Fascinating material here. It has made me wonder if Melville’s work influenced the Gothic themes of Edgar Allen Poe.
Darren Aronofsky‘s 2022 film, “The Whale“, is a cinematic interpretation of Samuel D. Hunter‘s stage play of the same name. It delves into the last days in the life of Charlie (played by Brendan Fraser), a morbidly obese English teacher living in self-inflicted isolation. After acknowledging his impending demise due to compulsive eating and self-neglect, the film follows Charlie’s final attempts to mend the broken ties with his estranged daughter, Ellie (played by Sadie Sink).
The film presents a psychological examination of human destitute, exploring themes of self-isolation, paralysis, and the pursuit of redemption. It provides a glimpse into the psyches of characters caught in a cycle of self-isolation, entrapped in their lives due to their inability to move past traumatic experiences. Rather than confronting their painful histories and working towards resolution, they retreat into their shells, resigning themselves to an existential stasis. Charlie…
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