KNIGHT OF CUPS

US, 2015, 118 minutes, Colour.
Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Antonio Banderas, Brian Dennehy, Wes Bentley, Imogen Poots, Isabel Lucas, Teresa Palmer, Freida Pinto, Jason Clarke, Michael WincottI, Ryan O' Neal. Voices of: John Gielgud, Ben Kingsley.
Directed by Terence Malick.

In recent years, many audiences and, certainly, many movie buffs, have been eagerly anticipating the films of Terence Malick. He made an extraordinary impact in the 1970s with Badlands and Days of Heaven, interest in American narratives, but a greater focus on cinematography, especially the beauty of American landscapes. And then he didn’t make a film until The Thin Red Line in 1998. Since then, he has been a little more prolific with The New World and then, amazing many audiences and critics with The Tree of Life.

There was a huge cosmic focus with The Tree of Life and Malik has always been interested in exploring the more transcendent aspects of human experience. This was important for To the Wonder.

With The Knight of Cups, opinion is rather divided. Once again, the narrative is not as important as the visual imagery, symbolism, interior monologues, the meaning of the society and culture portrayed. Even the actors seem to concur that they were not really in the know about the development of the plot but were given instructions each day on what they might do on the set. For many, this kind of improvisation is impressive. For those with more traditional expectations, even conventional, this kind of filmmaking seems extraordinarily meandering, sometimes puzzling, maybe even inconclusive. But, for those who are impressed by this, The Knight of Cups seems to be another Malik masterpiece.

At the opening, there are quotations from Bunyan’s Pilgrims Progress, with the voice of John Gielgud, and then a reference to a fable where a father lets his son go to search for meaning but fails. Throughout the film, there is voice-over from Ben Kingsley.

The film is set, of all places, in Los Angeles, in Hollywood, not an expected Malik setting. His character, Rick, played by Christian Bale, is a writer, not one who is struggling (and that is one of the main points) but who has achieved a great deal, is accepted, moves comfortably through Hollywood society, lavish parties, discussions with agents and a range of LA types. And that is what we see and hear him doing. The fact is that, while he has been successful, it has not been enough. He wants more because there seems to be a void in his life, even in the centre of his character.

While he meanders, he experiences a great number of flashbacks, through which he tries to explain himself to himself – as does Malik try to explain him to the audience. One of the principal areas of flashback is to his father, a hard man, who has treated his sons harshly but also seems to want to be forgiven. He is played strongly by Brian Dennehy. His son who is a failure, played by Wes Bentley, has a great number of encounters with Rick, but it is hard to tell what are the outcomes.

At a party, where many celebrities can be glimpsed if you are alert, with celebrities like Ryan O’ Neal, there are discussions with an eager producer, played by Antonio Banderas.

And then there are the women (three Australian actresses being prominent among them). The most interesting and significant is his former wife, played by Cate Blanchett, a doctor with social concerns, seen working with disfigured people, and trying to have straightforward conversations with Rick. Then there is a married woman, pregnant, played by Natalie Portman, a sympathetic woman. Sympathetic can also be used to describe the stripper (Teresa Palmer) whom he encounters in a club but tries to open his eyes beyond himself. This is the case with some of the other women, including Isabel Lucas, and his visit to Japan to a Buddhist Centre. Malik has focused on Christian, even Catholic, themes and this is the case, late in the film, where Rick goes to consult a priest, played by Armin Mueller- Stahl.

But Rick spends a lot of time on his own, wandering, walking meditatively along the beach (and there are quite a number of water sequences and symbols in the film).

Now whether audiences want to spend all this time with Rick depends on their response to Malik and his filmmaking. Expectation should be that there will not really be any or many solutions, but rather, explorations.

1. The career of Terence Malick, audience expectations? The narrative/exploration? Visual beauty, poet? Nature, the human? The inner void and desires? Achievement and wanting more? Transcendence? The family and the cosmos in Tree of Life? Going beyond in To the Wonder?

2. The title, the stories? The differing narratives, Pilgrim’s Progress and the Slough of Despair (enjoying the Gielgud narration)? The King and his son, the search for the Pearl, forgetting the quest? The Los Angeles settings, Hollywood, Santa Monica, screenwriting? The contrast with Japan and the Buddhist Centre? The church, the priest and his advice? The flashbacks? Forgiveness and grace? The boy?

3. The photography, beauty, life in Hollywood, the parties, the agents? The scenes of nature, the range? The emphasis on water? Swimming, the sea, the dog in the water? The musical score?

4. Rick as the focus, Christian Bale’s presence, performance, age, experience, success, every material wish fulfilled? The opportunities, the invitations, parties and society? The business world? Writing? Mixing with the people, enjoying the company, wandering?

5. The opening, nature, the narrative, the return to nature? Sea, desert, the effect?

6. Los Angeles, the open vistas, the skyscrapers, interiors and lavish buildings? American world achievement?

7. Rick, the memories of his father, the flashbacks, the treatment of his brother, the dead brother? The father, old, severe, his pride? His mother? Scenes of forgiveness, prayer?

8. Rick’s brother, as a person, with Rick, the sharing, joys, angers, memories of the father?

9. The range of women in Rick’s life? Beautiful, glamorous women? Passions? The sequences with his wife, conversations, seeing her more clearly, the walk, the talking, the past, her work in the hospital, the care of the deformed men? Leaving, loving Rick, her later reappearance?

10. Natalie Portman, the attraction, sharing, love, the pregnancy, the consequences?

11. The stripper, the club, cheerful, with Rick? Questioning him, her vitality? The other glamorous women, all sharing?

12. Tonio, the agent, the, his talk, the background, the range of guests, actor’s interest?

13. Japan, the commitment, the explanation about the Ministry, the Buddhist vision?

14. Rick going to the church, priest, his vestments, his comments about forgiveness and grace? The role of the church?

15. The future for Rick, on the road – material expectations gained? His void? The language and the symbols of transcendence?