Review of Slaughterhouse-Five (1972) by Jesse O — 20 May 2012
I think this is a good movie until a certain point. I think the idea of this guy going back and forth and living certain points in his life is good and the movie is shot so that it's completely jarring every time he goes back and forth (which is a good effect), so if you don't feel that there's any flow to the movie because of it, well then that's the point.
How could you make something flow naturally when he's jumping back and forth through time? The problem is, and I haven't read the book so I can't know how it is but I'm assuming it's better, that the movie doesn't go past just going back and forth.
I hear fate and free will are big issues in the book, well the movie is just content just going back and forth and not really doing a lot with that. There's no thread here, like why I am watching this guy go back and forth in time? What is the purpose of it all? Apparently in the book, Billy goes and relives his death more than once, in here it's just mentioned in a line then they go right to the 'death scene'.
It would've been cool if this death scene had been gone back to frequently in the movie, with each time a new detail about his death being revealed. It would've been cool. And I also don't know how big a role the Tralfamadores play in the book, because in the movie they're only mentioned once at the beginning when Billy is writing his letter and about 15 minutes before the movie ends, when they finally kidnap Billy.
These 15 minutes are the best of the entire movie as they deal with deeper issues. Again, I don't know what role the Tralfamadores play, but, to me, they should've been a presence throughout the entire movie not just the last 15 minutes.
Because by then, it's just too little too late. Even if the conclusion to the movie is excellent, I don't feel that this movie is any more than just good. Missed opportunity if you ask me. As usual, I'm sure the book is far better but the potential was there for this movie to be much more than it was and that sucks.
This review of Slaughterhouse-Five (1972) was written by Jesse O on 20 May 2012.
Slaughterhouse-Five has generally received positive reviews.
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