re: Midsommar(Spoilers/Discussion)

Finally got around to watching this last night. I loved it and found it funny at times.

Does anyone know if the directors cut is available now?

watched this last night and i have to say i don't know if a movie ever met my expectations as perfectly as MS. now that's not me saying it was amazing, b/c i didn't have very high expectations after i heard how divisive the movie was

but it was pretty much exactly what i thought it was going to be in terms of presentation, plot, etc. there were some little things (i thought the plan was for the brothers to bring women to have babies for the inbreeding/genetic reasons, b/c of the romance hinted at with both of the women brought over), but overall it was kind of a modern spin on Wicker Man with Ari Aster relationship drama brought in as a framing device

i thought the production value was very good but the movie itself was disjointed in terms of narrative/plot. obviously it borrowed heavily from Wicker Man (however, there was an actual remake of Wicker Man a few years back and we saw how horrible that was. these types of pagan horror plots aren't automatic).

the movie wasn't scary but was unsettling. i may not watch this movie again but if i do, it will be when i'm in a negative frame of mind and want to watch a movie of people i hate have bad things happen to them (my #1 movie in this mindset is Rules of Attraction but it's gotten old). i am glad i watched it and waited until i could watch it properly (with soundbar kicking in the dark without interruptions or distractions)

*ETA: it was hilarious how the main female character, who was so passive aggressive and non-confrontational in the beginning, ended up confidently choosing her bf to be sacrificed by the end.

Watched this, finally, as the trailer had me excited.

I'd actually disagree and say this was pretty good. It was exactly what I expected and had some powerful layers built throughout the film. The only problem is Aster is one of the few filmmakers I see who can truely make me uncomfortable and I have no interest in watching it again. Not as bad as Hereditary, but close enough.

While the film, overtly, is about the relationship, Dani's awakening, etc., I actually think there is something a bit broader at play. A few things first:
1. There is no magic. I find it interesting that Aster makes it clear there is nothing supernatural at play, just a belief that there is supernatural things. Where Hereditary made those things clear, Midsommar avoids showing anything magical.
2. The Hargas had no social structure outside of the elders and their aging rituals. No families, all equal....

Take a look at the 4 main characters - Dani, Christian, Mark, Josh.

Mark is the foo, clearly. Driven by pleasure - drugs and women, he's funny, never takes anything seriously. In essence he's a hedonist, living for fun and pleasure.

Josh is the scientist. He's there solely for intellectual pursuits, driven by knowledge, and he frames everything he sees in the context.

Christian is...the Christian. He's the Spiritual. And while it might not seem obvious, Chrisitian's relationship to Dani is very much a representation of the majority of religious experience within the broad religions of Christian/Protestants/Jewish. Uncommitted, meandering, still fighting with the scientist frequently even though they often have the same goals.

The three men stand for major drivers for human existence - knowledge, spirituality, happiness.

Dani is the vulnerable, the lost. Everyone experiences loss in life, and Aster compacts that by taking everything from Dani in the first 10 mins. of the film. She's with Christian (might be spiritual but not really believe), she studies psychology (so she's a scientist, but never views the world from that lens), and has no idea where to look for happiness (rejects the drugs until she is urged to, because the Fool makes a big deal out of it). Because of her vulnerability in the beginning, she let's other people drive her....

The Hargas are a collective, a dangerous one, but I haven't thought through it enough to pin down exactly what Aster was intending with them. Is it meant to be "Paganism" itself? That seems too simple. What is clear is how they "use" everyone. They experience everything "collectively," and they are coordindated.

- They smile, a lot, have fun, play games - they put on the mask of hedonism
- They are skilled at alchemy/science, gardening, architecture, and keep tomes of knowledge - They aren't shy to "plant" knowledge in their community
- They need vulnerable believers and systems to use - they need "new blood" from Christians.

There are a few holes here and there, but like I said, I have no interest in watching this again. I couldn't get away of "Christian" being cloaked as a "beast," and being burned. Like Aster is warning (and he's Jewish I believe) people that traditional faiths are going up against something that's going to destroy them.

Sorry for the ramble.

polarizing movies always fascinate me, especially when i'm basically neutral

It's one of those movies that gets better upon multiple viewings. I've seen it three times and I pick up something new every time.

It just looks like a slightly improved version of Nic Cages Wickerman. Without the fascination of one of the worst acting performances in history.

This movie has me beyond disturbed.

Need to check this out. From what I’ve heard, the fact that it takes place during daylight is part of what makes it so unsettling and far more disturbing.

It actually wasn't that disturbing if you ever saw the TV series Viking. It just par for the course really. The only thing that might be disturbing was the whole graphic part and even then you can tell when something was fake like the corpse where the man kept taking a hammer to it.

I know what he was going for, but because it was in Daylight it made it less creepy. In fact there is less tension because in general it just seems like everyone who died slighted the cult people in the first place.

Example 1: Please mr. black man, I know you are curious but that is our MOST sacred text, you are not allow to read it.

Black guy sneaks out to read it anyway. Surprise surprise he get killed by the offended communter.

Example 2: White guy instead of just going to use a bathroom like a civilized person, decide to whip his wee wee out and pee on a random tree. Said Tree just happen to be the most scared tree to the community where the cult people believe all of their ancestors are residing. White guy proceed to shrug it off saying it's just a dead tree.

Are you surprise when he was killed off? But he was killed off screen so it wasn't even creepy.


Thats just some of the example but over all it was mild. Again, thanks to Christianity for wiping that barbarism out.

According to the shows Viking and Kingdom, once those people adopted Christ as their lord and savior, that brutality that they showed was turn back on their own kin and they won thus stamping such rituals out.

Really VVitch was scarier from that director.

Long and boring. Allegory blah blah blah. Watch it twice? At least The Wicker Man had A horrible Nic cage and...bees.