For the Romantics Out There

Rating: 10/10 (6 December 2016)

This movie is spectacular. It's 3 hours long, and without any "action." It is simply a study of life and relationships (familial, friendly, romantic, etc.). These relationships are studied by Death, who is taking a vacation. He wants to see what all the fuss is about life. This is an entity who constantly witnesses the end of life, but wants to understand what comes before that end; why do people get so emotional when lit's their time?
In the beginning, he's seemingly emotionless. He's completely uncomfortable with being human, oblivious to all emotion and facial expressions. The character goes through a beautiful transformation from the beginning of the movie to the end, and Brad Pitt does a wonderful job portraying that transformation.
Pitt also does an excellent job of portraying a person who is experiencing everything for the first time. Through his performance, the viewer is reminded how beautiful simple things in life are. Peanut butter, a father enjoying dinner with his family, a friend offering a handshake, falling in love; all of these are the types of things that humans tend to take for granted so often.
There is one particular scene that comes to mind, when Bill Parish is faced with cake- tasting, and says something that hurts his daughter's feelings. Joe Black watches in fascination as Bill fixes the situation, and he (Joe) laughs along with the family. Pitt perfectly shows how Joe is gradually connecting with humanity, thanks to Bill and the way he brings his family together.
Hopkins also deserves praise of the highest regard. His character is charismatic, empathetic, and has a love for his family that shines. It's blatantly obvious why Death chose Bill to be his guide; because he is a stellar person. Hopkins does an excellent job, as always.
Another performance that I loved was the old Jamaican woman, played by Lois-Kelly Miller. In a touching scene, Death reveals to her that his existence is a lonely one. She tells him, in one of my favorite lines of the movie:
"It nice it happen to you. Like you come to the island and had a holiday. Sun didn't burn you red-red, just brown. You sleep and no mosquito eat you. But the truth is, it bound to happen if you stay long enough. So take that nice picture you got in your head home with you, but don't be fooled. We lonely here mostly too. If we lucky, maybe, we got some nice pictures to take with us."
It's a beautiful monologue, and ever since watching this movie for the first time, I now think of moments in my life as "pictures" to take with me when it's my time to leave this earth.
This movie also has, by far, one of the most beautiful soundtracks I have ever heard. Two of the stand-out tracks to me are "Cold Lamb Sandwich" and "That Next Place," both of which are breathtakingly emotional.
***Spoiler Territory****
The ending of this movie is one of the most beautiful endings I have ever seen. It's heartbreaking to watch Death realize that he has to return to his lonely existence, after falling in love with humanity. He tells Bill that he is taking Susan with him, and we understand that he wants to do so because he desperately doesn't want to be lonely. It's heartbreaking to watch him realize that Susan needs and deserves the man she met in the coffee shop, not him. He has to let her go, fully understanding that he has to put her needs above his own. He's experienced the beauty of life, and now he's forced to experience the pain in life.
The scene when he watches the firework show and sheds tears fully cements his transformation, from an emotionless entity to a human being who is overcome by the tragic beauty of life. Bill's words, "It's hard to let go, isn't it?...Well, that's life. What can I tell you." perfectly capture the message of this movie. Life is beautiful, even when it's coming to an end.
***End of Spoilers***
This is a movie for romantics. It is slow-paced, and requires the viewer to pay attention in order to follow the story and really understand the movie. But if you are willing to give this movie your attention, fully submerse yourself in it, and allow yourself to emotionally connect to it, then you will not be disappointed. Do yourself a favor and watch it.