Part 1:
Parents are very important. Losing a dad would be influential (sorry
@europe1 I read a little bit of your post, lol, your thoughts will be on my mind as I'm watching this for sure)
Maybe this is one of those movies where I should wait and think about it at the end. Nah. I will label the parts though.
"I will think very little of you if you do not find it," -- women are so shot-out.
A young man lost on lust and glory (his cousin and the army) -- mistakenly thinking these things will bring him happiness or satisfaction or meaning.
He resolved to never see Nora again -- should have kept that resolution. "We bear but one flower and then we die" , wow, trifling bitch. Good, he owned her -- but he should have just left it alone. Forgiveness, compassion, and understanding > emotional volatility. I am still learning this, as you can see by me saying "good, he owned her," lol!
Redmond is following his father's path (dueling, probably over stupid shit like he did) even though he was never around his dad. Sometimes curses are generational and hereditary (even if not technically genetic... although, the role of genetics is very relevant in all of our behavior unless we do something to transcend it. We are in a gradual descent into greater and greater wickedness, even if we are unaware of it and even if it comes out in different forms that may not be recognized as 'wicked' -- unless we come to God). I know this movie isn't about religion, at least I think it's not, like the last one I reviewed WAS ABOUT (that horror movie, I can't remember the name). I will see what I think the film-makers intention is, but my comments are going to be coming, at least, in part, from a perspective involving God in life.
I have watched this movie before actually... and I think the intention is just to talk about life in a frank manner. Although, I don't remember exactly. I will try to be open to any interpretation.
Barry joins the army after not winning the girl even though he won the duel and is now fighting some guy. Desperate for approval. Never had his parent's (dad's, at least), full love. "Barry's training continued" -- he's training to be a person in the world, of the world. Wow - the duel was faked. Betrayed by his family.
Pretty much every single line in this movie is worthy of some commentary and it's 3 hours long. I'm gonna
TRY to not say so much, lol.
"Barry determined that he was in his proper sphere" --- this is a good example of what happens when we set our own standards. He's a deserter and a complete charlatan who is faking as an officer/gentleman, yet he is happy with this because he is getting what he wants in the moment. What he has is not a reflection of his character... well, actually, it is, but not in a good way.
I just realized... I'm not even going to be able to review my own movie picks as the person I am now because I am not the same as the person who picked them, lol! I'll just respond to everyone's thoughts with how I used to think, but I won't do one of these posts... it would be too much double-think for me to handle. I'll end up saying a lot anyways, I'm sure.
"Barry was soon very advanced in the science of every kind of misconduct" (after he gets caught as a deserter) -- just as I said, he's in training to be a person in the world, of the world. This narrator is making perfect sense to me. This movie is good.
This is just a movie about life as a person in the world, I think (searching for meaning, how to accept oneself, etc --- all manifested in different statuses and titles and ways that other might think of us -- first a woman, then society in general for 'pride' as a 'gentleman', then once this was played out, money and companionship with another father figure -- I think
@europe1 is right to point this theme out -- all of these 'specific' ways of being a person in the world, though, are pointless to me to differentiate because there is either God or Not God in my mind. The Narrator pretty much sums up everything every scene I feel so far). A specific person in the world, but it is the world depicted as it actually is. I feel every comment I make is going to reflect that in some way. That might sound very obvious and broad, and I think it is obvious and broad, but because it is so well-executed with such excellent music and cinematography and every scene so elegant with this particular story that has so many twists and turns, it is a very good movie.
If something new comes up, thematically, as I finish the film, I will add to my post or make another post, but I think I have seen enough to comment on it. And the story will end up repeating itself in some way.
Perfect example: "He wants to step into my shoes! HE WANTS TO STEP INTO
MY SHOES!" (the old man whose wife he steals) --- this a rotating position/status that people come in and out of and is ultimately meaningless. This is portrayed by the film and is not me reading too much into it. Altho I'm not attributing religious meaning to the film.