Viewers have some conflicting opinions on Tarnation and I can perfectly see why. Personally, I found the film fascinating not because I thought it was an intimate portrayal of the director, or a revolution in storytelling technique, or a narcissistic piece of garbage, but because I got to watch these people in the movie actually age without no makeup effects involved. How often do you see people actually physically age twenty years over the course of ninety minutes or so? It's an interesting thing to experience.
As far as the director goes, I do admire what he's done but I also feel that he did exploit his mother and his family with this film... The truth is, though, I don't know these people and there was no physical harm done to anyone involved. Regardless of how I feel, that's John's personal life and I have no attachment to that other than what I see on screen, so it's no different to me than the media exploiting people the way they do everyday.
As for the blatant narcissism, which has been the target of most people's criticism, I knew I was in for that after the first five minutes and kept watching anyway. I honestly found it intriguing that this guy was willing to put himself out like that, but also disturbing at the same time. From an objective viewpoint, though, Tarnation is an interesting character study in how far narcissism can go and how much a viewer can take feeling so alienated from the protagonist...
Some may not agree that it is a good movie, but it is something. Experimental film has never really made it into the mainstream and I think Tarnation is the closest it will ever get. I personally can't stand the narcissism of non-narrative, experimental filmmakers, but this movie was something that could hold my attention from beginning to end, over the course of twenty years...
As far as the director goes, I do admire what he's done but I also feel that he did exploit his mother and his family with this film... The truth is, though, I don't know these people and there was no physical harm done to anyone involved. Regardless of how I feel, that's John's personal life and I have no attachment to that other than what I see on screen, so it's no different to me than the media exploiting people the way they do everyday.
As for the blatant narcissism, which has been the target of most people's criticism, I knew I was in for that after the first five minutes and kept watching anyway. I honestly found it intriguing that this guy was willing to put himself out like that, but also disturbing at the same time. From an objective viewpoint, though, Tarnation is an interesting character study in how far narcissism can go and how much a viewer can take feeling so alienated from the protagonist...
Some may not agree that it is a good movie, but it is something. Experimental film has never really made it into the mainstream and I think Tarnation is the closest it will ever get. I personally can't stand the narcissism of non-narrative, experimental filmmakers, but this movie was something that could hold my attention from beginning to end, over the course of twenty years...