Here’s something that supports my idea that this is a dream, and that she is projecting her past that she is trying to deal with.
My friend Molly pointed this out to me, which is great because it supports my argument that this is, for lack of a better word, a dream. All the time she spends in walking around is really only in her own head. The recurrence of vulnerable positions that she finds people in is her projection onto the people that harmed her.
I’m watching this movie for the tenth time right now, for the record (at time of editing, now eleventh, for further record). It’s a daunting challenge I gave myself (50 times, dummies!), but I’m still resolute. At my pace, it may take more than a year, maybe two or more. Fine.
Oh, and I’ve also assumed that you’ve seen this movie, or don’t mind the movie being spoiled - I have relatively few followers anyway. Fine.
In the very beginning of the movie she’s leaving Herb, who is passed out face DOWN. After awakening from her accident, she finds the dead girl and dead man lying face UP. Later, she finds the man in the green costume in a similar car crash situation, passed out on the steering wheel. Her new omelette loving friend soon falls face down (after he pisses black). In the end, she beats the man in the green suit to death, right before he transforms into her dead body… lying face UP.
I believe that lying face UP implies innocence (man and girl), and lying face DOWN implies guilt (Herb, and the rest) for having played part in her destruction. (I think the little girl is really her, btw…)
She puts the green furry guy in the car accident because she was in a car accident. (There is similar background chatter on the radio in both accidents.) I think he was the one that brained her with a pipe, since he is the one that she kills in the end. She wants him to share the same fate as her.
I’d also like to point out that she never lights her own cigarette after the accident - it’s done for her by Bud (except in her flashback with Herb). I think that’s a key moment; in the flashes, it appears that she may have been offguard at that moment…
My friend, Molly, recently chided me after watching the Oregonian with her roommate, based on my suggestion. They both hated it.
“‘Hey, Molly, this is a cool movie you would like!’” Molly said, mocking me.
“I never said you would like it,” I replied. “I said it was disturbing and I had to talk about it with someone.”
That’s why I made this blog. I want to hear feedback.
Not many people have seen this movie, and it seems few of them like it. Of the friends I’ve shown, only the weird ones (like me) are intrigued enough to enjoy the experience. Everyone else seems to complain there is no plot, no dialogue, and no resolution.
I like this movie because from a creative standpoint, Calvin Reeder boldly shows us something that ultimately we must interpret for ourselves. With its surrealistic quality and tone, the movie resembles a dream, which makes the experience all the more intimate. In fact, I believe that from the heroine’s perspective, it is her dream…
I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t like it; I’m sure those who do not have a lot of stupid reasons that are valid for them. I’m not asking anyone to like it, I just want to know what people think. Even Molly was able to point out something recurring I hadn’t noticed before, which has been very rewarding to validate my points (which I have still yet to make in this blog).
Anyway, my blog isn’t so much about whether or not this movie is good, it’s concern is whether this movie is about something; I believe it is. I’ve seen it 8 times now, but there was a very big ‘aha’ moment at the end for me even in the first viewing. To me, I believe there is a lot in this film that implies the journey all takes place in the heroine’s psyche, psychologically processing her own abuse and murder…
The Oregonian was a movie I first saw about a month ago. It was so captivating, and horrifically haunting, but also very confusing. I felt like I needed to talk about it to work it all out, but no one else had seen it yet. Finally, I showed it to a friend, and we are not on the same page about it at all.
At that viewing, it was the fourth time in four weeks. I wanted to really get it, so I thought about keeping up about once a week. I decided I would watch it 50 times.
I really hope this doesn’t spoil anything for anyone, WATCH THE MOVIE FIRST! I’m dating this at the end of 2013 (time of writing May 11th), so hopefully it will be the first post everyone reads at the top of my Tumblr, so they don’t spoil themselves.
I’m going to write abstractly, and focus a particular part or scene each time, or specific aspect of the movie each time. I’ll save the end for the end of the 50 viewings, so people have time to see the movie, perhaps piqued by things in my blog.
My aim will not be critique. I’m really not a film guy, I just love this movie. I’d love it if you loved it with me, but I don’t expect it - it’s weird. I’m weird. I don’t care if you hate it, or you disagree, I want to hear what your interpretation of it was, and you can read mine. I will try not call you stupid for your opinions, so please be respectful of mine.
I’m a comedian living in New York City, and I find such an odd and morbid satisfaction watching this stranger’s strange journey to the end of the road. I’m going to follow her. Come with me! I’ve planned a picnic by the road and -
Oh, shit…
Dunno yet. I’ll figure it out if I notice something new.
I’m trying to notice all the details, there’s a lot of small cuts and flashes that I think are significant, almost more than the actual timeline of the movie. They give me ideas, that I sort of want to analyze from different angles.
I’ll say this - trying to watch from another’s perspective is hard. I have ideas.
I’m going to post some as private, or just save them as a draft. I do have ideas… Ask me a question if you’ve seen this and have an interpretation.
Going on #6…
I fixed the post dating thing, so my original post stays at the top…
That post-dating of my introductory “tumble” didn’t work, but you probably won’t read it because both that mess and this will be buried under my incredibly insightful analyses.
Anyway, I’m about to sit in for my fifth viewing. I’m going to seriously consider my friend Alex’s opinion about the movie… I won’t explain it, it will ruin it. I feel like this blog is too new and no one has seen it yet and I’ll give it away. I’m going to give some time, because we differ on so many things.
This is more of a message about how I’m willing to see it from another side, and admit that I was unable to post-date the first post like I claimed. Maybe I’ll figure it out later…
