• ⇤
• ⇽
• ≡
• ⇾
• ⇥

movie review - The Master

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

This is a story of a psychologically damaged veteran of world war two who returns to normal life after a stint in the care of a psychiatric ward. He's in no state at all to be wandering on his own, unfortunately and gets into a number of alcoholic scrapes that among other things leaves an elderly man poisoned by one the veteran's concoctions. Passing a ship that's about to depart, the veteran hops aboard. He's eventually discovered of course but instead of being dumped at the next port he's taken in by the couple leasing the ship.

At this point the movie began to lose me. As disturbing as the veteran's sexual and chemical obsessions were in the beginning I just didn't buy who much latitude the fellow was given in what appears to be the early fifties when this chance encounter happens. The husband of the couple is depicted as a cult leader and everyone around him - save his son - is depicted as a mindless follower. These people have our veteran pegged from the outset but if anything he's encouraged.

And there's no real conclusion, I have to say. It just grinds to a halt after one lengthy, indulgent scene and then another.

Not recommended.