1. Visuals And Aesthetics
There's one undeniable thing that defines Only God Forgives, its breathtaking and nightmarish visuals. The colour palette used feels very film noir and the application of heavy contrast creates an overwhelming decadent, yet sinister atmosphere. Use of red to relate to the film's savagery and murder recurs quite often, and when blended with dark and seedy scenery, it makes the experience feel very liminal, and almost dream like. All of this works contextually when combined with the notorious and generally irreparable reputation of Bangkok as a criminal underworld. The setting is also pretty crucial, it paints Bangkok as a dangerous, sinful urban jungle, with brief touches of glamour and opulence in the right places. It's exactly the location the film needed, a sinful city full of prostitution, underground gambling clubs, and murder. While obviously it's exaggerated for the sake of cinema, the camera captures the corruption perfectly. Only God Forgives is severely underrated and certainly worth your time. If not for its savagery, Gosling's performance, or Nicolas Winding Refn's incredible direction, it's visual sheen and dream-like aesthetics will enthrall you.