Ari Aster's MIDSOMMAR (2019)

Aster's writing is sloppy and pretty horribly paced, and this was way overlong, but I didn't care. So thematically and symbolically rich, and wonderfully executed on every level. And lingeringly unnerving.

I do wonder if his starting point was to take some of the least threatening things imaginable, incredibly pleasant Scandanavian people and sunny fields, and make them sinister.

Her boyfriend was a huge fucking dickhead by the way.

I watched this last night and I'm going to give it 3 bags of popcorn. Maybe throw in a soda for the trippy visuals.

A musical thought: Know what this movie was missing for me? Trad Gras och Stenar/international Harvester/Parson Sound Swedish hippies playing droney jams. Did I miss them far off in a corner somewhere? Don’t these ppl like to zone out?

Zz

The druggy bonhomie that they first experience upon arrival had a definite euro raver vibe, so I expected bangin dance music of some description rather than underground free folk.

yeah i thought so too -- that vibe does not last very long. maybe it is a joke about burning man?
idk

You all will have to wait for Gaspar Noe's Midsommer.

How about Noe

One thing I've been amused by in the published talk around the film is the occasional mention of the 'amazing Scandinavian landscape' or the like. Setting, yes, but the filming was in Hungary -- as I realized as soon as the credits rolled and approximately 8000 Hungarian names appeared at once. (I did like how the credits were laid out, BTW -- also, a quiet point, has anyone said anything about the specific choice of Frankie Valli's "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" instead of the Walker Bros?)

Yes, why that version and why that song?

what does it mean Ned!

GREAT MYSTERIES.

(Choice of song seems obvious lyrically? Busted up relationship, sunshine, etc.)

I figured it was an oldie to lighten the mood

Should have been "Walk of Life."

You know what was extra weird, per Ned's observation? The number of reviews I've read that point out the amazing Scandinavian landscape *and* note that it was actually filmed in Hungary. Witchcraft!!!

It’s another variation on something he did last time (can’t remember offhand which 60s pop song played over hereditary’s credits) xp

Joni Mitchell song?

Iirc, this one ended with a few extra beats of black before the music and credits began.

Oh yeah how could I forget xp

Hereditary ended with "Both Sides Now" but not the Joni version

Nice

Nu metal cover of happy together for the triumvirate, best filmmaker working

Ah yes!! No wonder this seemed so familiar to me!! It was the Judy Collins version! How could I forget??

I felt the same way about the usage of that song — an oldie to lighten the mood. Lol.

Yeah it was literally the same move again, you gotta love it

I will concede that this trick was not good enough to be employed twice consecutively. Coulda tried a little more imo.

Probably couldn't afford the rights to the Partridge Family theme. Weirdly apt (in an obviously ironic way):

"Hello world, hear the song that we're singin'
Come on, get happy
A whole lotta lovin' is what we'll be bringin'
We'll make you happy

We had a dream we'd go travelin' together
And spread a little lovin', then we'll keep movin' on
Somethin' always happens whenever we're together
We get a happy feelin' when we're singin' a song

Travelin' along, there's a song that we're singin'
Come on, get happy
A whole lotta lovin' is what we'll be bringin'
We'll make you happy
We'll make you happy
We'll make you happy"

xp Haha well I was childishly pleased by the similarity but I listened to the Film Comment podcast interview with aster (recommend to all) and it makes me think he probably has a fairly well thought-through reason for picking that song for this

I’m sure there’s a reason but it’s like an overly fussed over playlist or mixtape. It’s a lil embarrassing to use the same trick 2x in a row.

Tbf There are a ton of elements the two movies share. I know the first time around he played it really coy about some sort of horrible personal backstory or something that informed the film, but I don't think he ever spilled the beans.

Man it sucks when artists have traits and preferences

Not really! It’s fine to have traits and preferences even if you’re not an artist :)

I like traits and preferences (even this guy's)! I was just reacting to people commenting on the same sort of use of a sunny song at the end as chaser. There are lots of traits and preferences he repeats so far, some very distinctive.

anyone else find the prologue of this movie incredibly offensive

but i thought the rest of it was much better than hereditary. a very successful cathartic exercise. cried at the group screaming scene

Offensive because of the bipolar - > murder-suicide aspect?

yes

Aster's writing is sloppy and pretty horribly paced, and this was way overlong, but I didn't care. So thematically and symbolically rich, and wonderfully executed on every level. And lingeringly unnerving.

I do wonder if his starting point was to take some of the least threatening things imaginable, incredibly pleasant Scandanavian people and sunny fields, and make them sinister.

― chap, Thursday, July 11, 2019 6:14 AM (fourteen hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Her boyfriend was a huge fucking dickhead by the way.

― chap, Thursday, July 11, 2019 6:30 AM (fourteen hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

these chap posts are basically what i also got out of the movie

basically inside i am an enormous grieving flower slug searching for a group of women to scream with, so outside of the prologue this movie really got me

Yeah the word "bipolar" could have never been uttered and it would not have affected the movie at all

A lot of stuff (some funny) in his AMA:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/cbxc8v/hi_im_ari_aster_writerdirector_of_midsommar_ama/

It sounds like he is working on an extended cut (he claims at least 30 minutes longer), since a lot of stuff was apparently cut for time. For example, skimming this, the Austin Powers gag was apparently a sub for a long scene being cut, where the village sits down and watches an educational film about fertility rights or something. Also, I guess this movie was facing an NC-17 almost right up against its release, for dick stuff.

Was out for a run and I thought of a question for fans: would the film have worked if the characters were *not* constantly taking or being dosed with drugs? That is, if you just took the scenes of them explicitly taking or being given drugs out of the film, but kept everything else, would that fundamentally change the movie? If the hallucinogenic, hypnotic qualities stayed the same, but perhaps were presented as something other than the product of taking literal hallucinogens? Def. would have solved a few of the problems I have with the movie, but for fans, would that have hurt it?

the mushroom trip warped reality scenes are great for at least reflecting what that kind of trip actually looks and feels like, time-space bending and plants breathing. and this movie isn't taking place in a hallucinatory realm, everything that happens happens in reality, so the drugs are totally necessary to bring in this otherworldly, emotionally-driven catharsis that is beyond literal experience. i have no idea why you have problems with it and refuse to read back through your posts

Yeah, thought the breathing flowers in particular were a really spot-on representation of one type of hallucinogenic experience, when you're coming down and reality isn't so much as obliterated as warped at the edges, in the little details.

The drug-taking in both of Aster's movies didn't seem excessive or unusual - it's what young people do!

drugs: real good for enacting a simultaneous cathartic release and loss of control

The problem i have with the drug taking is that it underscores her (and their) agency and free will. They are not just taking mushrooms for fun. she is given a specific drink, just for the girls, before the may queen ceremony. he is given a drink, just for him, which is clearly some sort of different drug, with mind blurring aphrodisiac qualities. I know you all disagree with me, and I do respect your opinions, even if your opinion is that i am stupid. But from the moment they arrive at the colony they are being coerced and plied with drugs. yes, maybe they are taking them of their own free will, more or less. but i don't know if they have a choice when it comes to refusing them or not. because we never see them refuse any. but we also don't know exactly what they are taking or why it is being given to them (other than pain relief lol). i agree with a post above that i don't think there is a lot of choice making in this film, and i see her being taken advantage of as much as a girl going to a party and getting drunk might be.

i think one of the most interesting things about the film is you never quite know how much agency she has (and idk i think the ending confirms she has a lot)

I'm not going to watch this movie, but this has been stuck in my head for days now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNz9nkQYag4

xp but i also don't understand why anything you've outlined is a problem with the film

the opening had me thinking that ari aster was just tossing his box of toys around to put his characters through trauma but the rest of the film turned that around on me. i loved dani, and even though it's kind of perverse i love that she found the deep, echoing love and support she couldn't find in her shitty boyfriend and his shitty friends in this murderous cult of screaming women. for this and several other reasons (boyfriend and friends are a real pack of socipaths) midsommar reminded me more of a slasher movie than the wicker man

I found Reynor wonderfully detestable in the first half, but I also thought he did a great job of making him gradually more small and pitiable over the course of the second half

yes! that performance walked a real line, the scenes where you can tell he's on a real bad trip are sorta heartbreaking even though he sucks ass