Film Review: Glass. Director: M. Night Shyamalan.
All individuals are known to mirror and embody different personalities. Who an individual is at home or at a party with his friends or at family gatherings or at their workplace are four completely different individuals. However, since many individuals do this on a daily basis, it is an accepted form of deviation, so much so that it is even deemed normal. The kerfuffle commences when there is an oscillation between the extremes.
Virginia Woolf said, "the extremes of any feelings are associated with madness". When an individual experiences many feelings cognitively, he also nurtures beliefs along with it, and that shapes who he is. But, sometimes it so happens that a certain belief may not foster a particular behaviour and just to fulfill this end, another personality is created.
'Glass', the last of the trilogy, the first part being 'Unbreakable (2000)', the middle part being 'Split' (2016) is a psychological thriller drama that focuses on what happens when there is a blend of a person's perception of himself, coupled with the external conditioning, and the sometimes indecipherable difference betwixt cause and effect of the two.
Kevin Wendell Crumb, a docile man whose identity is concealed by 'The Horde', his many split personalities, right from the obsessive Dennis to the childish Hedwig who are all villains and believe in the purity of pain and necessity of malice, David Dunn, a father and an obsessive do-gooder who considers himself as the harbinger of justice and the vegetative Elijah Price who perceives himself as a master manipulator are all brought under the same hospital to be treated by Dr. Ellie Staple, whose Herculean task is to deal with the perceptions that Kevin, David and Elijah have of themselves.
Psycho-analysts like Sigmund Freud endeavoured to find the logic in madness to bring about an eventual catharsis. In cases dealing with multiple personalities, his findings were:
The person achieves the highest degree of self-confidence, to the extent of developing superiority complex;
OR
The person feels increasingly inferior and then dons a simulacrum of confidence.
The cinema is on another level because it portrays a premise no one has conceived before. There is plenty of dark humor and rapier wit throughout the cinema. The scope of the cinema is to the point and does not go beyond the four protagonists, and is only shot in two to three places.
M. Night Shyamalan is a very relevant director because he brings to light those questions and issues, which we turn a blind eye to and a deaf ear to. The audience is piqued throughout the course of the cinema as they witness this wonderfully crafted piece of art. The audience will also try to relate Kevin's different personalities, his real vulnerability, David's urge for good and the frustration when justice is not achieved, Elijah's manipulation to achieve his selfish ends with themselves.
James McAvoy deserves all the credit and accolades. He is charismatic, a strong performer, an actor with great conviction and an artist with class. He portrays about 24 different personalities in a single costume, contrary to the popular belief that different personalities need different get-ups. He is Hedwig in one moment, and Barry in the next. Like all human beings, Kevin's multiple personalities are independent and embody diverse traits.
Samuel. L. Jackson, who plays the comatose Elijah Price makes a tough role look incredulously easy, and exudes virtuosity. Bruce Willis, who plays David Dunn creates an impactful presence. The cinema asks us what would happen if all of us really, truly believed in ourselves and our powers?
Overall, the cinema is a must-watch. It is classy, and not massy. The understanding of complexities and intricacies of the human mind combined with breath-taking performances is a highlight of this cinema.
MY TAKE: 9.5/10.
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As someone who has watched this film,I feel that your review excudes peefection in the sense that I felt like I watched this film again , keep writing !! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteExcellent topic chosen for a review,seems to be a deep piece of art.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely on my wishlist.Lovely review.Keep writing and keep up your good job.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Another Beautiful review written of an underrated thriller series. Amazing work Radhika😍☺️👌👏🎉
ReplyDeleteA good piece of review, Radhika. Although I had seen the movie in the past, many things were forgotten. However, your contents & the flow of writing helped me almost revisit the movie.
ReplyDeleteAs you have rightly said, it's a complex & unusual subject that needs complete attention. However, the end product is quite satisfying.
Albeit, like this review. Keep it up!!!