I saw this movie last night, so I’m still pondering most of the unanswered questions.
Let’s start with the good news first. The craftsmanship of the people involved is amazing, considering the low budget. The camera work was excellent despite the obvious limitations - most shots were static, taking full advantage of the meticulous set designs. The supernatural moments (if you could call them that) were traditionally lit in what I call blue-moon glow which definitely added to the scenes.
Last but not least, the editing was superb - as you might imagine when you see it was done by Walter Murch, definitely not a stranger to Coppola movies. Considering the amazing work he did sowing together the different pieces The English Patient, he doesn’t disappoint even though the plot is convoluted.
Which leads us straight to the bad news: the plot. Youth without youth is based on Mircea Eliade’s novella about an old professor who is hit by lightning. This leaves him not only physically younger but also takes his mind faculty to a level beyond that of a mere human. The story is set in 1940s in Romania, so the Nazis get involved almost immediately. Our hero escapes them with the help of the professor who started the whole “healing process”.
At this point of the movie, all kinds of plot devices break lose. First, he meets the reincarnation (?) of his fiance of some 50 years back. In short order, the girl is hit by lightning (talking about lightning hitting twice!) and discovers her own talent - she is aware of her previous lives. In fact, she’s “possessed” by a 7th century Indian girl who only talks Sanskrit. She’s taken to the cave where that girl lived some 14 centuries before …
Now, I’m not going to spoil all the “fun” by revealing all the plot twists from this point on. Frankly, I tried my best to concentrate but the last part of the movie was such an uneven ride that all the craftsmanship in the world could not redeem it.
This is what Variety had to say about the final act:
By the time this stage is reached, the serial-worthy plot has moved through any number of genres without holding onto any of them. Perhaps Coppola’s affinity for a character obsessed by unrealized projects was too close to allow him to see the piecemeal nature of his script, bogged down by endless chatter. Immortality and the ramifications of eternal life, on both ethical and emotional levels, have been dealt with much more effectively in works varying from “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (referenced toward the end) and Janacek’s superb, emotionally resonant opera “The Makropoulos Case,” a far more powerful analysis of the cruelty of time.
Amen. Although I secretly hope this isn’t the last movie to come from Coppola.
Hey Kraz,
I enjoy your reviews. Thanks for the good reads. As a HUGE Cohen Brothers fan, I’m wondering if you’ve had a chance to see “No Country for Old Men” yet. I always enjoy discussing their films. Thanks!
Just saw the movie, and I have to say I liked it quite a bit. It was very different from what I was expecting, but I wasn’t disappointed. It certainly demands repeat viewings. To me, there was a lot of meaning packed within the movie; and I don’t think it would be fair to critique it(as has been done by some) from a purely linear and plot-based point of view. It’s just not that kind of story, and there’s no need for it to be that.
For one; it’s pretty metaphysical and references a lot of philosophy. For instance - in Indian philosophy; a person’s life can be broadly divided into three acts - the student, or the learner, the lover/family man - the continuation of life, and finally the monk, the sage, who gives up society to meditate on life. The movie moves through these three stages in Dominic’s life, in the beginning, as a rejuvenated student who’s able to “read” instantly, and who has to make choices on his future; as the lover who finds Laura/Veronica/Rupini; and finally as the man trying to finish his book and research on the origin of consciousness and humanity… I’m sure there are a lot more of these kinds of references in the movie that I didn’t see right away.
I loved Youth without Youth. It was a haunting experience for me.. I thought about this movie for days. It is about the power of love to transform. I feel one has had to have some living in time or real life experience in life to get beyond the obvious. It is a journey - take it and enjoy it.I did. I think this is a better film than almost any I have seen this year. I will nominate it for best picture.
you’re retarded.
this was a freakin stupid movie.
i want my money back.
wtf do the roses mean!? SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE ROSES MEAN!!!