Seneca (2023) (original) (raw)
Synopsis
Rome in 65 AD, Emperor Nero's tyrannical regime has reached its zenith, Nero's self-indulgence and excessiveness brings up the opposition against him, conspiracies threaten his power. By all means Nero tries to defend his despotic claim of sovereignty. The famous philosopher Seneca has been Nero's teacher, mentor and close advisor since childhood, he is significantly involved in his ascent. Nevertheless, Nero gets weary of Seneca and Nero uses a foiled attack on his life to falsely accuse Seneca of being an accomplice.
Cast
Popular reviews
i saw this at the berlin film festival and illegally recorded the whole thing for my dad cuz they stole material from his book
ENGLISH below
Kurzer Abstecher zu "Die Rückkehr des Königs".
Als "Die Rückkehr des Königs" auf die Zielgerade einbog, saß ich mit einem riesigen Taschentuch da, als am Ende die langen Abschiede begannen. Frodo verabschiedet sich von Sam, und ich schluchzte in mein Taschentuch. Dann kam der Moment, als Aragorn und Arwen sich trennten, und ich fragte mich, ob mein Taschentuch überhaupt groß genug sein wird. Und als Gandalf schließlich auf dem Schiff verschwand, fühlte ich mich wie ein Schiffbrüchiger in einem Meer von Tränen. Am Ende der ganzen emotionalen Achterbahnfahrt dachte ich nur: "Mist, ich sollte Aktien von Taschentuchfirmen kaufen!"
Warum der Ausflug zu Herr der Ringe? Nun, in diesem Film nehmen wir auch Abschied - laaaange Abschied - von…
This is such a cursed film that half of the people in the screening walked out and two people fainted
Seneca - On the Creation of Earthquakes doesn’t call Nero Emperor, but President. Robert Schwentke, textbook definition of Hollywood hack as he may be, delicately crafts one of Berlinale’s most unbelievable premieres. Brimming with a hellish Pier Paolo Pasolini meets Jesus Christ Super Star aesthetic, the John Malkovich lead ‘talkie’ macro engineers a hilarious practical joke didactically poised to leave the spectator urging for the death of both the film and Seneca. Inasmuch gesturing it’s audience with its endless monologues, unyielding philosophies and tired, skeletal Donald Trump tear down, Schwentke, hyper aware of both modern filmmaking trends (rejecting them) and easily referential ideologies, (embracing them) crafts a film desperate for negative discourse as an apropos to modern filmmaking trends. Seneca - On the Creation of Earthquakes (less a film than it is an exercise) is worthy of conversations as long as Seneca’s own monologues, however, likely won’t receive them as it buckles under the weight of its own exhaustion.
Berlinale
Left the theater to keep my duolingo streak.
Ps. Yikes.
This film was basically John Malkovich playing Shakespeare in the middle of a stoner comedy.
Got last minute tickets with absolutely no context on what this film was about.
It was comedic and experimental. It took a Liberal approach to the term 'historical drama' yet made some impactful parralels between ancient Rome and *insert current year here*. The format was unique and enjoyed the range of acting talent and notoriety. Enjoyable to watch with friends as long as trigger warnings are provided.
Anstrengend aber irgendwie auch fesselnd.
Shakespeare did not know the Greek tragedians directly; but he did know the work of Seneca, and he has one tragedy in particular with all its gory bloodletting that could be called Senecan, Titus Andronicus, which include a gruesome Thyestean Banquet of feeding an enemy their own children - so called for Thyestes, a character from Greek mythology who was the subject of one of Seneca’s most famous plays.
My point in this preamble is that this movie feels quite close spiritually to Julie Taymor’s Titus; rooted in theatrical tradition where costumes and sets mix and match period designs and suggest contemporary political relevances to ancient works, but as films shot in dramatic ancient locations or sets, and with a…
when the guy told Seneca to shut up... felt that
this is my nightmare blunt rotation
content warning: wrists being cut open for minutes on end, horrible racist violence, mansplaining for hours and hours and hours, generally bad in every possible way, hated it to my core
Story by Festiville