heavy themes of the play, Hunter also offers a message of hope and redemption. As the play progresses, Charlie begins to connect with the people around him and is given a chance to confront his past and seek forgiveness. Through this journey, Charlie is able to find a sense of peace and closure, and the audience is left with a sense of hope for his future.
Overall, "The Whale" is a powerful and moving play that explores important themes of isolation, grief, and redemption. Through Charlie's character, Hunter offers a poignant portrayal of the devastating impact of isolation and grief on an individual's life, but also offers a message of hope and redemption for those who are able to confront their past and seek forgiveness.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
read this for book club because we’re going to watch the movie and i am curious to see how it’s been adapted to film. honestly felt a little icky the entire time reading it, especially with charlie’s fatness serving as some kind of metaphor for the trauma he’s experienced and the grief he has trouble processing. also not the double hitter of him also being gay and the death of his partner being the source of that trauma and his partner’s death being essentially suicide by ED?? because of religious trauma?? without knowing anything about the playwright, it just didn’t vibe well for me like some of the other reviewers here idk. probably will go on a deep dive of articles about this 🫡
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Čarli, protagonista drame THE WHALE (2012) po kojoj je upravo snimljen film u režiji Darona Aronofskog & sa Brendanom Frejžerom u glavnoj ulozi, ima 270 kilograma i ne izlazi iz kuće; teško odlazi i do toaleta ili spavaće sobe. Dane provodi držeći dopunsku nastavu iz engleske književnosti preko Zuma. Kameru ne pali. Blizu trista kila Čarli ima zbog hroničnog i samodestruktivnog prejedanja koje je počelo kada mu je, nekoliko godina ranije, preminuo momak, nekadašnji njegov student, zbog kojeg je pre više od decenije napustio suprugu i dvogodišnju ćerku. Drama prati njegove verovatno poslednje dane života, budući da su mu srce i unutrašnji organi kolabirani, i njegov pokušaj da, koliko može, ispravi rane koje misli da je naneo drugima, u neizrečenoj nameri da oprosti samom sebi.
Ostali likovi su: zbunjeni mormonski misionar; Čarlijeva najbolja drugarica što ga, kao medicinska sestra, koliko-toliko održava u životu, istovremeno ga međutim snabdevajući i brzom hranom; te Čarlijeva sedamnaestogodišnja ćerka ispunjena tinejdžerskim angstom, o kojem svedoči njen hejt-blog zbog kojeg zaradila školsku stipendiju zbog kiber-napastvovanja. Deluje sve ovo kao farsa -- drama uostalom počinje komičnim čitanjem kriminalnih seminarskih radova, a zatim i Čarlijevim infarktom tokom gledanja gej pornića -- ali nije; sat i pedeset minuta duga drama Semjuela Hantera (Samuel D. Hunter) meni je bila topla, kamerna priča o novim prilikama i ispravkama.
Čarli je lik koji ostaje na pameti, ne samo zato što ga je fizički teško izbaciti iz vidnog polja, budući da veličinom jede scenu i svaki kadar. Leži mi nedeljama u glavi ne samo njegova pojava, već sudbina, misli, neiskvarenost, hostilna dobrota prema drugima, prema onima koje je povredio i koje misli da je povredio, zbog čega sebe kažnjava i ubija obrok po obrok. Neko bi se možda bunio kada bih fizički odbojnog čoveka koji se samoubija proždrljivošću usled smrti svog ljubavnika, zbog kojeg je napustio ženu i mladu ćerku, i koji život sebi dodatno krati Pornhabom, nazvao hristolikim, ali šta da se radi kada jeste. Taj je čovek malo i tužno svetlo u svetiću svojih poznanika i porodice. Brendon Frejžer je odličan za Čarlija, i nadam se da će obradovati gledaoce svojom predstavom; ne bi, mislim, mnogo glumaca u liku ogavno gojaznog pustinjaka (citiram izvorni tekst) bez trunke dvoznačnosti demonstrirali njegovu brižnost, empatiju, zbunjenost i dobrotu.
Za Aronofskog pak ne znam. KIT je kamerna priča i scena je ovde još sitnija i sažetija od one u MAJKO! (odvija se radnja u celosti u Čarlijevoj dnevnoj sobi), i izuzev same Čarlijeve pojave, nema ovde podloge za grotesku, stres, emotivni horor i starozavetnu teskobu u kojima Aronofski inače pliva. Uprkos okidačkim temama poput suicida, napuštanja, besa i delikvencije, priča je neobično šarmantna i egzaltirana i u pamet mi dolazi poredba sa DOBRIM VILOM HANTINGOM, gde se o zlostavljanju i alijenaciji takođe pričalo tako da se, do kraja, osećate ispunjeno ili makar katartično, umesto da dobijete poriv da legnete na prugu ili gledate u reku, kao što je slušaj sa npr. REKVIJEVOM ZA SAN. Semjuel Hanter, pisac KITA (koji je dve godine nakon ove drame dobio Mekarturovu stipendiju), koristi doduše disonantne dramske specijalne efekte srodne Aronofskom, ne samo vizuelne (debelo odelo za Čarlijevog glumca) već i auditivne: prema scenskim upustvima, između scena se čuju nedijegetski zvuci talasa, koji sa svakom narednom pauzom postaju sve glasniji i nemirniji, a u nekoliko prilika se preko razglasa puštaju i preko scenskog dijaloga. Nadam se da D. A. neće preterati.
Kao nekome ko se u dramu razume samo kada je čita, intimno mi je drago & zabavno što je KIT vrlo literarizovano štivo. Naslov dela nije samo uvredljiva aluzija na Čarlijevu veličinu, već se u delu otvoreno flertuje sa elementima Melvilovog MOBI DIKA, kao i sa biblijskom legendom o Joni. U jednom tekstualnom, književnom činu leži i srce ove drame, ali o tome ne mogu da pričam. U mom Vordsvortovom izdanju MOBY-DICKA stoji, neposredno pre predgovora, generalna napomena svih izdanja iste edicije: da se čitaocima savetuje da prvo pročitaju delo, pa tek onda Introduction, jer je „zadovoljstvo čitanja neodvojivo od iznenađenja, tajni i otkrića koje priča donosi“. Lepše će biti kada se to o čemu bih pričao vidi/čuje bez najave, a zaista jeste lepo i dobro. Da ne govorim o spoznanju drugog, PRAVOG glavnog lika ovog dela.
Ostali likovi su: zbunjeni mormonski misionar; Čarlijeva najbolja drugarica što ga, kao medicinska sestra, koliko-toliko održava u životu, istovremeno ga međutim snabdevajući i brzom hranom; te Čarlijeva sedamnaestogodišnja ćerka ispunjena tinejdžerskim angstom, o kojem svedoči njen hejt-blog zbog kojeg zaradila školsku stipendiju zbog kiber-napastvovanja. Deluje sve ovo kao farsa -- drama uostalom počinje komičnim čitanjem kriminalnih seminarskih radova, a zatim i Čarlijevim infarktom tokom gledanja gej pornića -- ali nije; sat i pedeset minuta duga drama Semjuela Hantera (Samuel D. Hunter) meni je bila topla, kamerna priča o novim prilikama i ispravkama.
Čarli je lik koji ostaje na pameti, ne samo zato što ga je fizički teško izbaciti iz vidnog polja, budući da veličinom jede scenu i svaki kadar. Leži mi nedeljama u glavi ne samo njegova pojava, već sudbina, misli, neiskvarenost, hostilna dobrota prema drugima, prema onima koje je povredio i koje misli da je povredio, zbog čega sebe kažnjava i ubija obrok po obrok. Neko bi se možda bunio kada bih fizički odbojnog čoveka koji se samoubija proždrljivošću usled smrti svog ljubavnika, zbog kojeg je napustio ženu i mladu ćerku, i koji život sebi dodatno krati Pornhabom, nazvao hristolikim, ali šta da se radi kada jeste. Taj je čovek malo i tužno svetlo u svetiću svojih poznanika i porodice. Brendon Frejžer je odličan za Čarlija, i nadam se da će obradovati gledaoce svojom predstavom; ne bi, mislim, mnogo glumaca u liku ogavno gojaznog pustinjaka (citiram izvorni tekst) bez trunke dvoznačnosti demonstrirali njegovu brižnost, empatiju, zbunjenost i dobrotu.
Za Aronofskog pak ne znam. KIT je kamerna priča i scena je ovde još sitnija i sažetija od one u MAJKO! (odvija se radnja u celosti u Čarlijevoj dnevnoj sobi), i izuzev same Čarlijeve pojave, nema ovde podloge za grotesku, stres, emotivni horor i starozavetnu teskobu u kojima Aronofski inače pliva. Uprkos okidačkim temama poput suicida, napuštanja, besa i delikvencije, priča je neobično šarmantna i egzaltirana i u pamet mi dolazi poredba sa DOBRIM VILOM HANTINGOM, gde se o zlostavljanju i alijenaciji takođe pričalo tako da se, do kraja, osećate ispunjeno ili makar katartično, umesto da dobijete poriv da legnete na prugu ili gledate u reku, kao što je slušaj sa npr. REKVIJEVOM ZA SAN. Semjuel Hanter, pisac KITA (koji je dve godine nakon ove drame dobio Mekarturovu stipendiju), koristi doduše disonantne dramske specijalne efekte srodne Aronofskom, ne samo vizuelne (debelo odelo za Čarlijevog glumca) već i auditivne: prema scenskim upustvima, između scena se čuju nedijegetski zvuci talasa, koji sa svakom narednom pauzom postaju sve glasniji i nemirniji, a u nekoliko prilika se preko razglasa puštaju i preko scenskog dijaloga. Nadam se da D. A. neće preterati.
Kao nekome ko se u dramu razume samo kada je čita, intimno mi je drago & zabavno što je KIT vrlo literarizovano štivo. Naslov dela nije samo uvredljiva aluzija na Čarlijevu veličinu, već se u delu otvoreno flertuje sa elementima Melvilovog MOBI DIKA, kao i sa biblijskom legendom o Joni. U jednom tekstualnom, književnom činu leži i srce ove drame, ali o tome ne mogu da pričam. U mom Vordsvortovom izdanju MOBY-DICKA stoji, neposredno pre predgovora, generalna napomena svih izdanja iste edicije: da se čitaocima savetuje da prvo pročitaju delo, pa tek onda Introduction, jer je „zadovoljstvo čitanja neodvojivo od iznenađenja, tajni i otkrića koje priča donosi“. Lepše će biti kada se to o čemu bih pričao vidi/čuje bez najave, a zaista jeste lepo i dobro. Da ne govorim o spoznanju drugog, PRAVOG glavnog lika ovog dela.