REAL TALK

Im planning on seeing it tomorrow night

Ok - I stayed late after Into the Abyss last night to watch the opening 10 minutes.

Damn. What a beautiful and weird way to start a movie.

Anyone have any thoughts on the 19th hole in the golf course? I see that it's flag is a really noticeable part of the opening sequence, it's where Justine's horse refuses to continue, and John makes mention of how rare it is have a 19-hole golf course several times. Is this a thing, or is it a red herring?

According to wikipedia the 19th hole is sort of slang for the clubhouse or the pub - where you go to drink after your 18 holes are done.

i dont even know where to begin, honestly.
my entire way of being and life priorities completely shifted after seeing this film.
i feel things differently now.

i am so tired from working all day and feeling really sensitive and having trouble making anything make sense but ohhhhh maybe id see it again. i bet i would. i bet i am tired.

OH DOES HE?, @justinmajetich?!! that's what I thought at first - but then I thought that maybe I had misremembered. damn.

The plot thickens.

Also, there is a professor at your school, Carl Plantinga, that specializes in cognitive film theory - the spectators physical and emotional response to cinema. Check it out.

Once the film ended, I couldn't physically move out of my seat till the credits ran through. I think its one of those films where you need to see it in a theater to really get the whole experience. Kinda sorta similar to the experience one gets at a "white cube" gallery- neutral space removed from the outside, once you see the work in another context its not the same.

@justinmajetich- I definitely agree with you on this being a mentally & physically draining experience. The jerky camera really messed with my eyes making me pay even closer attention to everything in the screen.

I don't want to over analyze things, but for the sake of getting thoughts down here are some ideas about the 19th hole & other golf references in the film.

- People often romanticize the fact that when playing golf its just you & the course, no teammates, you're essentially playing against yourself.
- the 19th hole is a place for reflection on what happened during the round. @justinmjetich brought up the fact that John keeps reminding everyone that his course is 18 holes. So maybe that is a metaphor for life, & how one can't go to the "19th hole" in the end, its what happens during the "18 holes" that matters and what will be talked about when you're gone.
--Additionally he just might have been bein a dick about Justine & Claire's family. He was getting really worked up about how the wedding was a disaster because he seems to always want to present himself in a respectable manner. The fact that their family is dysfunctional just cramped his style...

in the two parts the sisters realize that they cant hold one anothers hand through every little thing, they have their own issues that need to be dealt with. So the image of Claire running with Leo in her arms past the 19th hole flag questions what is really important in the end. Claire, John and Leo had that kick ass crib but in the last few moments together with Justine, minus John, they sat together in a tent made of branches.