Friday, May 9, 2014

Crystal Fairy & The Magical Cactus - Blog #4 - Deleta Smith

Crystal Fairy & The Magical Cactus and 2012 is a movie by Chilean director Sebastian Silva starring Michael Cera, Gabby Hoffman and the directors three brothers. The movie follows five characters in Chile and their turbulent adventure to find a hallucinogenic cactus. When found, boiled and consumed, the magical substance takes them on a ride that is part friendship building and part self discovery.

The pivotal moment in the film is when the group consumes the cactus juice. Jamie (Michael Cera), known for his douche-iness, is impatient for the effects but when they hit him, they hit him hard. The scenes that follow are defined by the hallucinogenic powers of the “magic cactus.” They are pleasant, dreamy,  and hippy-evanescent. When “the boys” - as Crystal Fairy (Hoffman) lovingly calls them - strip down to their shorts and charge towards the water everything begins to slow down. This way, the audience pays attention to certain details that would have whizzed by otherwise: the foamy splash of waves, the bouncing of flesh and hair, and expressions that are typically nano-seconds in length. 

As the  long shot of the group narrows into a close up of Jamie’s face we are reminded that this trippy scene is about him and his transformation. We begin to see his self awareness take shape as he lets loose for once in his life. The artistic choice to desaturate the color in this scene strips it down bare while employing what seems to be a 3D effect that further draws the viewer in, maybe attempting to blur the lines of viewer/participant. 

The soundtrack choice for the scene was spot on; the dreamy 1967 Henry Mancini number from “Two for the Road” with the lyrics: “If you’re feeling fancy free, come wander through the world with me.” 

(SCENE begins at 1hr 12min and ends at 1hr 14min)

No comments:

Post a Comment