Last night I watched THE KILLING OF JOHN LENNON. It might've been the most harrowing movie I've seen in a while. Chapman is portrayed as a total nut bag. The style in which the film was shot just added to the chill factor. I am so affected by this movie it is insane. I missed the first forty minutes though, which kinda stunk. Chapman at one point says "I was nobody until I killed the biggest somebody on earth" Now, if that doesn't make you shudder.... What will? What made the movie so chilling was the fact that it was shot in the style of a documentary. At times, I found myself wondering if the film indeed was a documentary. "Chapman" narrates throughout the film, giving the viewer a feeling of being inside this mans actual mind. His voice is monotone and eerie. His obsession with the book THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, is a key component to Chapman's motive. He was obsessed with the story's protagonist HOLDEN CAULFIELD, so obsessed that at certain times, he would refer to himself as HOLDEN (freaky, I know). Chapman resented Lennon for his "phoniness" as well. The film is a direct re-enactment of Chapman's account of the weeks leading up to the murder and following the murder, using court documents, Chapman's confession and police accounts. Visually, the film takes you to all the places in New York that he visited. The scenes in front of THE DAKOTA building freaked me out, along with the hotel room scenes. The part that got the most was the fact that just hours before the killing, Chapman got Lennon to autograph his copy of Lennon's new album DOUBLE FANTASY outside of his building. WHOA.
I don't want to give it all away, but I will say this, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is one of my most favorite books in the whole wide world. Today I have a very strange feeling towards the book. Hopefully, I can get over it soon. Of all books!!! If you want to really learn about Lennon's murder and learn about his killer, I highly recommend this film. As disturbing as it is, it is very informative and gripping.
Of course there are other theories surrounding Lennon's death. There have been for 30 years, this is nothing new. Some believe Chapman was "put up to it", but you already knew that.
It's a shame that LENNON is gone. I love his work. He was so talented. I feel pain for his sons and his widow. At the end of the day, their father/husband was murdered in cold blood. How does anyone go on living after witnessing such a terrible thing? The world might've lost an iconic figure and artist, but his family lost their nucleus.
Chapman was sentenced 20 years to life and has since been denied parole 6 times.
1 comment:
Hi Rachel,
Your blog raises a serious issue: To what extent can the self-textual, bildungsroman novel, like Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, influence its readers?
Post a Comment