Review of The Living End (1992) by Cyrus B — 30 Dec 2008

THE LIVING END.

The Living End, was director Gregg Arakiâ??s first big movie, managing to get a screening at the Sundance film festival in 1992. The film was a part of the big gay/lesbian film movement of the early nineties, which at the time was met with mixed opinions of hatred and praise. Since then Gregg Araki has gone on to become a household name amongst true fans of cinema, and this film clearly shows itself as a piece of his work.

Craig Gilmore plays Jon, a young homosexual man who has just discovered he has the HIV virus, he is far from being a well adjusted person in the first place, and his thoughts about his future seem bleak. Driving along one night, he picks up Luke(Mike Dytri), a rebellious young man with HIV, who has believes in nothing but raw hedonism. Within a short while, they end up in bed together, and soon embark on a journey as outlaws due to Lukeâ??s disrespect for the law. The film charts their relationship up until itâ??s exciting conclusion, offering opinions about society of the time as it goes.

The first thing one notices when viewing this film, is the camera work, unmistakably Araki. We are offered some camera angles that give us a unique perspective of the action, and can make viewing the film somewhat shocking, as we are brought straight into the passion between these two men. The use of framing is quite exceptional, arranging each frame as if it were a masterpiece in itself, which is often the case I this movie.

On a more disappointing note, the performances from the whole cast really arenâ??t up to much. They are just about believable, and only really generate any sort of power right near the end, which is a little too late to recover the film in terms of itâ??s acting quality.

The acting however, could be partially blamed on the script, which in terms of narrative is promising, but really doesnâ??t cut it when it comes down to the dialogue. Fortunately, Araki hasnâ??t overstuffed the movie with dialogue, possibly knowing that itâ??s one of the filmâ??s weak points, heâ??s relied on the camera more, which is what saves the film.

There is something special about The Living End, itâ??s hard to quantify what exactly, but the impression the film leaves upon itâ??s audience is always a large one, whether itâ??s disgust or attraction. The feel of the movie, generated heavily through Arakiâ??s camera work and shot selection in the editing process does give this piece a very consistent feel, and does bring the audience into this unusual world, for better or worse.

Overall, there is a lot to be said about this movie, half the people whoâ??ve seen it loathe it with a passion, the rest tend to herald it as a key film in recent history and the development in gay/lesbian cinema. But with al that said and done, this piece is really a unique journey, that is let down by itâ??s dialogue and actors, however it is then more than fairly compensated by Gregg Arakiâ??s skill. This piece is worth viewing for two reasons, Arakiâ??s spectacular direction and editing, and to see how the piece makes you feel personally. A lot of people will hate this film, but those more critical of cinema will be impressed by itâ??s art and appreciate it as a niche film of itâ??s time.