Terrific myth-making

Rating: Null/10 (29 July 2011)

For most of my life I went to see a movie on January 1 of each year and was glad that I didn't break my tradition. I was with 3 friends and I saw the future. First time I purchased movie tickets from a machine. It worked fine and much faster than staying in the line and trying to communicate with the teller. To get our popcorn dosage though we still needed human assistance. It was particularly helpful, because when I was getting off my jacket I managed to spill half of the content of the pop- corn bag on the floor, but they refilled it for us free of charge.I got a special treat this slushy afternoon in Seattle because I love stories and got a great one.
As stories go this was a compelling one and well told. We are used to Tim Burton presenting Gothic themes. This movie is no exception but he matured, because the dark side is only just part of the story. Not too many movies can end with the burial of the main character and still present it as a happy ending, but he managed it. The culmination of a life where everyone is happy. But I am getting ahead of myself.
The Big Fish one hand is a metaphor for the protagonist's larger than life figure. It is also a symbol for the tall tales fisherman tell to make their catch seem bigger. This person was doing that. But not entirely for the usual reasons of making himself larger, but to entertain. Stories told without passions details and imaginations are just fact. That is the big lesson here.
I loved the way its expounding was driven by stories themselves. How time stops and fastens when you fall in love, the (not so) eternally happy village at the dangerous road, the friendly giant, escaping from China with the help of the Siamese twin singer sisters, life in the werewolf owned circus all stand on their own as imaginative, colorful attention grabbing stories. Together they form a life worthy living even if not entirely truthful.
This modern Baron Munchausen story was emotional. A son trying to understand his dying father whom he considers a liar. By the end we (and the son too) know that he was just making life more meaningful by enriching the sometimes gray, boring reality. Beside hearing his words we also saw the beautiful, often surreal imagery he lived in. The Alabama accent at the very beginning reminded me first too much of Forrest Gump, but I got over that pretty fast. I was immersed in the story, like everyone else. This is terrific myth-making. The only point I am hesitant about is the ending. On one hand I hate that nowadays most Hollywood movies are ending in a way that if it is successful at the box office they could make a sequel. This movie was not done like that. It had a definite closure at the end. On the other hand I would love to see more of this world. More from the hero's life. Till then every time I think back to this movie it brings a smile on my face.