If you are not familiar with screenwriter and director, Ari Aster, and you can handle disturbing topics including psychological and emotional horror, I highly recommend you go watch Hereditary THEN Midsommar (I personally believe they are easier to get through in that order.) While some people may consider each movie to be horror movies, they are much more complex than that and Aster would agree with that statement. Aster describes Hereditary as commentary on grief and familial dysfunction whereas Midsommar is also a meditation on grief but also a breakup movie that “unravels into folk horror” but Aster would still argue that Midsommar is a dark comedy. Aster even says “I always find the most exciting way into any given genre is sideways. I typically like to think outside of the genre I’m dealing in. That’s why we weren’t watching any horror movies for Midsommar. We were watching breakup movies” to prove that point. This also brings up the topic of catharsis, as the horror movie can also be seen as a relationship-based movie, but watching these disturbing pieces is extremely cathartic for the viewers as well.
Ari Aster also pays incredible attention to detail. For Midsommar, he did a ton of research on Swedish traditions, Norse mythology, and folklore. They also built the entire village seen in the movie, because in the original cut (which was almost 4 hours long) each villager was essential to the story. Aster utilizes a form of collecting in this film because he drew inspiration from photographer Joel-Peter Witkin, who makes the grotesque beautiful in his work.
Although he approaches his work with a “sense of cynicism and a bleak sense of humor,” Ari Aster’s motivation is intrinsic because when asked about his films he calls them all “passion projects” and describes his process as “therapeutic.” His sense of cynicism reminds me a bit of Gehry when he worried about what people would think of his buildings. Another form of collecting Aster uses is that he clearly remembers the type of movies he did not enjoy as a child and does not recreate things like that. His ideas for many of his short films come from Aster wanting to approach taboo topics, like he does in “The Strange Thing About the Johnsons” (I would recommend watching it if you enjoy Aster’s work).
If we compare Aster’s work to the geneplore model, his movies are definitely an example of divergent thinking while finding someone to produce Hereditary was the product constraint.
Aster’s work is chilling and genius, and I encourage anyone who can handle these movies to watch them.
Click to watch “The Strange Thing About the Johnsons”
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jun/28/horror-director-ari-aster-hereditary-midsommar-terrors
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/07/ari-aster-midsommar-interview/593194/
https://www.indiewire.com/2018/06/hereditary-ari-aster-interview-inspiration-history-1201972348/
I LOVE Midsommar! I feel like it is a great meditation on how trauma can affect lead you to behave in a way that doesn't SEEM to make sense - such as burning someone alive in a bear skin - but that DOES make sense when you look at the pain behind it. I usually dislike horror, but Aster's work is truly enjoyable and looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteHereditary and Midsommar have been my go to horror flics when I'm in the mood for some chilling drama. I love the way Aster builds the storyline; he always integrate creative visual symbolism (the painting of the bear above Danny near the ten minute mark in Midsommar, the doormat belonging to Joanie that we see around the midpoint of Hereditary) that foreshadows the conclusions of the movies in intricate ways. Every time I rewatch his movies I'm able to point out a new "clue" that Aster gives us earlier on that hint at the mysteries of the plot. The most interesting accomplishment of Aster's (in my opinion) is his success at getting his audience to empathize with the Holga in Midsommar. By the ed of the film, I'm excited for Danny to join in the cults murderous activities! I don't know how Aster pulled it off, but somehow he made us fall for the bad guy. Anyways, I'll be waiting on the edge of my seat for the next A24 Ari Aster collaboration.
ReplyDeleteHe is a master of foreshadowing!!! I love finding a new hint every time I watch too.
DeleteI've never seen Hereditary but I just recently watched Midsommar, and I have to say, I was chilled to the bone. I'm an absolute baby when it comes to horror movies, but Aster's work with Midsommar was more intriguing to me than most — probably because, as you mentioned, it's not REALLY a horror movie. I think part of what made Aster's movie so hauntingly intriguing (intriguingly haunting? either way) was the combination of intense imagery and eerie music, not to mention the extreme emotional trauma driving the entire film. It was much more psychologically involved than a simple horror film, and for that I really appreciated it. I might just have to check out Hereditary now!
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