Warning: Spoiler in Final Paragraph
Forgive me for not feeling much other than impatience for long stretches of this film � arising primarily during the obviously over-extended periods of time that we�re presented with. I can appreciate only some of what most fans of �Gerry� have raved about � the cinematography � but the fact remains that it owes itself primarily to the beauty of the landscapes which it is photographing.
It�s true - some shots aren�t easily forgettable: the silhouetted figures of our two Gerrys pacing through the desert as the horizon blazes in the background; the running Steadicam(?) fluidly following our two Gerrys in a footrace; the wide frame showing our two Gerrys as one of them (Affleck) finally gives up and falls down to his knees; the broken down bodies of our two Gerrys lying down � defeated � as the sun slowly murders them. Since seeing �My Own Private Idaho,� I�ve known that Van Sant has always thoroughly enjoyed simply framing landscapes whenever the opportunity arises. But here he and his cinematographer (Savides) have simply gone overboard, providing us with a lot of pretty context and little actual meaning.
Of course I appreciate films that demand its viewers to think, and when a film is this devoid there are many theories that determined cinephiles can conjure. One that I�ve read claims that the film�s languorousness is simply a metaphor for the futile wanderings of everyday life � sorry; I don�t buy into that. What I do believe, however, is that the unending speechlessness between these two characters is (unintentionally) amusing simply because it appears as if these actors are constantly trying to think of something to improvise but just can�t come up with anything worthwhile.
I�d also like to point out that the film isn�t really �existential,� as many have called it, for the simple fact that these guys made the mistake of getting lost all by themselves � sure they�re isolated, but of course you�d be isolated if you�re stranded in a desert (too literal) � it makes no grand statement about a hostile/indifferent universe. These two characters seem to be simple representations of the �average-21st Century-pop culture-young men� (they certainly make for a lot of funny dialogue) and, therefore, people are supposed to identify with them � they sometimes seem to be real guys more than caricatures, which is great. However, hence �sometimes� because � when all is said and done � they remain nothing more than two enigmas. I could�ve even appreciated the final statement on �how quickly everything can slip away from you� and to �not take everyday life for granted� if I hadn�t been given the feeling that so much of what I had previously witnessed was completely pointless.
