It
has been nine long years since 2004’s "Birth", but fear not, dear
Jonathan Glazer devotee, "Under the Skin" now has a trailer that has the same
effortlessly cryptic quality that defines his filmography. Based on the titular
novel by Michel Faber, and having premiered at the 2013 Toronto International
Film Festival, "Under the Skin" concerns a fetching alien being
(played by fetching human being Scarlett Johansson of "Home Alone 3"
renown) who drives about the Scottish countryside, picking up hitchhikers who
unwittingly will be eaten by a vast, black alien entity more void than Mac of
"Mac
and Me".
Rip-off of "Species", perhaps? Don’t count on it; at least if this trailer delivers on the tactile aural and visual schema when it finds its way to cinemas. Continuing a delightful trend of phantasmagoric trailer offerings as of late (such as the stunning trailer for the delightful retro-freak-out picture "Beyond the Black Rainbow"), "Under the Skin"’s trailer looks wonderfully bonkers (in the classy sense, think Brakhage or Frampton more than Russ Meyer), conveying striking minimalist imagery that aims for a confluence of the mythic and elemental.
All the natural elements are here and ferocious in their appearances, mainly fire and water, giving the sense of an apocalyptic cleansing for the poor denizens that will cross ScarJo's path. The most jaw-dropping shots, however, revolve around the black void, which suspends the victims mid-void, only to warp their form and swallow them whole, like a Hot Topic version of "The Blob"). It is here where Glazer’s searing minimalist vision meets his thematic obsessions. Throughout the trailer, we are shown the alien seducing helpless hitchhikers, only to be led to a black pit of nothingness. With this, Glazer shows his propensity towards yonic imagery. In "Birth"'s indelible opening long-take, we follow an errant jogger emerge from a womb-like tunnel. Yet, moments later, when he enters another symbolic tunnel, the jogger crumples up and dies – birth and death in the womb rendered effortlessly. With "Under the Skin", it appears that Glazer is once again conflating his dueling themes of sex and death, and probing at the inherent connection the topics share.
This looks like another triumph for Glazer, with a welcome bit of stunt casting to boot with Johansson, whose frequent roles as object of desire should be put to good use. Now, hopefully we won’t have to wait another nine years for a follow-up. There is no planned release date as of yet.
Pair:
Rip-off of "Species", perhaps? Don’t count on it; at least if this trailer delivers on the tactile aural and visual schema when it finds its way to cinemas. Continuing a delightful trend of phantasmagoric trailer offerings as of late (such as the stunning trailer for the delightful retro-freak-out picture "Beyond the Black Rainbow"), "Under the Skin"’s trailer looks wonderfully bonkers (in the classy sense, think Brakhage or Frampton more than Russ Meyer), conveying striking minimalist imagery that aims for a confluence of the mythic and elemental.
All the natural elements are here and ferocious in their appearances, mainly fire and water, giving the sense of an apocalyptic cleansing for the poor denizens that will cross ScarJo's path. The most jaw-dropping shots, however, revolve around the black void, which suspends the victims mid-void, only to warp their form and swallow them whole, like a Hot Topic version of "The Blob"). It is here where Glazer’s searing minimalist vision meets his thematic obsessions. Throughout the trailer, we are shown the alien seducing helpless hitchhikers, only to be led to a black pit of nothingness. With this, Glazer shows his propensity towards yonic imagery. In "Birth"'s indelible opening long-take, we follow an errant jogger emerge from a womb-like tunnel. Yet, moments later, when he enters another symbolic tunnel, the jogger crumples up and dies – birth and death in the womb rendered effortlessly. With "Under the Skin", it appears that Glazer is once again conflating his dueling themes of sex and death, and probing at the inherent connection the topics share.
This looks like another triumph for Glazer, with a welcome bit of stunt casting to boot with Johansson, whose frequent roles as object of desire should be put to good use. Now, hopefully we won’t have to wait another nine years for a follow-up. There is no planned release date as of yet.
Pair:
