Meet Joe Black Movie Review
Movie Name : Meet Joe Black
Year : 1998
Genre : Romance/Fantasy
Runtime : 2h 58m
Release date: 2 November 1998 (USA)
Director: Martin Brest
Cast : Brad Pitt as Death / Joe Black / Young Man In Coffee Shop, Anthony Hopkins as Bill Parrish, Claire Forlani as Susan Parrish, Jake Weber as Drew, Marcia Gay Harden as Allison Parrish, Jeffrey Tambor as Quince, Allison Parrish’s Husband, David S. Howard as Eddie Sloane, Lois Kelly Miller as Jamaican Woman, Marylouise Burke as Lillian, June Squibb as Helen
Adapted from: Death Takes a Holiday
Music by: Thomas Newman
Meet Joe Black Movie Review : ‘Meet Joe Black’ is not a regular movie that you ‘get it’ the moment you watch it. It keeps on evolving on its own. You watch it at every age of your life and each time you realize something that you have been ignoring the past times.
When you are a teenager, you keep fighting against ‘Death’, subconsciously. You have your own debate to present in front of him. It is normal. He is too early, in reference to the full span of time that has been gifted to mankind. When you are middle-aged, you are sowing and as well as reaping your dreams, you don’t want him to disturb you. Because you have responsibilities and loved ones to look after. But as you age, you surrender yourself to it but keeping your head up.
You keep on asking yourself a question, “Am I going to die?”
The answer is yes.
From there starts the tale of an old man who was a powerful influence in the society but deep inside, his dark fear of death was released. He was unaware of it himself in the beginning. He can hear him, his voice, saying ‘Yes’ but couldn’t manage to identify the question. As times goes, he gets a chest pain when the voice proves him that it is not just a voice. He has control over him.
On the other end, Susan meets someone. It is fate. Her fate. Not ‘Fate’ dressed as that beautiful golden haired, blue eyed man in the cafe. She lets herself open to the fact that ‘lightning could strike’. He was her lightning.
But the man dies.
This shows how sudden death is. How powerful ‘Death’ is.
The co incidence is that when he comes to this world to meet Bill and on the way he finds a body of a poor man lying on the street. Just deceased. Death takes his body. He takes the form of this beautiful golden haired, blue eyed man without knowing that he was about to fall in love just before he died. DEATH KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT LOVE. Death don’t care about emotions. That what death is. He is the person standing just on the other side of the door taking your soul and returning back to his enclave. He doesn’t hear the weeping and heart thumping cries on the other side of the door that we called ‘earth’.
Now death meets Bill. (He was named Joe Black later by Bill).
Bill makes a deal.
To whoever has a confusion of how, when, why, let’s make it simple.
It is a story of ‘Death’ who falls in ‘Love’. It is like oil and water. Can and will not mix ever. But somehow he catches the feeling and he is doomed. It is against the law of the death world.
You will get it from the scene where he kisses Susan for the first time. His knees were weak, heart was beating fast and was unaware of this feeling. Remember the time when he made love to Susan for the first time? His lips were quivering.
Don’t you relate this? Didn’t you ever fell in love this hard that you feel everything and nothing at the same time but in a good way. In a way, where you want it more?
DEATH EXPERIENCES LOVE.
Someone must have a confusion with the old lady in the hospital who recognizes Death instantly. Why? Not because she is Jamaican. Because she is old. Remember how Bill heard ‘the voice’, same way when someone is old few feelings and intuitions comes and goes. ‘Obeah’ was the feeling that she felt as soon as she laid her eyes on him. Some of us have heightened sense of gut feelings within us. As you age those becomes intuitions on a spiritual level.
Why did Joe had to speak to him in her accent?
Remember when Bill heard the voice, it was exactly like his own voice and with similar accent?
Same way, to ease through her, Death speaks the language of the old lady. On second thought, whenever we think, we do it in our mother tongue or the language we are comfortable with.
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Let’s come back to Bill’s house. Whatever happens to him professionally, did you notice Death did not speak for or against him. He stood there giving Bill the chance to speak. Because it is not Death’s job. That is the job of ‘Time’ and various other emotions. (You may say different department).
The ending couldn’t be more perfect.
The death was getting comfortable in this side of the Earth, where he shouldn’t be staying long. But he was in love. The lady explains him how it was his time as well to cut short his vacation. In return, he gives what the lady wanted from him. To stop her dark pain and grant her the Eternal Sleep.
Death decides to go back and take Bill along with him.
But couldn’t break Susan’s heart. His only love. So he does something against the law of the death world. He returns back the man she met in that café.
This is how miracles happen.
This is how sometimes we come across situations that are beyond explanations.
You don’t have to believe in any of it.
Just keep your mind open.
Open to possibilities.
Open for the lightening to strike.
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Deberiais hacer muchos mas temas como esta… Muchas gracias Saludos