1st July , 2009
ADAM KELSALL
Terminator Salvation (M)
Samson & Delilah (MA 15+)
In a word: Contrasting
If you have half a day and a few spare dollars, go and watch Terminater Salvation (aka T4) and Samson & Delilah back-to-back. One could not find a more contrasting set of movies.
"Both movies achieve what they set out too. 'T4' gets bums on seats with its formulaic action and is a superstar-driven noisefest that allows the viewer to temporarily switch off reality. 'Samson & Delilah' tells a story and presents an uncomfortable reality that challenges viewers on indigenous issues. Your enjoyment of either will depend on the sort of cinematic experience you are after."
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Why? T4 fills every second of the flick with movement and sound. Oh, so much sound! It is like a maddening symphony orchestra of spaceships and machines that pounds you into a migraine. Boom, boom, chow! Switch off the brain, sit back and take the ride. Clichéd dialogue, action smorgasboard, special effects heaven. Everyones favourite Governator also makes an appearance...or does he?
Samson & Delilah, on the other hand, is sparse and full of space. The viewer is left to fill the gaps with their own thoughts, perceptions and emotions. First-time director Warwick Thornton is brilliant in his use of sounds intrinsic to the environment to create the feeling of the moment for the characters.
T4 rolls out Christian Bale as the macho lead actor. It is easy to dismiss Bale as a hunk of movie commodity as he is best known for his similar blockbuster role in Batman. However trainspotters will know Bale's true acting depth from his best but disturbingly anorexic role in the Machinist and also as the boy in Spielberg's Empire of the Sun.
Bale's voice is whispery and hoarse and, while some of the dialogue comments on human condition, it comes across as a vain attempt to add depth. Bale's co-star, Sam Worthington - whose brooding handsomeness first decorated screens in Aussie flick Somersault, provides what may be a career-defining role as the Terminator. A massive casting risk that pays off with some suggesting Worthington outshines Bale.
Similarly Thornton chooses untried actors in Samson & Delilah. Marissa Gibson fits into the skin of character Delilah with ease and will be seen again in other roles. Rowan Macnamara, who plays Samson, seems to fall flat a couple of times. Mostly silent throughout the movie, the moment when he finally spoke was a letdown. Director Thornton's older brother Scott makes a cameo as an alcoholic, mentor-type for the young couple and injects the movie with delightfully ironic humour.
T4's story is merely an excuse to make action sequences. The whole Skylab/Terminator explanation scene plays out too long and assumes that viewers lack film-watching-nous. Directors need to understand that the general public are experienced movie viewers who have the ability to link very complex scenes in order to comprehend the narrative.
Viewers accustomed to the crash bang style of T4 may struggle with the character-driven style of Samson & Delilah. The threads of the story essential for later in the movie take a while to develop and the Groundhog Day style used at the beginning to express life in an Aboriginal community may lose some viewers. The alienation of Samson and Delilah from their communities is harrowing but their developing relationship is novel, engaging and intriguing.
Both movies achieve what they set out too. T4 gets bums on seats with its formulaic action and is a superstar-driven noisefest that allows the viewer to temporarily switch off reality. Samson & Delilah tells a story and presents an uncomfortable reality that challenges viewers on indigenous issues. Your enjoyment of either will depend on the sort of cinematic experience you are after.
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