this is my favorite Berger film so far.
one thing about me is i love earnestness and tenderness in film so liking Hawaii was a no brainer. Vignau and Chiarino bring so much to the roles of Eugenio and Martin. Eugenio's unsureness, Martin's confusion and nervousness... so easily felt and seen even with the sparse dialogue which I'll get into later. Beyond this their chemistry is electrifying! Touches that linger, quick glances at each other, the eagerness and desire to see more (physically and emotionally). wow...
Berger makes use of homoeroticism interestingly in this film as it is seen more of as a way to attract by the characters rather than to disgust (as seen in Horseplay ). the tension in Hawaii is nerve-wracking but not torturous. it teases and beckons but it does not do it for the sake of shock-factor or for the sake of eliciting the strange desire to witness something taboo as two men falling in love but rather it implores the viewer to hone in and notice what is building and how it will be released.
the dialogue here is sparse but oh boy does that choice feel better used here than the other two films of his that I watched. the scenes breathe because of this choice, more of it dedicated to body language and the score that I feel was wonderfully used here. unspoken attraction is a central tenet of Berger's style i noticed and this is it in full blast.
My personal favorite scene beyond the ending of course, is Eugenio's montage near the end of finding the meaning behind the two pineapples, the swimming scene by the river, and the laundry scene wherein Martin is seen in both as the affected (as he clears his throat as a reaction to seeing Eugenio pissing) and the attractor (as seen in his failed attempt to make it known that he is interested in Eugenio!).
crazy film... the hot sweltering, sweet summer sun and two men who discover something more is a combo that deserves to be its own genre.
this is my favorite Berger film so far.
one thing about me is i love earnestness and tenderness in film so liking Hawaii was a no brainer. Vignau and Chiarino bring so much to the roles of Eugenio and Martin. Eugenio's unsureness, Martin's confusion and nervousness... so easily felt and seen even with the sparse dialogue which I'll get into later. Beyond this their chemistry is electrifying! Touches that linger, quick glances at each other, the eagerness and desire to see more (physically and emotionally). wow...
Berger makes use of homoeroticism interestingly in this film as it is seen more of as a way to attract by the characters rather than to disgust (as seen in Horseplay ). the tension in Hawaii is nerve-wracking but not torturous. it teases and beckons but it does not do it for the sake of shock-factor or for the sake of eliciting the strange desire to witness something taboo as two men falling in love but rather it implores the viewer to hone in and notice what is building and how it will be released.
the dialogue here is sparse but oh boy does that choice feel better used here than the other two films of his that I watched. the scenes breathe because of this choice, more of it dedicated to body language and the score that I feel was wonderfully used here. unspoken attraction is a central tenet of Berger's style i noticed and this is it in full blast.
My personal favorite scene beyond the ending of course, is Eugenio's montage near the end of finding the meaning behind the two pineapples, the swimming scene by the river, and the laundry scene wherein Martin is seen in both as the affected (as he clears his throat as a reaction to seeing Eugenio pissing) and the attractor (as seen in his failed attempt to make it known that he is interested in Eugenio!).
crazy film... the hot sweltering, sweet summer sun and two men who discover something more is a combo that deserves to be its own genre.
