I don't think Revolution deserved to be panned as much as it was. The production values are excellent. The costumes look authentic, the colors are muted, and the atmosphere looks like the movie was really filmed hundreds of years ago. In the opening scene, which shows the Boston Tea Party, you can actually feel the misty fog in the air. There's a crowd scene in town that also captures the dreary mood: little bits of ash blow into the frame and stick to the characters' clothes; a detail like that wouldn't have been expected by the audience, but it helps transport them into the crisis of the film.
The story isn't bad, either. Al Pacino's son, Dexter Fletcher, makes a child's mistake and enlists in the army so they can have some money. When the army refuses to make the error right, Al has to enlist to keep a close watch over his son. Meanwhile, Nastassjaa Kinski breaks out of her repressive household, headed by Joan Plowright and Dave King, who are sympathetic to the British side of the war. She comes across a wounded Al and forms a deep connection to him as a symbolic soldier in the grand revolutionary cause. Why weren't audiences moved by the dramatic storyline and visual splendor?
I don't know, and the good news is that thanks to the Revolutionary War, we live in a free country. Everyone can decide for himself whether or not he likes Revolution. For my money, it's pretty good.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie is not your friend. Almost the entire movie is filmed with a handheld camera, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
The story isn't bad, either. Al Pacino's son, Dexter Fletcher, makes a child's mistake and enlists in the army so they can have some money. When the army refuses to make the error right, Al has to enlist to keep a close watch over his son. Meanwhile, Nastassjaa Kinski breaks out of her repressive household, headed by Joan Plowright and Dave King, who are sympathetic to the British side of the war. She comes across a wounded Al and forms a deep connection to him as a symbolic soldier in the grand revolutionary cause. Why weren't audiences moved by the dramatic storyline and visual splendor?
I don't know, and the good news is that thanks to the Revolutionary War, we live in a free country. Everyone can decide for himself whether or not he likes Revolution. For my money, it's pretty good.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie is not your friend. Almost the entire movie is filmed with a handheld camera, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"