Review of The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973) by Daniel H — 04 Jan 2008
A difficult film, both for someone to make in the 70's, and for a modern audience to swallow, but both Film and Novel take their subject matter seriously. This movie took guts.
The militant uprising themes are portrayed through character development, and by the end you are forced to analyze how far the protagonist has progressed, or deluded himself, depending on your point of view. Thankfully, the movie leaves it up to the viewer. To pigeonhole this film as mere propaganda is a bit harsh, as it tells a story not with ideology or metaphor but a well-rounded protagonist, and you are left free to interpret how the film ends.
Yet, the film itself is nothing but a one-trick pony, and cannot rely on gutsy thematic content alone, and the supporting cast is blatantly two-dimensional, the plot, while unique in its setting, is sub-par when you strip away its thematic overtones. The films greatness is dependent on the arguments and thoughts it provokes once it is over, and not on its cinematic merit alone.
The film is trapped in Schroedinger's box, but is well worth the time to examine for yourself, and see what emerges.
This review of The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973) was written by Daniel H on 04 Jan 2008.
The Spook Who Sat by the Door has generally received positive reviews.
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