Fresh off one of the surprise hits of 2011, Nicolas Winding Refn's follow-up film proved to be anything but a consensus hit. Listed on a number of year-end Worst Of lists and never receiving a wide-release in the United States, Only God Forgives has been decried as one of the most regrettable failures of 2013. Like many films that received mixed feelings upon release only to become classics later, Only God Forgives is the kind of movie that everyone seems to either really love or really hate. Despite Only God Forgives being the victim of outsized expectations, and its own daring and uniqueness it is undoubtedly one of the most visually dazzling films of the year as well as one of the most thematically complex. In fact in many ways, Only God Forgives is in many ways one of 2013's most impressive films in many respects. Critics have put forth many fascinating theories while working to unravel this difficult film. One viewpoint is that Only God Forgives should be watched as a Western, with Julian being the archetypal silent hero. Another interpretation is that the city of Bangkok is a representation of hell, as evidenced by the overwhelming use of orange and red color schemes, and that the police officer Chang is a representation of God's wrath. Other critics have pointed out the Freudian symbolism and "stranger in a strange land" element of the story, and whatever the correct interpretation of Only God Forgives is, it's clearly the polar opposite of the shallow, superficial failure it has seemingly been branded as. With the level of formal brilliance and thematic daring on display going virtually unheralded, Only God Forgives is ultimately evidence that even though people constantly demand films with ideas and innovation, they usually don't appreciate the few films that actually contain both. If one movie this year deserved more recognition and more praise, Refn's riveting tour-de-force would have to be it. Do you agree that these movies completely went over audiences' heads? Share your observations below.
I love movies, literature, history, music and the NBA. I love all things nerdy including but not limited to Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and Firefly. My artistic idols are Dylan, Dostoevsky, and Malick and my goal in life is to become like Bernard Black from Black Books. When I die, I hope to turn into the space baby from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
