Always eager to hear people’s thoughts on Punch Drunk Love. It’s been in my top ten of all time ever since I saw it, and continues to be more relevant in my life as time goes on
Punch Drunk Love came out in 2002 and eight years later I posted an article on The Film Cynics, which isn't even a website anymore, but Must See Films on TH-cam read that article and made a video about it 12 years ago. As far as I can find, I am the first person to publicly propose that PT Anderson's Punch Love Drunk was about Superman. And thus began my personal journey toward being a lover of film conspiracy. Now, I'm not going to try to convince you that I'm right. Instead, I'm going to enlighten you as to how I watch this film. There are a few reasons why I see this film as inspired by Superman. So, let's get started with a bang. Superman's origin starts with a bang. He crash lands on earth in a pod that grants him power and leads him to his fortress of solitude. In Punch Drunk Love, Adam Sandler experiences a car crash that leaves him a harmonium, which he goes to play whenever he is over-stressed. His own personal fortress of solitude. He keeps the harmonium in his office at work, which is littered with clear plungers that looks like ice crystals. This might all be coincidence. Superman has an astral origin. His home world is from space. It just so happens that Barry has Seven Sisters, which is the nickname of a star cluster in astronomy called Pleiades. Is this too much of a reach? Well, Superman loses his power whenever he is around pieces of his home world. Barry, Adam Sandler's character, "freaks out" when he's around his sisters and even loses control when they are merely mentioned. When Barry is at the party with his sisters, in the kitchen, there is a Kryptonite green window in frame when he breaks three windows with three strikes. When he's on his date with Leena, she mentions his sisters and he beats up a bathroom, punching a door off its hinges in a single blow. Talking to his sister on the phone in Hawaii has him yelling at her, threating her life. His sisters are his Kryptonite. Wanna know how strong Barry is? It's seen as a joke in the film when he says that his plungers are made with an unbreakable handle. He smashes the plunder against the counter and it breaks into bits. Hilarious, right? In superman terms, he just broke something that was unbreakable. Super strength. When he's defending Leena from the three blond brothers, he slams a car door closed so hard the camera shakes. Super strength on a meta level. So strong he shakes the production of the film. Along with Super Strength, another typical trait of superman is to have a love interest with the initials LL. He had Lois Lane and had a girl back in school called Lana Lang. Barry Eagan's love interest in Punch Drunk love is named Leena Leonard. She's usually in red while Barry is in blue. They complete the colors of Superman's suit. Barry's tie even changes to red when he starts standing up for her. Like Clark Kent, he never stands up for himself, but when she's in trouble he becomes a superhero. What's with all those lens flares? It's because Superman gets his power from the sun. He loves Leena, and that becomes his sunlight. The end shot of the film is a sun flare overtaking him in a blue suit and her hugging him from behind as a red cape. Now, Superman has to be able to fly. So, what's with all that pudding? Barry Eagan exploits a pudding promotion to earn enough points to fly anywhere on earth for the rest of his life. Barry learns to fly. In fact, when Barry is running from the three brothers the first time he's ambushed by them, he tries to escape by leaping into the air as if he's trying to take off, as if flying were in his muscle memory. Barry's favorite radio program is hosted by a man called DJ JUSTICE and Barry likes him because he "tells it like it is" Sounds like truth, Justice and the American way to me. Barry even has a villain with a typical old school villains name. Mattress Man. When he confronts Mattress Man, the man is sitting in a chair getting his hair cut. When he stands, it appears like Mattress Man is wearing a cape. Typical Villain. Barry even confesses to a friend at his sisters party that he's not sure if anything is wrong with him because he doesn't know how other people are. Barry, Like superman, is an outsider. And Lois or Leena is the only thing here that he loves. And it gives him power. This is how I watch Punch Drunk Love. I feel like its the story of this super-powered alien so lonely he'll call a sex line just to talk to someone, who falls in true love with a woman who makes him realize his super-potential. And that's what's up. Punch Drunk Love is about Superman.
Always eager to hear people’s thoughts on Punch Drunk Love. It’s been in my top ten of all time ever since I saw it, and continues to be more relevant in my life as time goes on
Best analysis of this film on youtube, definitely a underated channel
Wow, thanks!
This analysis is a great companion piece to this beautiful movie.
Glad you liked it! It was a labor of love
@@LastMovieOutpost It shows.
Punch Drunk Love came out in 2002 and eight years later I posted an article on The Film Cynics, which isn't even a website anymore, but Must See Films on TH-cam read that article and made a video about it 12 years ago. As far as I can find, I am the first person to publicly propose that PT Anderson's Punch Love Drunk was about Superman. And thus began my personal journey toward being a lover of film conspiracy.
Now, I'm not going to try to convince you that I'm right. Instead, I'm going to enlighten you as to how I watch this film. There are a few reasons why I see this film as inspired by Superman. So, let's get started with a bang.
Superman's origin starts with a bang. He crash lands on earth in a pod that grants him power and leads him to his fortress of solitude. In Punch Drunk Love, Adam Sandler experiences a car crash that leaves him a harmonium, which he goes to play whenever he is over-stressed. His own personal fortress of solitude. He keeps the harmonium in his office at work, which is littered with clear plungers that looks like ice crystals. This might all be coincidence.
Superman has an astral origin. His home world is from space. It just so happens that Barry has Seven Sisters, which is the nickname of a star cluster in astronomy called Pleiades. Is this too much of a reach? Well, Superman loses his power whenever he is around pieces of his home world. Barry, Adam Sandler's character, "freaks out" when he's around his sisters and even loses control when they are merely mentioned. When Barry is at the party with his sisters, in the kitchen, there is a Kryptonite green window in frame when he breaks three windows with three strikes. When he's on his date with Leena, she mentions his sisters and he beats up a bathroom, punching a door off its hinges in a single blow. Talking to his sister on the phone in Hawaii has him yelling at her, threating her life. His sisters are his Kryptonite.
Wanna know how strong Barry is? It's seen as a joke in the film when he says that his plungers are made with an unbreakable handle. He smashes the plunder against the counter and it breaks into bits. Hilarious, right? In superman terms, he just broke something that was unbreakable. Super strength.
When he's defending Leena from the three blond brothers, he slams a car door closed so hard the camera shakes. Super strength on a meta level. So strong he shakes the production of the film.
Along with Super Strength, another typical trait of superman is to have a love interest with the initials LL. He had Lois Lane and had a girl back in school called Lana Lang. Barry Eagan's love interest in Punch Drunk love is named Leena Leonard. She's usually in red while Barry is in blue. They complete the colors of Superman's suit. Barry's tie even changes to red when he starts standing up for her. Like Clark Kent, he never stands up for himself, but when she's in trouble he becomes a superhero.
What's with all those lens flares? It's because Superman gets his power from the sun. He loves Leena, and that becomes his sunlight. The end shot of the film is a sun flare overtaking him in a blue suit and her hugging him from behind as a red cape.
Now, Superman has to be able to fly. So, what's with all that pudding? Barry Eagan exploits a pudding promotion to earn enough points to fly anywhere on earth for the rest of his life. Barry learns to fly. In fact, when Barry is running from the three brothers the first time he's ambushed by them, he tries to escape by leaping into the air as if he's trying to take off, as if flying were in his muscle memory.
Barry's favorite radio program is hosted by a man called DJ JUSTICE and Barry likes him because he "tells it like it is" Sounds like truth, Justice and the American way to me.
Barry even has a villain with a typical old school villains name. Mattress Man. When he confronts Mattress Man, the man is sitting in a chair getting his hair cut. When he stands, it appears like Mattress Man is wearing a cape. Typical Villain.
Barry even confesses to a friend at his sisters party that he's not sure if anything is wrong with him because he doesn't know how other people are. Barry, Like superman, is an outsider. And Lois or Leena is the only thing here that he loves. And it gives him power.
This is how I watch Punch Drunk Love. I feel like its the story of this super-powered alien so lonely he'll call a sex line just to talk to someone, who falls in true love with a woman who makes him realize his super-potential.
And that's what's up. Punch Drunk Love is about Superman.
I have been to LA.
The People there might all have a bit of Barry in them.
The film is difficult to watch,
and I used to coach Boxing.
Excellent analysis
Thanks! I had this out there a while ago but just discovered it got blocked by the youtube gods.
GREAT VIDEO!
Disagree. The movie sucked. Reign over me was his best to date.
Clearly you’ve never owned a funger
@@zacdonald99 The Film leaves you Drained.....