11/13/2002 Entry:
"Heaven - Tom Tykwer (2002)"

As a longtime Kieslowski nut, I was both thrilled and saddened when I discovered that the script to Heaven was being directed by Tom Tykwer. Thrilled because this was the last morsel of Kieslowski genius we would probably ever receive, and saddened because I had serious questions about whether or not Tykwer could do the material justice based on Run Lola Run (still the only other film of his I've seen.) That film's frenetic pace seemed mismatched for a Kieslowski think-piece. Thankfully, Tykwer kept himself in check and created a marvelous picture.

I've spent a lot of time over the last few months writing entries about films trying to examine what it is I do and don't respond to, and one thing I think I've discovered is that I can cut a lot of slack to a film that can establish a mood. In particular, there is a kind of haunting mood which I find I respond to in a big way, as exemplified by recent films like The Virgin Suicides and George Washington. This isn't just in film for me either. When I look at the music I'm into these days (Low, Sigur Ros, Radiohead, Taranetel, Explosions In The Sky) they all fit the same bill. As a matter of fact, the films I described above are totally indebted to their scores in terms of how they establish their moods. Not just the music obviously, there are a variety of techniques being brought to bear. Another factor in establishing the mood of those films is that they have very loose screenplays. They do tell a story, but they do it in somewhat roundabout way. This is really not going where I wanted it to for some reason, but I'll just say now that Heaven falls into this category in all the ways described above.

Tykwer's direction is assured and filled with a confidence I didn't see in Run Lola Run. He doesn't seem to be afraid to let the camera linger, whereas in the other film he had to be constantly on the move (admittedly this can somewhat be attributed to the fact that that was a completely different type of movie than this.) There are some really amazing shots in the film's opening section, particularly a couple of overhead shots looking down on a courtyard which were incredibly reminiscient of that famous shot from the top of the UN in North by Northwest.

Like with AI last year, it seems inevitable to play the game of figuring out which parts of this are Kieslowski and which parts Tykwer. To my eyes, the longer the film went on the less Kieslowski-esque it seemed. Around the time they entered Blanchett's hometown seemed to me the point where things seemed less and less Kieslowski-esque. Then again, nobody but Kieslowski and his longtime collaborator Krzysztof Piesiewicz are credited with the screenplay, so I could just be reading stuff into it that isn't there. Certainly the subtle web of coincidence and chance that drives first two-thirds seems pure Kieslowski, and it was just wonderful to watch. I once read a quote from Kieslowski regarding the Decalogue. An interviewer asked him what the meaning behind the films was, was there a greater message he was trying to address? Kieslowski responded along the lines that he wished to show nothing other than the fact that life is complex. I always loved that, it seemed really perfect and it applies to this film well.

If I had to come up with a problem with Heaven it would be in the final act, which seems to drift into sentimentality. The visit from Giovanni Ribisi's father seemed to ring false, it just didn't match with what I would have expected there (although I've mellowed on that somewhat in the days since I saw it.) I really loved the ending, and the way it tied right back to the film's introduction even though I saw it coming from a mile away. The best part was the mystery of it, the way it is left obscured and not spelled out. I read an Ebert review which was down on the ending because it represented an escape, an assertion I find ridiculous. (MASSIVE SPOILER FOLLOWS)

You don't run off with a police helicopter and escape. It was an act of desperation, and perhaps a way to end things on their own terms, but to think that it represents an escape is preposterous. Someone else described it as a Bonnie And Clyde moment, which is more on the nose, except (in my opinion) they are not killed by the hail of bullets.

Anyways, this is right up there with Songs From The Second Floor and I Am Trying To Break Your Heart as one of my favorite films this year, and I'm pretty happy to have gotten this one last morsel of Kieslowski to chew on and think about and I'm glad Tom Tykwer didn't go off and ruin it.

Replies: 4 comments

i was hesitant to see this film, but i might have to give it a look this weekend. it'll either be heaven or todd haynes' new movie, far from heaven. i recommend you check out tykwer's follow-up to run lola run--the princess and the warrior. i thought lola was okay, but princess was excellent, a huge improvement. i keep hearing good things about explosions in the sky. i'm constantly on the lookout for a used copy of their cd. maybe this will be my week. have you seen them play live? Posted by chris @ 11/13/2002 02:45 PM CST

You should definitely check out Heaven, especially if you're into Kieslowski. I have Princess in my netflix queue, I just haven't gotten around to it. I'm stoked to see the Haynes, I was a huge fan of Safe and Velvet Goldmine, but i'd kind of like to see All That Heaven Allows first, so I might try to give that a rental this weekend then go see Far From Heaven to get the full effect. Its definitely near the top of my list though, along with Punch Drunk Love which I think I will FINALLY get to this weekend. Explosions In The Sky are totally great, their CD Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die...is one of the best of the year. Quite worth buying especially if you're into the apocalyptic Godspeed You Black Emperor kind of thing. I did see them when they came through town earlier this year and they were quite good. I actually took some photos which you can see at http://www.dangpow.com/~gdd/Photos/EITS Posted by GDD @ 11/13/2002 04:12 PM CST

good idea about seeing the sirk film first. too bad it's been on "very long wait" at netflix forever! maybe i'll rent it tonight since it's half price night at lost weekend video. off the topic a bit...i hate it when you have a movie at no. 1 in your netflix queue and it says available but they skip it and give you a pick lower on your list. what's up with that? great pictures...i like what i've heard of GYBE, which is only a few songs here and there. unfortunately, i haven't heard any of their records in their entirety (which is probably a better experience than hearing one song). i like mogwai too. they do the epic soft-to-loud instrumentals pretty well. Posted by chris @ 11/13/2002 06:34 PM CST

I was going to rent the Sirk this weekend at Facets, but unfortunately they only have the VHS and I don't want to take the chance it's pan and scan. I might just buy the DVD, it seeems like a film I would like anyways. I've seen that sometimes a movie will switch from available to unavailable within hours, I assume its mostly stuff they don't have a lot of and they send out their last one. My biggest netfix gripe is that living in Chicago, my turnaround time is basically a week on DVDs - 3-4 days in and 3-4 days out. They opened up a new distribution center in Michigan which is where most of my stuf seems to come from, but it hasn't helped as much as I hoped. If you want to get into GYBE I reccommend their EP Slow Riot For A New Zero Kanada. Its really quite stunning. If you like Mogwai odds are good you'll dig this. Posted by GDD @ 11/14/2002 07:19 AM CST