“I was never really afraid of being alone, until being alone meant not being with her.”
Stephen King suggests that Hell is repetition in his short story,
“That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French”. The story is
about a woman who is forced to repeat the first hours of her and her
husband’s doomed second honeymoon over and over. I have often
considered Hell to be exactly that myself—the monotony of the same thing
happening again and again, made worse by the fact that you know the
doomed outcome in advance. Sisyphus and the Rose—the new
independent film by Matt Goodlett and Jimmy Humphrey—makes me think of
that Stephen King story and exactly what Hell could very well be.
I was recently invited to a screening of Sisyphus and the Rose
in my own hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. In attendance were the
writer, the director and editor, along with the actors and production
crew. I admit that I went to the movie knowing nothing about it (not
even the general plot), with no expectations. I planned to have at
least an evening with friends, and to meet a few more, no matter how the
movie turned out. I left not only with more than expected from the
film, but also another movie well worth featuring here on Space Jockey
Reviews. I was pleasantly surprised with a movie that transcends its
budget to be something much larger.
Sisyphus and the Rose begins with the main character, Parker
(Matt Goodlett), in his bathroom brushing his teeth. From his face, we
see he’s disturbed and unsettled about something, as the camera closes
in on a ring on a chain around his neck. “My face is a road map of who I
am and what I’ve become,” we hear with Parker’s voice-over narration.
Who he is, what he’s become, and maybe, more importantly, who he was are
questions explored in Sisyphus and the Rose. The answers, although not given to us directly, are certainly worth thinking about and trying to find.
Parker is a common man, ordinary and forgettable, yet unique and
outstanding in his banality. He is a man obsessed with the memory of a
loved one lost—to what we don’t yet know, if we ever do. He misses her
to the point of being next to dysfunctional and nearly detached from
society. He has no interest in dating, despite his opportunities, and
compares all women to the woman he loved most—Samantha.
“Without her in my life tomorrow, all I have are yesterdays.” ~ Parker
The foreboding soundtrack by Dennis Stein reminds us that the story
is a nightmare of sorts throughout, even when joy should be felt—even
when the moment without music would make us feel happy and hopeful. The
low, ominous tone of the score makes us feel that something bad has
already happened, as much as it leads us to think the same about the
future; even memories that should be pleasant are disturbing. I’m
thinking of the scene in the park where Parker has just proposed to
Samantha. Stein’s music captures the ominous tone of the story and
hangs on, even when it could be lost, saying “Not so fast!” as we want
to rejoice. The wrong music would lead us the wrong way, but Stein’s
score keeps us on track, maintaining the mood, making us participate by
being, like Parker, uncomfortable.
Matt Goolett,
the writer, also plays the part of Parker—the melancholy man unwilling
to face his future. Goodlett gives Parker just the right tone of
behavior—a detachment from reality, with despair and hopelessness
projected from his eyes, as well as the looks on his face. Goodlett’s
performance is the key that tightly locks the necessary elements into
place. He portrays Parker, with perfection, as a pensive
personality—one of tormenting thoughts—overwrought, and complicated, but
shallow in his view of the world. Goodlett makes Parker someone we can
identify with in some way, while we seek to distance ourselves from his
type altogether; he makes Parker a man who once was normal but is no
longer. All of this that Goodlett does so well is what Sisyphus and the Rose could not have done without. Kudos to Goodlett for delivering just the right main character in his own movie!
Casandre Elyse Medel
is an actress I have not seen before, but she is one I expect to see
many times more soon enough. She has a gift for acting, and her
performance in Sisyphus and the Rose was a true joy to watch.
Medel is as natural in her performance as the girl next door type she
portrays. As Lily and Samantha, Medel adds total believability to the
story. She never seems to be acting; instead, she is always Lilly or
Samantha, as we imagine they should be, even though we never knew them.
Medel is captivating in every scene she’s in, because she plays her
part with a passion that represents life. Lilly is the beautiful,
hopeful element of the story, contrasting with the ugliness of despair;
Medel captures this beauty perfectly, offering just the relief necessary
in a movie that could otherwise be overwhelming in its oppressiveness.
Medel, her characters, and the life she breathes into them, are exactly
what’s needed in the story; with lesser talent, Sisyphus and the Rose would have, like its namesake, been unable to reach the top of the hill.
“It’s more like the absurdity of life, or living life no matter how absurd it is and making the best of it, just being happy—the paradox of the absurdity of life.” ~ Lilly
Although beauty is not required for an actress to be effective,
Medel’s exceptional beauty adds another essential element that makes Sisyphus and the Rose
exactly what it needs to be. Lilly’s striking beauty is part of what
makes the mental torture experienced by Parker seem all the greater and
more effective for the story. Each time Parker turns Lilly down or
avoids her advances, there is a certain frustration felt. As a viewer,
we wonder why and think all the more to find reasons. It doesn’t seem
right, and it doesn’t make sense, but it happens anyway. This has the
added effect of creating greater depth to Parker’s character, as we
consider the growing intricacies of who he is. Is Parker really the
calm, harmless albeit confused man he appears to be? Or, is he perhaps
someone more sinister—someone with a much darker past? Is he turning
Lilly down because of guilt, fear, or because he has no choice? Is
Lilly herself a punishment—a desire that must be forever refused?
There is a definite comparative symbolism in the name Lilly (as a
funeral flower) and the rose in Lilly’s hair and the movie’s title.
Lilly wearing a rose, in my interpretation, symbolizes life as well as
death, complicated by love. She represents the duality of themes, as
well as the repetitive omen that she arguably and ironically is.
Several times, Lilly readjusts the rose in her hair, as if to repeatedly
tempt Parker, metaphorically, with a new beginning. However, she is
one so dearly loved that she cannot be loved again; the thought of a
repetitive torture, knowing the end, may be too great for Parker to
bear. Again, I think of more questions. Is a beginning with a promise
worth taking, only to be damned to know the end? Is Lilly a ghost? Is
she really as she appears to Parker? Or, to the contrary, is Parker
somehow happy, regardless of how he seems, regardless of what affects
him? Is he, like Lilly describes Sisyphus, possibly happy, giving it
“tons of meaning.” Yes, these are yet more questions we are left to
think about—questions we are left with, long after the movie is over.
One of the many things I so like about Sisyphus and the Rose
is that it’s a metaphor for life in general—the pains and joys, and how
they are so entangled and complicated, sometimes cancelling out one
another in the process of happening. In other words, are the joys of
life worth experiencing with the pains they necessarily involve? Is
love worth having when it must end with death for sure, breakups too
often, divorce possibly…or perhaps even murder? Yes, even murder here
is a possibility that cannot be ruled out as much as it can also not be
proven.
Of course, a review of Sisyphus and the Rose could not be
complete without mentioning the significance of the reference to
Sisyphus—the avaricious and deceitful king from Greek mythology. Yes,
King Sisyphus was not exactly the most likeable of people. According to
Greek mythology, he killed travelers and guests, in violation of the
rules of Zeus himself. Sisyphus is said to have not only killed people,
but also to have enjoyed it. It is said that he did this in order to
maintain power through the force of fear. For his crimes, Sisyphus was
sentenced to an eternity of pushing a boulder up a hill, only to have it
roll back down, just as it would have reached the top. Or, as Lilly
says, “He was doomed to a life of meaningless labor.” Yes, this
metaphor is an integral part of Sisyphus and the Rose,
suggesting ever-important possibilities for meaning. Is Sam, like
Sisyphus, being punished for something terrible he has done—yes, perhaps
even for killing Samantha? Is this punishment imagined and born of
guilt, or is it perhaps visiting him in the form of Lilly, an avenging
spirit herself? Or, is Parker perhaps avoiding his Sisyphus-themed
punishment by resisting the temptation to begin anew with Lilly? (If
that is the case, it is interesting how it demonstrates an ironic
inability to escape yet the repetition of a painful
opportunity—effectively still leaving no escape.) These are questions
that cannot be answered with certainty, but the possibilities are part
of what makes Sisyphus and the Rose all more intriguing as a
movie. After all, the experiences and answers are, I believe, as
subjective for Parker as they are for the viewer.
I also love Edgar Allan Poe, and I must say that I did get a distinct Poe feel with Sisyphus and the Rose. Parker is a man haunted by the death of a lover, and tormented by fears and realities, existing possibly only in his mind. This, along with the resulting mood of despair and hopelessness produced exactly the type of Poe feel Goodlett aspired to create. “Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.’”
Sisyphus and the Rose was directed and edited by Jimmy Humphrey. (Humphrey also stars in the movie as Parker’s friend at the bar—the one who sets him up with Lilly.) I had met Humphrey prior to seeing this film, but was unfamiliar with his work. However, I must say that I was blown away by his directing talents, after seeing Sisyphus and the Rose. A variety of camera angles, all setting the perfect mood for the movie, along with flawless editing and lighting is what made the film what it could not have been without a person of his talent—a success! I must stress the effect of the lighting in this movie that gives it the perfect somber, melancholy feel. It takes a director like Humphrey to make a movie like this work, and he certainly did it. Again, I expect that we’ll be seeing lots more of Humphrey’s work soon enough, as his talent will, no doubt, make it happen. I certainly plan to feature more of his work on Space Jockey Reviews!
In the end, after considering the movie, the metaphors, the symbolism, and all other elements, I will at least try to boil it down to interpretation that fits in a nutshell. To me, Parker is the obvious Sisyphus and Lilly with her rose is Parker’s boulder. Although he can resist new beginnings, he cannot stop the opportunities, the frustration, and all the miserable consequences tantamount to pushing his burden up a hill, only to fall back down again. Such are the best laid plans of mice, Parker, and Sisyphus.
By now, (or long before) you may have wondered how I can ask so many questions, provide so few answers, and properly review a movie. The answer is easy, if you haven’t figured it out already, or if I haven’t in some way said it earlier. Sisyphus and the Rose is a movie that is about making you think, making you ask the questions, and find answers for yourself. It’s a thinking man’s (and woman’s) movie that puts your mind in overdrive and never lets up. It doesn’t tell you the answers, but does give you the clues to decide for yourself. Watch the movie in its entirety below, but don’t expect to be done with it when it’s over. As the credits roll, it’s only the beginning…again.
Visit Matt Goodlet, Art on Facebook by clicking here! See Matt on Twitter by clicking here! Check out Matt on Tumblr by clicking here!
See Casandre Elyse Medel’s website by clicking here! Visit Casandre on Facebook by clicking here! (There’s GREAT music on her website too! Trust me!)
Visit Jimmy Humphrey on Facebook by clicking here! See Jimmy on Twitter by clicking here!
Starring Matt Goodlett, Casandre Elyse Medel, Jimmy Humphrey, and Luna in Exile, Extras Theresa Plappert, Ethan Fleming, Groucho P. Trout, Jess McMillan, Kelli Baumgarten Written by Matt Goodlett, Directed by Jimmy Humphrey, Edited by Jimmy Humphrey, Additional Crew Brandon Ingram and Conrad Newman, Original Score by Dennis Stein, “Bad Design” performed by Today the Moon, Tomorrow, the Sun, Produced by Birds of a Feather Films In Association with ieatpoop films
No comments:
Post a Comment