At its core this film is about a man haunted by Freudian guilt; being incapable of finding the redemption he needs in the physical world due the lack of a father figure whom he was driven to kill by his mother. This is not just in a literal sense, he is driven away from punishment and redemption by his position in society as an untouchable criminal, which is again forced upon him by his mother. So he must turn to the spiritual realm and find redemption from THE Father figure of all reality, God. In essence, the film is a metaphysical account of one man coming clean.
I wonder why Refn changed the script at the end so we don't actually see poor Julian's arm(s) being cut off. I need to find that original script again so I know I'm not just talking out of my ass, but I could've sworn it depicted a handless Julian later being fed by that girl who bore witness to the fight. I wonder if it's because Refn decided to be merciful, so "God" decided to be merciful and let it be a metaphorical arm-cutting and absolved him of his sins without taking something from him. After all Julian did come to him first welcoming judgment, maybe that made all the difference since the cop had to chase everyone else down before passing his punishment.
Taji789 Many theologians agree that it the "angel" was actually a preincarnate form of Christ aka The Angel of God. If that's so, Christ did a number on him.
I've never seen the combination of brutality and incapability like this in a scene. It's absolute despair. I enjoy watching the unfair fighting between almighty and a weak existence. The struggling of the weak is so vain and beautifully miserable.
I love the struggle but I never found the fight despairing at all, even when Julian gets his shit pushed-in here. He was despairing the entire movie up until this moment. He chose to fight. He welcomed judgment. And since losing the fight doesn't mean death, there's nothing to worry about. Julian saved himself when he approached the cop leader of his own accord.
This movie was so damn good... I watched it three times. A true masterpiece; many don't understand it and so they don't like it. And that is fine, it doesn't mean that they are stupid or that they should be watching Transformer, it just means that they didn't understand it nothing more, nothing less. We are all different people and experience the world in different ways. But for those of whom this movie inexplicably made sense... It was just so beautiful, like the first time i heard Beethoven, just so good, one of my most favorite movies ever. Out of the thousands of movies I have seen, this is one of the truly amazing ones which really stuck to my memories, and that is not easy with thousands to compete with.
People don't like it because they have preconceived ideas about what should happen and then they are let down. I think they assume Gosling's character is going to be the ultimate badass and it doesn't pan out that way. That's the nature of an actor being typecast. What's nice is going back to Refn's "Valhalla Rising" and you don't have any expectations at all since none of the actors have bodies of work that precede them that screw up your assumptions about what will occur. Seeing "Drive" before "Only God Forgives" is a potential mistake I think if you aren't open minded.
he clearly knows the entire time what Chang is as well. This scene summarizes Gosling's entire character: a broken immature man who has been taught nothing but violence and hate his whole life. His hate is so universal that he wants nothing more than to do what he's doing in this scene. To fight God.
He's not trying, he knows he's going to lose. He keeps fighting because he wants atonement. He believes the inspector is a good man, and knows he is a bad one. He wants someone to correct him.
At 3:20 it almost seems like Chang is mocking Julian with his fists raised. Like he's saying "Just because you can pose with your hands doesn't mean you can fight little man."
I watched the film one month ago. In the begining I didn't like it so much. Right now, I can't stop thinking about it and I repeated this scene like 15 times already. And I definetly feel something watching at it. This film goes straight to your senses without entretaining your brains. That's art imo. And it takes time to enjoy it, but it remains in your memory for a lifetime.
Call me crazy, but the guy who is God - what's his name, Chang? I think maybe that actor who plays might have done some legitimate boxing / muay thai in his youth. He seems to be very well balanced and nimble on his feet, especially when delivering kicks and knees.
he's thai, so he probably did, yea. i'm not trying to be stereotypical either, from what i understand of thai culture, taking muay thai as a youth is the equivalent of how american kids play baseball. or take karate. but more culturally widespread. i could be wrong.
Since I can't stop analyzing this brilliant piece, I feel the need to dive even deeper into its literary (or motion picture) devices. It's interesting, despite the obvious symbolism, that Ryan Gosling is wearing a full on suit, and doesn't even take off his vest; whereas, the antagonists' clothing is perfect for hand-to-hand combat...
Jude Mcwilliams Chris is great and that video is very good, however I personally got the film anyway first time around. I may have missed metaphors and representations, but the experience engulfed me so much it was phenomenal
This is the only truly PERFECT film I have ever seen. And I've been watching cinema for decades, very closely. There are HUGE aspects to this film that STILL no one is recognizing. And it's THOSE aspects that will COMPLETELY fill in those "scenes and moments" that only SEEM inexplicable or confusing. Stick with it. If you're good for it, if you have the right spirit, you'll get there. And you'll be blown away. Guaranteed.
I prefer drive, bronson, it follows, the guest, the man from nowhere, the revenant, and no tears for the dead. Most of those films do a better job sending message over this.
I came here just looking for the coincidence, I heard this before 2 years ago and when I have started to watch Stranger Things I found very familiar that Opening intro song. And I see now that other people sees also that coincidence. It would fair to say that Stranger Things copied the track as this film was released before.
Yeah seriously, jesus. There's a reason why the movie was intentional dry, the symbolism was never meant to be particularly deep. I think this movie's underrated and I love seeing people praise but man do they really need to use 50 words to say something they could've said in 10? It reminds me of that "To be fair, you have to have a really high IQ to appreciate Rick & Morty" meme. No you fucking don't lol.
Canalus yeah Takashi Miike, Shinya Tsukamoto and Takeshi Kitano are 3 of my favorite directors too, but Nicolas Winding Refn it is aswell, and this movie is amazing (if you know what is going on)
+Chris Benson A lot of people who hated this film love many other amazing films though, especially more artistic ones. That is an unfair assumption. I personally liked this movie, but many who don't aren't just idiots.
Warning: watching this film can make you feel totally ignorant. You will regret the moment you watched this film, because it might let you understand how closed your mind is. In most cases the ignorant viewer prefers to ignore his state of mind, and blame the movie for making no sense at all, and assume that the director must have used the same drugs Kubrick took when he thought about the ending for 2001: Space Odissey. Try better movies like the *Fast and Furious* saga. In those movies you always know what's going on, and even predict what will happen next. It will make you feel like the most intelligent person on the planet.
The lead up to this fight is amazing. I watched this in the theater on the edge of my seat. Then watched in awe as my expectations were crushed. This movie was incredible. Just don't compare it to Drive. Two great films, two completely different tastes.
+Toufiq Noor I mean was it? Ryan is suppose to be playing a trained boxer yet every punch seems to be one where he almost loses his balance and it seems like blocking is unknown to him.
+Yoali Vargas you do tend to lose balance when your punching the air, specially when you're throwing combinations and none of them seem to land. It only showed how leagues ahead of him the thai dude was, and about ryan not blocking punches, there could be several reasons. Maybe he was in a shock by how good he was. Or maybe he was rocked. When one gets rocked or staggered, blocking punches could go unknown or he might even be tired or gassed out. Lifting up your hands to block punches can be hard once your out of breath or exhausted or maybe even thought useless judging from how fast the punches came, but yes, it did look a bit stupid for him to stand there still and take punishment.
Chang as portray here is not just a respected Police but also a Muay Thai master, you can see on how Muay Thai younglings pay respect to him, so no wonder why he can beat Gosling's character easily.
Honestly this fight scene was the only reason, I wanted to watch this movie. After the awesome music and trailer hyped it up I expected epic not a one sided beat down.
I liked this movie. Sure it wasn't as good as Drive on whooollleee, but definitely worth watching. I'd give Drive a 9/10 because it all worked together, while this was a solid 6.5/10. Amazing visuals, some great scenes, but ultimately doesn't deliver as much.
Noel Gallagher of the band Oasis once said that critical popularity is a funny thing in that a lot of it usually implies that your shit; because to have the majority of the public like your work, that probably means that you're following the industry's standard formula for appealing to the lowest common denominator of viewer which in film amounts to pointless car chases, explosions, and witless humor. The reason why the comments are so divided is because this film did what most don't which is pushing the envelope and experimenting with storytelling. This film was an allegory of the futility in surmounting divine retribution or cosmic justice. If you were the kid in high school who loved deciphering nuances and significances in English Lit, you'll enjoy the movie. If you weren't, you're better off viewing the type of film which, dare I say, wouldn't be screened at Cannes film festival.
Far be it from me to contradict the genius of Noel Gallagher, but I think trying to make a sweeping generalization about what makes different people like or dislike the same thing falls far from the mark. People who like or dislike this movie simply are expressing a preference. It doesn't make them superior or inferior to anyone whose taste goes in a different direction. While It can make one feel superior to look down on those who prefer a different sort of film, I'm not sure it's either an accurate reflection of relative value or a helpful comparison to make. Just because I prefer vanilla to chocolate doesn't make chocolate inferior, nor does it make me any better than those who like it better. It's just taste. Critical popularity just reduces to lots of different people liking something for their own reasons, and doesn't mean the product is inherently bad. That having been said, I liked this movie a lot, but I don't in any way look down on anyone who didn't.
PMac Ashburn Right; I forgot TH-cam isn't the place where commenters can have a free exchange of thoughtful ideas on subjects relevant in the media. After all, I'm sure you've given as thoughtful of a reply to comments like "I liked this film" and "I disliked this film." : / Also, the problem with using analogies is that people such as yourself tend to oversimplify the original point referenced to the extent that the analogy is no longer relevant. I'm not some elitist arguing that vanilla is better than chocolate and that you're stupid for liking chocolate. I'm the guy in the book review club enlightening the person who thinks that Animal Farm was a terrible book for not portraying an accurate depiction of farm animals to the notion that some art forms do indeed employ a device called symbolism where fanciful story elements are not, in fact, meant to be taken literally.
Arnold Rotundo Well, I know you can't read tone on the internet, and without the usual cues like facial expression and volume, it's hard to know exactly where a writer is coming from. If I've misjudged you, I apologize. I think, though, that there are people who legitimately disliked this movie, and not because it doesn't have enough explosions or car chases, I enjoyed it as a movie, without really getting too much into the allegorical interpretation of the movie itself, just as a movie. But the fact is Cannes films and arthouse pieces are just films. Some people like them and some don't, and while it's sort of common to dismiss naysayers as people who didn't "get it," because anyone who "gets it" must like the film (or book or whatever) I don't agree with it. But whether or not someone gets a film doesn't dictate whether or not they will (or should) "like" it. And beginning your comment with the paraphrase of the Gallagher quote kind of fits that pattern. As for the scene itself, I understand (and did at the first watching) the symbolism of the scene without in fact liking the scene much. I don't think it succeeded for me. Doesn't make it a bad scene, nor does it mean I didn't get it (at least I think I did), but it didn't do it for me. Films can sometimes have that effect on even a viewer who understands symbolism and doesn't demand literal interpretations. Having said all that, I like 1984 better than Animal Farm, and people who don't like Animal Farm don't necessarily dislike it because they don't get it. Sorry to be long-winded, I enjoyed reading your comment and responding.
Is not a perfect film in my opinion, But, Why.....That awful raiting. The cinematography is awsome, the score by cliff Martinez is very good, The acting is also good and the writing is a brilliant metaphor. But is you only see one film of refn in this case Drive you gonna hate is film. I think in 30 or 40 years more will see this film as a masterpiece of Kubrick levels work. Taking such films as Fear X or Valhalla Rising this movie is not so little accecible. Greetings from chile (The country not the pepper)
Originally in the script NWR wanted Chang and Julian to both traditionally dance, before fighting. But the fight would start off with Julian beating Chang, until Chang says 'I forgive you'. And then beats Julian.
This movie is pretty much about symbolism, and If you can't perceive it, well, it will be boring to you. In my opinion it's not for eveybody. That's not for the masses. If you are that kind of person that likes trivial stuff, you can go for Jason Statham or Fast and Furious movies.
Luís Silva While you might be correct in saying that the kind of person who loves Transformers will hate Only God Forgives, it's ignorant of you to make such a sweeping judgement. While I have not seen this film from beginning to end, I have seen enough of it (and seen enough films by director Nicolas Winding Refn) to tell you he is one of those directors who pushes on the edge (and over) of pretentious.
Zach Morley It's only my opinion, and that doesn't make me ignorant. That's the way I perceive the movie. If you don't like my opinion you're in your right to oppose to it (with your arguments), but without offending me. I think you can only judge what you know, so why are you judging me without knowing me ? That's doesn't make sense, and seems to me that's you're not a respectable person to talk to.
Luís Silva You're the one making the backhanded claim that those who don't like the symbolism of Only God Forgives like trivial stuff. That's a generalization, which is, by definition (no derogatory meaning attached) ignorant. Maybe I'm looking to much into your comment. If so, I apologize.
Movie sucks the first time around. But, the more you learn about it the better it gets. edit:Yeah I edited my post lol, I must of been tired as fuck or drunk when I commented the first time lol.
Nick Thompson The trailer depicted the reality of it pretty well. Heavy style, with very little substance. I'm a massive Refn fan, but this is by far his worst film. Making something overly abstruse doesn't generate more depth.
But that's what he wanted all along. He wanted to be punished and rid of his sin, which is represented by hands in this movie. Either way, in the end he voluntarily got his arms cut of by Chang.
Daniel James Kalina He asked for the fight and he got it. "Wanna fight?" -That's the only evidence from the film I can think of after one viewing to support his wanting to be punished. And, if you're going to ask for a fight, you better fight.
For all the people who hate this movie. May I suggest films that are more suitable to your intellect like Scary Movie 5 or Fast and Furious 6 or how about every single Michael Bay movie. That way you can watch it, waste your time and never remember it for any emotional value what so ever while you encourage them to make another effing sequel by accountants.
I think it's just preference. Totally cool that you liked the movie. Not so cool that you think everyone who didn't is stupid. I enjoyed it, with some reservations, but I don't look down on anyone who didn't.
I enjoy and appreciate art house, and off beat movies as much as my blockbusters from time to time. So it comes across as slight snobbery when you say that some of us like nothing but big tent pole releases. I still think this was a shit movie.Art house movies can turn out crap sometimes too, ya know?
Yeah I actually just saw the video after commenting! & then I recommended it to a fellow TH-camr! :P what are the odds? Stuckmann's video was really eye-opening and I respect & appreciate the film so much more now. Thanks for trying to help me find clarity though! :)
What an underrated movie. Its not perfect but cmon, it really didnt deserve those horrible critics. I hope that people will watch this movie in a different way in a few years and realize what a great movie this is.
I haven't seen this movie but wtf that was the most boring 5 min of my life. This movie just looks like pretentious nonsense. It looks like people in the comments believe that a movie is "smart" just because it's boring and contains symbolism
possibly the worst film ive ever seen, remember getting out of the cinema and thinking to myself; wtf did i just watch, i want my money back. you know, its one of those films where ur waiting for something to happen and then the film suddenly ends. worst shit ever made in a long time.
socio logía fuck face view interview with the director he explains. Its filled with Thai and Scandinavian Mythology. hahahahahah you fucking idiot,why you think the movie is so trippy,thats the first sign. For example the thai guy? the one doing the whooping in this vid? The head police? He is actually the THai GOd of war in human form. Thats why they show him then Pan to the statue of the Mauy Thai deity at the front of the gym. DUHHHHH feel stupid yet? This movie wasnt made for you sheep,go watch hollywood,no plot,lots of CGI and explosions YIPPIEEEEE perfect for you ,no thinking required. Now go slap yourself for being ignorant..
This was one of the worst movies I have seen this year.I don't mind art house or off beat movies now and again. I loved Drive. But this movie was a piece of pretentious crap in my opinion.
No its not. I just had high expectations after seing Drive and Bronson. In my opinon there were too much symbolic and metaphors, and still not much interesting happened in the movie. Thats why I love movies like inglorious basterds, Memento, Old boy (2003) and Pulp Fiction because they are suspenseful through the whole film.
Right on. Refn is so cookin' with this flick. He is with all his stuff, but THIS puppy is the one that has people talkin' all over themselves. Whether they hate it or love it, they're debating it, dissing it, discovering it, and diving in -- again and again. Refn & Co. have nabbed us, hooked us, and reeled in the LINE! (Not to mention how they've totally, RADICALLY hoodwinked the most hypocritical of high-fallutin' viewers.) These guys knew exactly what they were doing. A TKO masterpiece!!
I guess we will just have to see the result for ourselves, his photography for The Master was flawless, and I just cannot wait to finally see the trailer for IV, which is, probably in a few months or so.
I read somewhere that the fight scene was almost full contact, they actually hit each other but didn't do it full force so that it made it seem more real, also because they shot it in widescreen so they couldn't hide the actors faces. But I like it because in most films they always do haymakers because it looks better on camera, a long sweeping punch. with the camera above them they have the actual Muay Thai moves on display so it looks faster and like an actual fight.
![Punisher Prison Fight Scene | Daredevil (2x9) [HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/d2M5ObsKw4Y/mqdefault.jpg)
![Punisher Prison Fight Scene | Daredevil (2x9) [HD]](/img/tr.png)
At its core this film is about a man haunted by Freudian guilt; being incapable of finding the redemption he needs in the physical world due the lack of a father figure whom he was driven to kill by his mother. This is not just in a literal sense, he is driven away from punishment and redemption by his position in society as an untouchable criminal, which is again forced upon him by his mother. So he must turn to the spiritual realm and find redemption from THE Father figure of all reality, God. In essence, the film is a metaphysical account of one man coming clean.
Daniel Prendergast couldn’t have said it better
I wonder why Refn changed the script at the end so we don't actually see poor Julian's arm(s) being cut off. I need to find that original script again so I know I'm not just talking out of my ass, but I could've sworn it depicted a handless Julian later being fed by that girl who bore witness to the fight. I wonder if it's because Refn decided to be merciful, so "God" decided to be merciful and let it be a metaphorical arm-cutting and absolved him of his sins without taking something from him. After all Julian did come to him first welcoming judgment, maybe that made all the difference since the cop had to chase everyone else down before passing his punishment.
I like this movie a lot.
And if you don't?
Well, that's fine too.
if you don't, somebody will
In time, this movie will be a cult classic. "Drive" is already starting to reach that status. Keep up the awesome work Refn!
Anyone who has fought in kick boxing, Karate or Muy thia knows the feeling of those leg kicks....
fucking a!
Yep I know that feeling. I remember the first time i did MMA sparring. This guy kicked my left thigh so hard I couldn't walk for 2 days.
I loved the film. Watched it 3 times already and it gets better and better.
Jacob wrestling with God.
At last! Some one does get it
Didn't God punch Jacob in the nuts though? He cheated.
Garrett Kingsley
He fought against an angel (likely) , and he was hit on the sciatic nerve.
Taji789 Many theologians agree that it the "angel" was actually a preincarnate form of Christ aka The Angel of God. If that's so, Christ did a number on him.
Robert Cheung Yes brilliant. See also The Ninth Gate with Johnny Depp.
I've never seen the combination of brutality and incapability like this in a scene. It's absolute despair. I enjoy watching the unfair fighting between almighty and a weak existence. The struggling of the weak is so vain and beautifully miserable.
I love the struggle but I never found the fight despairing at all, even when Julian gets his shit pushed-in here. He was despairing the entire movie up until this moment. He chose to fight. He welcomed judgment. And since losing the fight doesn't mean death, there's nothing to worry about. Julian saved himself when he approached the cop leader of his own accord.
This is movie of the year if anyone wants to disagree all I have to say is "Wanna Fight?"
Guys, he could even punch him once because Chang ( the other guy ) is literally an all-powerful god. The director of the film even said so himself.
Poor little white mortal
MarkDeMort But he has to duck in order to avoid getting shot....
Canalus in the movie he isnt A god he IS god
0HAM0revived Oh, I guess that explains why he has to dodge bullets, then.
i dont think he had to
This movie was so damn good... I watched it three times. A true masterpiece; many don't understand it and so they don't like it. And that is fine, it doesn't mean that they are stupid or that they should be watching Transformer, it just means that they didn't understand it nothing more, nothing less. We are all different people and experience the world in different ways. But for those of whom this movie inexplicably made sense... It was just so beautiful, like the first time i heard Beethoven, just so good, one of my most favorite movies ever. Out of the thousands of movies I have seen, this is one of the truly amazing ones which really stuck to my memories, and that is not easy with thousands to compete with.
Final Boss Music
I don't understand why people dislike the film. I think it's genius
People don't like it because they have preconceived ideas about what should happen and then they are let down. I think they assume Gosling's character is going to be the ultimate badass and it doesn't pan out that way. That's the nature of an actor being typecast. What's nice is going back to Refn's "Valhalla Rising" and you don't have any expectations at all since none of the actors have bodies of work that precede them that screw up your assumptions about what will occur. Seeing "Drive" before "Only God Forgives" is a potential mistake I think if you aren't open minded.
What's beautiful is that he keeps trying no matter how fucked he is
he clearly knows the entire time what Chang is as well. This scene summarizes Gosling's entire character: a broken immature man who has been taught nothing but violence and hate his whole life. His hate is so universal that he wants nothing more than to do what he's doing in this scene. To fight God.
For such philosophy it makes the film sound good...
Frothlord 007 because its a brilliant film
Sawyer Gaines I guess everyone to their own opinion. I personally see it as a relatively under par/ on par film.
He's not trying, he knows he's going to lose. He keeps fighting because he wants atonement. He believes the inspector is a good man, and knows he is a bad one. He wants someone to correct him.
You have to go into this film knowing it's going to be surreal. I loved it
One of the greatest scenes in film history.
Good scene,great music.
At 3:20 it almost seems like Chang is mocking Julian with his fists raised. Like he's saying "Just because you can pose with your hands doesn't mean you can fight little man."
Seriously love ryans choice of films
This has bladerunner feels and drive feels as well
Nicolas Winding Refn should make more martial arts movies
I think he's making one that takes place in Japan. Posted as of 2020
I watched the film one month ago. In the begining I didn't like it so much. Right now, I can't stop thinking about it and I repeated this scene like 15 times already. And I definetly feel something watching at it. This film goes straight to your senses without entretaining your brains. That's art imo. And it takes time to enjoy it, but it remains in your memory for a lifetime.
Call me crazy, but the guy who is God - what's his name, Chang? I think maybe that actor who plays might have done some legitimate boxing / muay thai in his youth. He seems to be very well balanced and nimble on his feet, especially when delivering kicks and knees.
Who the fuck cares
he's thai, so he probably did, yea. i'm not trying to be stereotypical either, from what i understand of thai culture, taking muay thai as a youth is the equivalent of how american kids play baseball. or take karate. but more culturally widespread. i could be wrong.
He's black belt Taekwondo with muay thai basic.
Since I can't stop analyzing this brilliant piece, I feel the need to dive even deeper into its literary (or motion picture) devices.
It's interesting, despite the obvious symbolism, that Ryan Gosling is wearing a full on suit, and doesn't even take off his vest; whereas, the antagonists' clothing is perfect for hand-to-hand combat...
If you want to understand this movie watch Chris Stuckmann's analysis video on this; it really helps :)
Jude Mcwilliams Chris is great and that video is very good, however I personally got the film anyway first time around. I may have missed metaphors and representations, but the experience engulfed me so much it was phenomenal
+Forestgravy90
Calling others homophobes while using misogynistic insults yourself isn't doing the world any favors.
WALKINGonaSPIRAL
I disagree cunts need to be called cunts if appropriate
WALKINGonaSPIRAL Misogynistic insults lol fucking sjw.
This is the only truly PERFECT film I have ever seen. And I've been watching cinema for decades, very closely. There are HUGE aspects to this film that STILL no one is recognizing. And it's THOSE aspects that will COMPLETELY fill in those "scenes and moments" that only SEEM inexplicable or confusing. Stick with it. If you're good for it, if you have the right spirit, you'll get there. And you'll be blown away. Guaranteed.
The whole movie is more psychological and philosophical than what the movie was seen as.
This fight scene was great. The film was bad, but the colour, angles and music were good.
The opening music sounds like a Castlevania boss fight.
+Micah “Organ Donor” Murray Sounds like synthwave to me. I don't get a Castlevania vibe at all lol..
The movie was wonderful and a masterpiece and all but honestly hats off to cliff martinez for this score. Wow
after i watched this scene, i actually went to Express and bought a blue suit just like Julian is wearing!! This film is amazing!!!
I wouldn’t say I like this movie all that much. But I do watch it every year for some reason something about it draws me back.
The fighting in this looks so damn brutal! I love it!
brilliantly shot, one of my favorite fight scenes
Its a great movie it has a deep message nobody knows, just dont underrate it because you prefer The Avengers
Agreed
I prefer drive, bronson, it follows, the guest, the man from nowhere, the revenant, and no tears for the dead. Most of those films do a better job sending message over this.
you're right
+Oscar De Jodar Or it's just a load of pretentious bullshit hipsters buy into to make themselves seem cool.
+LectricSigma(Σ) that's a poor opinion on a magnificent film.
That scene was just perfect. Music, filmed and executed perfectly.
wow anyone think the stranger things opening sounds a lot like this?
This came out 3 years before Stranger Things
***** i know it doesn't mean that they can't sound similar
I was simply saying that, in the case that you were implying that OGF had ripped off Stranger Things
***** yeah cool - misunderstanding I wasn't suggesting it had just that they sounded similar
I came here just looking for the coincidence, I heard this before 2 years ago and when I have started to watch Stranger Things I found very familiar that Opening intro song. And I see now that other people sees also that coincidence. It would fair to say that Stranger Things copied the track as this film was released before.
Fantastic scene.
A whole lot of inflated egos in this comment section...
I know right, it's like okay you understand deeper meanings...congratulations! pat yourself on the back.
I like this movie even though there are some flaws.
Yeah seriously, jesus. There's a reason why the movie was intentional dry, the symbolism was never meant to be particularly deep. I think this movie's underrated and I love seeing people praise but man do they really need to use 50 words to say something they could've said in 10? It reminds me of that "To be fair, you have to have a really high IQ to appreciate Rick & Morty" meme. No you fucking don't lol.
thanks. the nature of this film and the reception it has received remind me of the movie a clockwork orange
With common art films and implicit foreign films, this movie isn't for someone attuned to watching transformers or GIJoe.
Christopher Benson Or Tokyo Fist or Dead or Alive or Outrage. Which I enjoyed a lot more than I enjoyed this.
Canalus yeah Takashi Miike, Shinya Tsukamoto and Takeshi Kitano are 3 of my favorite directors too, but Nicolas Winding Refn it is aswell, and this movie is amazing (if you know what is going on)
+Chris Benson A lot of people who hated this film love many other amazing films though, especially more artistic ones. That is an unfair assumption. I personally liked this movie, but many who don't aren't just idiots.
Shane Benjamson Finally, a sensible opinion.
one of the best film ive seen! so unique and so nice to just watch!
Warning: watching this film can make you feel totally ignorant. You will regret the moment you watched this film, because it might let you understand how closed your mind is. In most cases the ignorant viewer prefers to ignore his state of mind, and blame the movie for making no sense at all, and assume that the director must have used the same drugs Kubrick took when he thought about the ending for 2001: Space Odissey.
Try better movies like the *Fast and Furious* saga. In those movies you always know what's going on, and even predict what will happen next. It will make you feel like the most intelligent person on the planet.
The lead up to this fight is amazing. I watched this in the theater on the edge of my seat. Then watched in awe as my expectations were crushed. This movie was incredible. Just don't compare it to Drive. Two great films, two completely different tastes.
Question for fighters : from a combat point of view this fight is realistic ?
(Great movie!)
Very! I was impressed by how realistic this scene was.
+Toufiq Noor I mean was it? Ryan is suppose to be playing a trained boxer yet every punch seems to be one where he almost loses his balance and it seems like blocking is unknown to him.
+Yoali Vargas you do tend to lose balance when your punching the air, specially when you're throwing combinations and none of them seem to land. It only showed how leagues ahead of him the thai dude was, and about ryan not blocking punches, there could be several reasons. Maybe he was in a shock by how good he was. Or maybe he was rocked. When one gets rocked or staggered, blocking punches could go unknown or he might even be tired or gassed out. Lifting up your hands to block punches can be hard once your out of breath or exhausted or maybe even thought useless judging from how fast the punches came, but yes, it did look a bit stupid for him to stand there still and take punishment.
Chang as portray here is not just a respected Police but also a Muay Thai master, you can see on how Muay Thai younglings pay respect to him, so no wonder why he can beat Gosling's character easily.
+Jakkree Nethikul Chang is God in this movie lol literally
Honestly this fight scene was the only reason, I wanted to watch this movie. After the awesome music and trailer hyped it up I expected epic not a one sided beat down.
That music tho~
Strange movie but this is a great fight scene. The kid challenged the old master. Old bastard looks hard as nails.
For the Final Fantasy VII crowd, as I the only one hearing Jenova's Theme during this fight?? xD
I liked this movie. Sure it wasn't as good as Drive on whooollleee, but definitely worth watching. I'd give Drive a 9/10 because it all worked together, while this was a solid 6.5/10. Amazing visuals, some great scenes, but ultimately doesn't deliver as much.
ryan gosling gets his ass kicked trying to act like keanu reeves but fails miserably
I'm happy that you liked it so much. I really like this film and I have a great degree of admiration for it but I do think it has problems
Noel Gallagher of the band Oasis once said that critical popularity is a funny thing in that a lot of it usually implies that your shit; because to have the majority of the public like your work, that probably means that you're following the industry's standard formula for appealing to the lowest common denominator of viewer which in film amounts to pointless car chases, explosions, and witless humor. The reason why the comments are so divided is because this film did what most don't which is pushing the envelope and experimenting with storytelling. This film was an allegory of the futility in surmounting divine retribution or cosmic justice. If you were the kid in high school who loved deciphering nuances and significances in English Lit, you'll enjoy the movie. If you weren't, you're better off viewing the type of film which, dare I say, wouldn't be screened at Cannes film festival.
Far be it from me to contradict the genius of Noel Gallagher, but I think trying to make a sweeping generalization about what makes different people like or dislike the same thing falls far from the mark. People who like or dislike this movie simply are expressing a preference. It doesn't make them superior or inferior to anyone whose taste goes in a different direction. While It can make one feel superior to look down on those who prefer a different sort of film, I'm not sure it's either an accurate reflection of relative value or a helpful comparison to make. Just because I prefer vanilla to chocolate doesn't make chocolate inferior, nor does it make me any better than those who like it better. It's just taste. Critical popularity just reduces to lots of different people liking something for their own reasons, and doesn't mean the product is inherently bad. That having been said, I liked this movie a lot, but I don't in any way look down on anyone who didn't.
PMac Ashburn Right; I forgot TH-cam isn't the place where commenters can have a free exchange of thoughtful ideas on subjects relevant in the media. After all, I'm sure you've given as thoughtful of a reply to comments like "I liked this film" and "I disliked this film." : / Also, the problem with using analogies is that people such as yourself tend to oversimplify the original point referenced to the extent that the analogy is no longer relevant. I'm not some elitist arguing that vanilla is better than chocolate and that you're stupid for liking chocolate. I'm the guy in the book review club enlightening the person who thinks that Animal Farm was a terrible book for not portraying an accurate depiction of farm animals to the notion that some art forms do indeed employ a device called symbolism where fanciful story elements are not, in fact, meant to be taken literally.
Arnold Rotundo Well, I know you can't read tone on the internet, and without the usual cues like facial expression and volume, it's hard to know exactly where a writer is coming from. If I've misjudged you, I apologize. I think, though, that there are people who legitimately disliked this movie, and not because it doesn't have enough explosions or car chases, I enjoyed it as a movie, without really getting too much into the allegorical interpretation of the movie itself, just as a movie. But the fact is Cannes films and arthouse pieces are just films. Some people like them and some don't, and while it's sort of common to dismiss naysayers as people who didn't "get it," because anyone who "gets it" must like the film (or book or whatever) I don't agree with it. But whether or not someone gets a film doesn't dictate whether or not they will (or should) "like" it. And beginning your comment with the paraphrase of the Gallagher quote kind of fits that pattern. As for the scene itself, I understand (and did at the first watching) the symbolism of the scene without in fact liking the scene much. I don't think it succeeded for me. Doesn't make it a bad scene, nor does it mean I didn't get it (at least I think I did), but it didn't do it for me. Films can sometimes have that effect on even a viewer who understands symbolism and doesn't demand literal interpretations. Having said all that, I like 1984 better than Animal Farm, and people who don't like Animal Farm don't necessarily dislike it because they don't get it. Sorry to be long-winded, I enjoyed reading your comment and responding.
Saw the movie 4 times and counting. LUV'd it.
Is not a perfect film in my opinion, But, Why.....That awful raiting.
The cinematography is awsome, the score by cliff Martinez is very good, The acting is also good and the writing is a brilliant metaphor.
But is you only see one film of refn in this case Drive you gonna hate is film. I think in 30 or 40 years more will see this film as a masterpiece of Kubrick levels work.
Taking such films as Fear X or Valhalla Rising this movie is not so little accecible.
Greetings from chile (The country not the pepper)
My favorite movie of the year, one of my all time favorites :)
Dude... He couldn't even land a punch on god...
Originally in the script NWR wanted Chang and Julian to both traditionally dance, before fighting. But the fight would start off with Julian beating Chang, until Chang says 'I forgive you'. And then beats Julian.
He's a cop, so there for, the ultimate counter puncher? This movie was visually awesome.
No, he is God so therefore untouchable! I LOVE this film :D
This movie is pretty much about symbolism, and If you can't perceive it, well, it will be boring to you. In my opinion it's not for eveybody. That's not for the masses. If you are that kind of person that likes trivial stuff, you can go for Jason Statham or Fast and Furious movies.
Luís Silva While you might be correct in saying that the kind of person who loves Transformers will hate Only God Forgives, it's ignorant of you to make such a sweeping judgement. While I have not seen this film from beginning to end, I have seen enough of it (and seen enough films by director Nicolas Winding Refn) to tell you he is one of those directors who pushes on the edge (and over) of pretentious.
Zach Morley It's only my opinion, and that doesn't make me ignorant. That's the way I perceive the movie. If you don't like my opinion you're in your right to oppose to it (with your arguments), but without offending me. I think you can only judge what you know, so why are you judging me without knowing me ? That's doesn't make sense, and seems to me that's you're not a respectable person to talk to.
Luís Silva You're the one making the backhanded claim that those who don't like the symbolism of Only God Forgives like trivial stuff. That's a generalization, which is, by definition (no derogatory meaning attached) ignorant. Maybe I'm looking to much into your comment. If so, I apologize.
i did love this scene, regardless of the win. Great music, beautifully shot & RG looks ravishing.
And suddenly Im reminded of Nunes v Rousey at #ufc207
This movie is perfection.
Ryan Gosling really doesn't know how to fight does he?
No, but not too terrible for being an actor
Can someone PLEASE tell me what that red creature is in the background? I am very curious! Thank you!
Movie sucks the first time around. But, the more you learn about it the better it gets.
edit:Yeah I edited my post lol, I must of been tired as fuck or drunk when I commented the first time lol.
Don't assume that because you didn't get it the first time that it was somehow the fault of the movie
Nick Thompson Never said that. It's just one of those great movies you have to watch a second or third time to fully understand it.
True I still thought it was great the first time around though but because it was so far from what I was expecting
Nick Thompson The trailer depicted the reality of it pretty well. Heavy style, with very little substance. I'm a massive Refn fan, but this is by far his worst film. Making something overly abstruse doesn't generate more depth.
It's not about understanding it. The film has a lot of problems, like the pacing.
Everyone's analysing the movie while I'm thinking ... damn, those leg kicks are brutal.
This movie was so hard to understand
I can seriously listen to that music for just hours on end, Cliff Martinez is definitely one of my favorite composers now
This movie should have been renamed Chang The Man.
Does anyone else just love how real this fight looks, (and sounds)?
He was lucky to get away with his arms.. Had his mother not walked into that muay Thai club, he would've lost his life, not just his hands...
But that's what he wanted all along. He wanted to be punished and rid of his sin, which is represented by hands in this movie. Either way, in the end he voluntarily got his arms cut of by Chang.
I don;t personally see how he "wanted to be punished"..
otherwise he wouldn't of fought him (the guy tanto shaped katana/retired cop)
Daniel James Kalina He asked for the fight and he got it. "Wanna fight?"
-That's the only evidence from the film I can think of after one viewing to support his wanting to be punished. And, if you're going to ask for a fight, you better fight.
The masochist theory of this scene makes as much sense as anything I've figured out about it.
You knew the fight was over when Goslings character threw the first punch. Can't wait to see this film.
Ryan needs to be trained by Mr. Kesuke Miyagi he doesn't know how to fight for shit
Yeah I'm a big fan of his work. No problem man.
Nicolas Winding Refn = The Stanley Kubrick of the 21first century
No.
of course you can guet the fuck out too :)
FranticAnimations maybe because i speak 3455 languages fucking ignorant
AS IF.
kind of an overstatement pal
I had really high expectations for this movie, it was beautifully shot and had a great fight scene though.
For all the people who hate this movie. May I suggest films that are more suitable to your intellect like Scary Movie 5 or Fast and Furious 6 or how about every single Michael Bay movie. That way you can watch it, waste your time and never remember it for any emotional value what so ever while you encourage them to make another effing sequel by accountants.
I think it's just preference. Totally cool that you liked the movie. Not so cool that you think everyone who didn't is stupid. I enjoyed it, with some reservations, but I don't look down on anyone who didn't.
I enjoy and appreciate art house, and off beat movies as much as my blockbusters from time to time. So it comes across as slight snobbery when you say that some of us like nothing but big tent pole releases. I still think this was a shit movie.Art house movies can turn out crap sometimes too, ya know?
PMac Ashburn Well said sir.No use trying to sound all snooty to the average film goer.
Yeah I actually just saw the video after commenting! & then I recommended it to a fellow TH-camr! :P what are the odds? Stuckmann's video was really eye-opening and I respect & appreciate the film so much more now. Thanks for trying to help me find clarity though! :)
Prétentieux
Was this shot on location, or it was a specifically constructed set? Anybody has any info?
Drive is great because its character think simply, Only god forgives sucks because its characters are poorly thought
+plvarnier The characters are perfectly thought out, they're just not likable people.
Damn this is one of the most serious fights I have any seen on film. I need to see this film.
probably the only good part of this whole film
What an underrated movie. Its not perfect but cmon, it really didnt deserve those horrible critics. I hope that people will watch this movie in a different way in a few years and realize what a great movie this is.
I haven't seen this movie but wtf that was the most boring 5 min of my life. This movie just looks like pretentious nonsense. It looks like people in the comments believe that a movie is "smart" just because it's boring and contains symbolism
billybobdog5 I really think you should watch the entire movie before you jump to any conclusions.
In terms of movie style, does this lean toward Bronson or Drive? or is it more Valhalla Rising?
possibly the worst film ive ever seen, remember getting out of the cinema and thinking to myself; wtf did i just watch, i want my money back. you know, its one of those films where ur waiting for something to happen and then the film suddenly ends. worst shit ever made in a long time.
yeah pretty bad in my opinion
you fuck wits do know that the movie has a deep meaning, if you dont get the main premise you will miss the whole thing?
socio logía fuck face view interview with the director he explains. Its filled with Thai and Scandinavian Mythology. hahahahahah you fucking idiot,why you think the movie is so trippy,thats the first sign. For example the thai guy? the one doing the whooping in this vid? The head police? He is actually the THai GOd of war in human form. Thats why they show him then Pan to the statue of the Mauy Thai deity at the front of the gym. DUHHHHH feel stupid yet?
This movie wasnt made for you sheep,go watch hollywood,no plot,lots of CGI and explosions YIPPIEEEEE perfect for you ,no thinking required. Now go slap yourself for being ignorant..
love u man!
Behind Only God Forgives is the Oedipus complex
I didn't really get this movie until I read the script. The script gives you a better understanding on what he was trying to convey.
This was one of the worst movies I have seen this year.I don't mind art house or off beat movies now and again. I loved Drive. But this movie was a piece of pretentious crap in my opinion.
I'm gonna ignore your comment since u used "pretentious".
Dragonball4eva suit yourself. I Am not the only person who thought the movie was shite by the way....
No, you're not. A lot of people also hated Drive and The Tree of Life,
Dragonball4eva Well, I didn't hate Drive. I actually thought it was excellent. Better than this awful follow up. Haven't seen the tree of life yet.
I think this is better than Drive though.
CHANG, the punisher.
Boring and disappointing movie
Transformers is more your type of film I think.
No its not. I just had high expectations after seing Drive and Bronson. In my opinon there were too much symbolic and metaphors, and still not much interesting happened in the movie. Thats why I love movies like inglorious basterds, Memento, Old boy (2003) and Pulp Fiction because they are suspenseful through the whole film.
FlazhPhone Great Comeback, Great list.
Gregory Watson Not really a comeback.
LoganBoiProductionz Nobody asked you.
maybe it's just me but when i saw this movie i never thought for one minute at the beginning of this scene that julian actually stood a chance
wow, the music is incredible.
THE MUSIC THE MUSIC THE MUSIC is all I care about
In 50 years this will be a classic - watch.
I love how Refn is not afraid to take it slow. His use of camera and rotation in this scene is masterful.
this movie was so good, the cinematics are awesome and ryan gosling always good acting
Right on. Refn is so cookin' with this flick. He is with all his stuff, but THIS puppy is the one that has people talkin' all over themselves. Whether they hate it or love it, they're debating it, dissing it, discovering it, and diving in -- again and again. Refn & Co. have nabbed us, hooked us, and reeled in the LINE! (Not to mention how they've totally, RADICALLY hoodwinked the most hypocritical of high-fallutin' viewers.) These guys knew exactly what they were doing. A TKO masterpiece!!
if you are really confused, there is a video from a guy named chris stuckman that made a 20 minute video explaining the film
I guess we will just have to see the result for ourselves, his photography for The Master was flawless, and I just cannot wait to finally see the trailer for IV, which is, probably in a few months or so.
I read somewhere that the fight scene was almost full contact, they actually hit each other but didn't do it full force so that it made it seem more real, also because they shot it in widescreen so they couldn't hide the actors faces. But I like it because in most films they always do haymakers because it looks better on camera, a long sweeping punch. with the camera above them they have the actual Muay Thai moves on display so it looks faster and like an actual fight.
Cool! What do you think of the director's other work?