Hey there! Welcome to the Revolver 300 level class. Everybody take a seat.
A few notes before we begin to dig into the film next week:
#1: From the jump, this entire series will absolutely be a spoiler alert extraordinaire, so if you want to, Revolver-virgin-like, leisurely stroll through Guy Ritchie’s Revolver on your own, prior to me ruining it for you (or, hopefully, adding exponentially to your joy), I suggest watching it now. Last chance.
#2: You can buy and watch it here, for $12.99; perhaps one of the very best deals of your entire life. If anyone has other links they prefer, especially for non-fans of the Bezos behemoth, please share those in a comment below. If you’ll be following the series with me, I do suggest purchasing rather than renting, as I’ll be proceeding through the film scene by scene with time stamps so you can follow along.
#3: Please note that there are three different versions of the film, so make sure you get the version I linked above, wherever you get it.
#4: If you come away from Revolver shaking your. head, don’t worry, mate. That’s why it’s deserving of in-depth study; a single viewing won’t get you very far. I’ve seen it a quazillion times and am looking forward to gleaning so much more from this very-in depth study this time around. There is just too much to take in, too much symbology, too many references, visuals, too much awesomeness, just TOO MUCH period, stacked on top of itself to understand it in a single viewing.
Roger Ebert’s take:
Oh, this film angered me. It kept turning back on itself, biting its own tail, doubling back through scenes with less and less meaning and purpose…
If iconic and seasoned film critic ROGER EBERT couldn’t get a handle on it, I think we can all relax—it’s tough in more ways than one.
My personal description of the film might run something like this: The formula for genuinely authentic life set like a jewel in a gangster no-man’s land.
It’s violent, harsh, nightmarish and loud. All things, if you know me personally, you might think would have me running for the hills. But if you really, really knew me, you’d get it.
Why do I want to spend countless hours studying someone else’s art?
Because… A. it’s phenomenal art, B. I really love this movie—like L-O-V-E this movie, C. I happen to feel that this is one of those films that is a runaway train: bigger than what even the director perhaps could anticipate, D. writing about this kind of thing is part of my art, and most of all, E. at the end of every day, I’m here for the Freedom, and though the big picture out of the prison seems (and actually is) simple, the practice required to stay free is immense and often terrifying, and this film walks the viewer through it—if they know what they’re looking at.
So. Subscribe.
Give yourself a chance to find a freedom that perhaps you’ve never imagined; I know you’ve got this sneaking suspicion that there’s something more. I have some kind of an idea of how this multi-media, multi-pronged thing will go, and I know for sure it will be life changing.
And fun.
After this post, this series will be for paid subscribers only. I am putting my heart, soul, time and attention into it—I want to be here with a group of people (or even just one or two) who are as into this as I am and want to have an interactive experience while we watch this book (at the end, the series will be published as a book, complete with acknowledgments for engaged and collaborative you) come together.
Here’s some stuff Guy Ritchie says that I love as a foundation for what we’re doing here (and also makes me feel better about my own often messy desk—Joe):
K,
ChRiSTY
i JUST B0uGhT
THE M0ViE 0n *Y0UTUBe!
~&~ 'BUCKLinG~UP' T0 WATCh~iT
>>>>>>>>>>>>>N0W!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*(i D0n'T HAVe AmAZ0n)
See YA
0n THe 0TheR
SiDe, Eh!?!
YiKesSs!!!
WinKinG ; )
~wiLL0w~
H0w'Re🤔
YA FeeLin'💫
ChRiSTY?💖
HUGsSs🤗
🔮~wiLL0w~🧝