UPDATE: Since writing this post, Refn has gone on to complete and release DRIVE, he received the 2011 Cannes Film Festival’s prize for Best Director. It’s been hugely successful with American critics & audiences alike.
I never intended to become a Nicolas Winding Refn fan. The guy’s from Denmark (for fuck’s sake). I’d never heard his name until I came across “Bronson” sometime last year. “Bronson” served as my jumping off point and you can find it on Netflix, in fact most of his filmography is available online via Netflix or Crackle.
With a random download on a lazy Sunday, I took a chance on “Bronson”, a film I’d never heard of (a rarity for anyone). Here, Refn brought me into his vision for storytelling w/o relying on digital effects, a “Now” soundtrack, large set pieces, or a clichéd obligatory romance. The performance he brought out of Tom Hardy is phenomenal. It’s a shame Hardy didn’t receive his deserved notice from the American audience.
And so from there I dove right into Refn’s “Pusher” Trilogy, again the same reaction. I walked away with a deeper understanding and respect for his work.
Interesting thing about these films: while serving time in the DVD aisles of the Best Buy stores I worked in, I would come across the “Pusher” DVDs & I could never get over the cover image. I wrote them off as low-budget slasher films, not once taking a look at the back cover (I know right?).
Anyway, flash-forward to finally having seen the films, Nicolas Winding Refn fuckin’ rocks!
The “Pusher” series is not some low-budget slasher film fest (au contraire), it takes a long hard look at the destructive nature of man and his inability to break free. And looking back on it now, I could say the three films are an exercise in modern Film Noir… hold on! Let me backtrack and lose the Film Noir label, this is the field that Refn likes to play in, this be Refn’s Playground.
I had the opportunity to watch “Valhalla Rising” today, his latest, starring Mads Mikkelsen as a one-eyed viking named… One-Eye. It’s a period piece filmed against nature’s stark beauty but there’s no question it’s the work of Refn, his visual & tonal stamp is all over the film. It was “Valhalla Rising” that spurred the writing of this post, because I’m six films in and I’m a fan. And while I like (can I love?) Refn’s vision, it’s not for everyone. His is an unapologetic look at the world, washed clean of glitz and glamour.
My hope is somehow you come across this article and decide to take a chance on this guy from Copenhagen, it’s time Nicolas Winding Refn gets his just desserts. But then again, what Auteur has ever gotten the mass recognition they deserve? In their lifetime at least.
