It is not the supernatural that gets under my skin. Rather, it is the sight of real violence that can be incited. Senseless hate stemming from a severely skewed moral code that facilitates unreasonably horrific consequences is terrifying. But when the perpetrator needs to hide the witnesses, what lengths can they go to? On the flip side of this, Saulnier also tries to answer the question of the mental endurance of the victims: just how much can you go through to get out?
Although my perspective thus far paints a bloody picture of the film, the true goriness never feels gratuitous, and it never reaches the point of exploitation. In fact, the bouts of violence are never extended beyond need, which can feel shorter than what a typical audience is used to: it is quick, unflinching bursts that are equally swiftly moved on from. It serves its purpose as a reminder of the capacity of the attackers, the hatred embedded in the white power movement that cloaks the almost ‘granted’ brutalism. That is not to say that violence is the skinheads’ only defining characterstic in Green Room, they are also intelligent and consistently solution-oriented. Patrick Stewart, my Professor X, is especially chilling: a master of conversation control and conniving, which supplements his ferocity, although the latter is not quite explicitly visible from the get-go.
For the group of protagonists, the band members that accept playing at this venue run by Stewart in the first place, we are given a short time to get acquainted with their dynamic. A cliche way to put it, but not only does the physical damage look spectacularly real, everything the characters do also feels real: their dialogue, their behaviour, their planning under insane amounts of stress. The incident that forces the halting of their initial infantile and cocky demeanor takes place in a green room (duh!) where the majority of the events for the remainder of the film occur, creating a sense of claustrophobia for the band and the viewers, that is maintained.
My one true love of the many things to love about this movie, is how the audience was not treated as unintelligent; the events are never interrupted by the politics of the white-power skinheads (we know they are bad), the discovery of drugs and money are never used as an anchor or expanded upon, the actual crime that starts the downward spiral is never broken down for easier digestion (eg: through an overexplanatory flashback sequence). The main aim for the band is to get out, the urgency of which is never lost on us or the characters. Hand-in-hand goes the lack of expository dialogue, which immersed me into the severely messed up niche of this world almost instantly.
What is also interesting is that the line between the bad guys and the ‘just-trying-to-survive’ guys is not quite as shallow. Enter Amber and Gabe: their thought process and, from what we can tell, way of life, is steeped in hate. But what separates Amber from the group she associates with is circumstance, specifically the division of the green room from the rest of the venue, and the fact that she now stands inside it with the rest of the band. Gabe’s ultimate freedom from the clutches comes at the very end of the movie, a breakaway from what he now seems to realize was senseless. All of the characters are given the beautiful chance to be malleable.
As I end off, it is important to briefly expand on my last point and remember that there are no bad guys vs. good guys here. The band is simply trying to make it out. Yes, this desperation was very significant to me because it stands out.
And with the ending credits, Green Room was the longest time I have held my breath for.
Share your thoughts!
Be the first to start the conversation.