Christian Bale Behind the Scenes of Knight of Cups in Los Angeles, California (June 13, 2012)
Christian Bale as Rick in Knight of Cups (2015), dir. Terrence Malick
CHRISTIAN BALE as BRUCE WAYNE | BATMAN BEGINS (2005) dir. Christopher Nolan.
Christian Bale leaves his hotel early, signs some autographs, then heads to set to film scenes for The Dark Knight Rises in New York City, New York (October 28, 2011)
Re: Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) dir. Christopher Nolan
For such a vividly colorful film, I thought Thor: Love and Thunder got color symbolism wrong mostly. Especially in the pivotal boat scene between Thor and Jane. Thor’s face is mostly lit in purple (transformation) and Jane’s face in red (passion) - colors that were opposite at best and completely wrong at worst.
But the one scene where the use of colors - or rather their lack - shines is the entire Shadow Realm sequence. The stark difference stands out because the rest of the film is so filled to the brim with colors and reinforces how scary Gorr is.
We’re coming off the high of Thor and Jane rekindling their relationship going into this scene. I knew there was going to be a face off but I didn’t expect it to be this one-sided. Valkyrie is the only one who gets to respond, both Thor and Jane are not allowed to say anything at all. He literally has them restrained and silenced. And when he gets the stage to himself, he shows how sadistic and cruel he is.
First, he tries to pry open Thor’s hand to call Stormbreaker. When Thor resists, Gorr is actually impressed - ‘some God you are’. He responds by firmly closing Thor’s fist and proceeding to torture his girlfriend. Thor WILL have to give in now but this time he will not be able to open his fist. Gorr incites pure panic and desperation in Thor, just for fun. And then goes ahead and labels himself and Thor as similar.
Valkyrie rightly calls him out on his hypocrisy by saying that our hero and villain are not the same. Gorr tells her that Thor’s ancestors did nothing for her sisters while they died for the throne of Asgard because that’s what these people are. They don’t care about the people who laid down their lives for Asgard. And it’s not false. Odin has historically been known to let his warriors die just to uphold Asgard’s repute. Although this is something Thor very strongly takes the opposite stance on.
After making Valkyrie cry, Gorr equates himself to Jane as well in the fact that both their weapons are killing them and how wrong they’re done by the Gods. How Thor used her and threw her away. Gave her nothing but hurt. And this isn’t false either. He left her for 2 yrs. He hurt her when he was living with her to drive her away from him. And even now, he can’t do anything for her c*ncer. His freakin’ hammer is actually killing her faster.
So, turns out Gorr is actually right about Thor and his ancestors doing no good to the people who have laid their lives for them (Valkyries) and people who’ve loved them more than life (Jane). Which is why when Gorr is face to face with both Valkyrie and Jane, they are on equal footing as visual symbolism.
Gorr now proceeds to equate himself with Thor. He mocks him over his helplessness to save the love of his life from her illness. Gorr too was helpless over his daughter’s impending death. This IS a point of equality. And yet. Gorr is distinctly framed beneath Thor and has to look up at him. They are not equals here because a) our hero and villain are not the same, obviously. And b) Gorr was certainly disregarded by the Gods he worshipped. But Jane wasn’t by Thor. He made her life 'magical’, in her own words. He gave her life so much more meaning, furthered her journey, and gave her a world of happiness. He is her happiness.
Gorr actually has to climb some steps to put himself on the same footing as Thor. And now when he says 'I know your pain, love in pain’, they’re visual equals because Gorr propped himself up. And this time, it’s true. Thor’s love, not just for his girlfriend he is destined to lose, but for every single person he has lost IS his pain.
So it’s understandable why he gives in and calls Stormbreaker for Jane despite Valkyrie’s disapproval. Jane is the last family he has left. He cannot lose her again. After having to watch every single loved one die in front of him and for him, he just doesn’t have it in him to watch his last hope also be snatched away from him. So he selfishly makes the call, risking the captured children and much bigger things (as well as later failing to keep Stormbreaker and worsening everything).
And by making the call, Thor ultimately proves Gorr right about how selfish the Gods are.
Hostiles (2017)
Director: Scott Cooper
Cinematographer: Masanobu Takayanagi
