Beautiful examination. Thank you!

@frjacobsuico

2 жыл бұрын

Sir Michael Sarnoski, thank you for bringing us this beautiful film! It was such a unique experience.

@jamesnash1698

2 жыл бұрын

Dude, you made my favorite film of last year! I cannot wait to see what you'll make next.

@liloa03

2 жыл бұрын

i’ve been wanting to watch pig since i saw the trailer but never felt it was the right time, tonight was. my mind is completely and utterly blown i cannot believe this is your directorial debut and although films like these never get the justice they deserve in awards season with all the mediocrity of the past years cinema (in my opinion) i am in disbelief that pig didn’t get more wider recognition even as a smaller film. i guess that’s hollywood and the politics of press tours and optics for you. i am eagerly awaiting what you decide to do next, and i’m hoping it stays true to what you want and not what will get hollywood to decide they want to pay closer attention.

@lotuscat3173

2 жыл бұрын

@@liloa03 hold up, this was his first movie?

@Laizerdisk

2 жыл бұрын

Hey Michael! Loved the movie, really do think it's a brilliant deconstruction of the revenge genre with a tremendous amount of empathy behind it. I was very surprised by how the story unfolded and how each character was treated as human, something you really don't see in revenge movies. Can't wait to see what you do next! (although as a born and raised Seattleite I do object to the slight against our city!)

Cage brings more value to cinema than most people give him credit for.

@eyedilfilms

2 жыл бұрын

I second that

@sunriseparrabellum5505

2 жыл бұрын

a lot of people forget he’s an oscar winning actor and he deserves that award

@ComfortableTool86

2 жыл бұрын

big agree. his hilariously crazy performances get more attention than his great performances. Raising Arizona and Adaptation are two of my favourites.

@TxxT33

2 жыл бұрын

Probably because he doesn't do it consistently. He did some astonishingly bad movies

@willissudweeks1050

2 жыл бұрын

@@TxxT33 A lot of actors that people think are great have to though. Like Robert De Niro. I think that Nicholas Cage is hilarious and awesome at the same time.

I've seen Pig twice and I find the subversive nature of the film so refreshing. I love that instead of using violence, his power to captivate us and sway his enemies comes from his vulnerability, a disconnection from the superficial world & an understanding of people.

@LuisSierra42

2 жыл бұрын

I was completely fooled by this movie, initially dismissed it as another John Wick rip off but when i watched it, it was one of the best movies of last year

@davidl6332

Жыл бұрын

why do you mean with "violence"? why you should use that?... this is so normal in every other countries

I loved the bait and switch of marketing Pig like John Wick. In the end it's more like Chef, but much more emotionally powerful!

How this movie reveals the power of expectation was the key take-away for me. Until the last scene I expected him to snap and go berserk. Just because this is the behavior pattern we learned to see as heroic. The new doors this movie opens makes it a true masterpiece in my eyes.

My favorite riff on the Orpheus myth is Salman Rushdie’s novel The Ground Beneath Her Feet. It’s an astounding book.

@ThomasFlight

2 жыл бұрын

Putting it on the list!

@peterburton8991

2 жыл бұрын

Mine is Portrait of a Lady on Fire

I watched "Pig" after the first few minutes of this video because it sounded really interesting and I am so glad I did. It is a beautiful movie that I deeply resonated with. Ofcourse I came back to watch this video to the end and it's also great, as always. Thank you for this whole experience Thomas.

@ThomasFlight

2 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad you did!

@aimilios439

2 жыл бұрын

I watched it right when I saw the title of this video. I didn't even know it existed... That's how I like watching movies, only knowing that they are interesting in some way, nothing more. And I'm glad I watched this movie and video.

@TheDrMike25

2 жыл бұрын

I did the exact same thing, paused this video as soon as Thomas talked about spoillers and came back after! God, what a movie! What an amazing movie!

@wiredweird

2 жыл бұрын

i had the same exact experience. one of my favorite movies ever now

Pig is literally if you put all your points into Speech and Charisma

@quasarulas3968

2 ай бұрын

Literally thinking the same thing lol that player who just speech checks his way through the entire game

nic cage is such a fascinating actor

This was a phenomenal movie and yet another proof of Nic Cage as one of the greatest actors working today.

@richardcheese4680

2 жыл бұрын

He‘s very hit or miss but when he hits he hits hard.

@cyberpokey

2 жыл бұрын

@@richardcheese4680 True but even with those misses u gotta admire his approach/commitment 😅... compare for example with Bruce Willis. Can't remember seeing him give a sh*t in any of his recent movies 🤦‍♂️

@richardcheese4680

2 жыл бұрын

cyberpokey his style is definitely quite unique and I appreciate him for it. When he goes ape I go happy.

@JaydevRaol

2 жыл бұрын

@@cyberpokey Agree

@gasterblaster9817

2 жыл бұрын

@@richardcheese4680 The thing with Cage is that for a good while, he had no ability to choose what films he acted in - he was legally obligated to take any part sent his way due to some incredibly poor financial discissions. This led to his reputation becoming what it is. Now that his debts are cleared, Nic seems to be fairly consistently taking roles in more "niche" films like A Color Out of Space or Pig, where he really shines

idk if you remember hanging out with me on the Portland waterfront all those years ago, but when the algorithm told me to watch your video essay on the green knight and your face popped up, I was absolutely thrilled. not only to know who you are, but because I genuinely appreciate your takes. this video, like all the other's I've watched, is wonderful. Thank you for them, and congrats on the continual success! sincerely, that dude who jumped in a water fountain while wearing an American flag tank top you took a picture of that one time.

@ThomasFlight

2 жыл бұрын

Hey Kevin! I absolutely remember. Feels like ages ago, haha. Hope you're doing well. Glad the algorithm brought us back together. :D

excellent video - pig was my favorite movie of 2021, i was completely blown away by the story and performances. but my showing was filled with teenage boys expecting another Taken movie

Pig is the non-violence answer to John Wick

The scene where Darius tells Robin what happened to his pig and Nicolas breaks down and cry, that scene choked me up.

@jeanvolante7376

5 ай бұрын

I cried.

How is Taken not mentioned heavily? It's the primordial origin for the current spat of these movies. Normal-guy-oh-wait-super-assassin loses beloved plot device and goes on jarringly violent adventure to reclaim beloved plot device

@heisenbergbad5375

2 жыл бұрын

And Death Wish did it before, revenge narrative aren't new.

@johntom5562

Жыл бұрын

@@heisenbergbad5375 dont forget A History of Violence

Watching Pig on opening night was a such serendipitous event for me. I was visiting my sister out of state last summer and saw the trailer for this movie on instagram. We totally thought it was going to be a John Wick style crazy revenge flick, and what we got was one of the most amazing movies I've ever watched. As soon as I was back home I took another friend to go see it and watching it a second time was also amazing in how I appreciated it.

This was beautiful. PIG was by far the best film I have seen in a while & it was wonderfully expressed in this video essay. Thank you.

The "Pig Keeper" is an ancient tale. The Welsh kept it in style, mostly. Lloyd Anderson wrote a Fantasy series "The Black Cauldron" where an Assistant Pig Keeper goes on his quest, battling the Dark Lord and his minions.

This exactly mirrors my experience with this film. Some friends and I put it on because we expected it to be like John Wick or Mandy, fully prepared for some mountain man Cage action. Yet as it progressed and we each realized that violence wasn't coming, it held me spellbound until that final shot of him glancing at the pig's bed...

This might be the first time I stop a video to go and watch the film being talked about so it isn't spoiled. I'll be back later!

I was watching Pig soon after release and expecting the film to turn into a sudden guns blazing carnage-fest at any moment, but was pleasantly surprised. The expectation made for terrific suspense. Highly Recommended!

@LuisSierra42

2 жыл бұрын

I was expecting an epic battle between Nick and the bad guy at the end but when he started cooking for him instead i could not stop laughing my ass off, because of the pleasant surprise

@sejembalm

2 жыл бұрын

@@LuisSierra42 Exactly!

This movie rivals "The Room" for what appears to be unintentional comedy. I was blown away by how absurd it is, the deadly seriousness is what makes it funny. Nick Cage looks like a bum and never washes the blood off his head from the beating he takes in the opening; the over-the-top wank spewed by the server in the restaurant talking up tiny portions of overpriced ridiculous "cuisine"; the unnecessarily long pauses in the bakery talking about a salted baguette. Literally 30 seconds of silence, giving drama and tremendous import to a man ordering a loaf of bread. And the restaurant worker fight club. Genius! 10/10 Oh ... and Cage's former sous chef who runs a successful restaurant fleecing hipster suckers with obscenely overpriced nonsensical locally sourced organic free range concoctions bursting into tears because his dream was to serve scotch eggs in a pub. ROTFLOL.

In movies the loss of an animal cuts deeper into me because of their innocence and their unconditional love they gift us. Loss of those who are human is to hard for me to confront and i have only truly grieved once that nearly drove me to madness and because of that experience i don’t think i will ever truly grieve again apart for one,the one person who has had my heart for over thirty years,my wife and it’s with no selfishness i hope and pray she out lives me because she should be rewarded a lot more life than i deserve

among the many trash Cage stars in he also finds himself in movies like this time to time and honestly i can see him fully embrace it and once again regaining the respect of an oscar winning actor

LOVE the quiet heartfelt moments🙌

Among all others video-essay channels I think your style of narration really stands out. Thank you for videos, hope you're doing great, dude!

This video essay has been the best demonstration and explanation of existential nihilism, and really focuses on the most important concept of life, that we get to choose what has meaning. I've already watched it 3 times, will probably come back to it any time I need a reminder. Great work!

Pig feels like the beautiful love child of John Wick and First cow

A History of Violence starring Viggo Mortensen is my favorite version of this revenge/regular guy with a past kind of narrative. I don't think it's allegory for Greek mythology like the subjects of this video, though. It's just a great story.

@bigpep7987

2 жыл бұрын

That movie was so awesome. The violence in that film is almost anti-cinematic; it's super quick, realistic and brutal with 0 glorification. Easily one of the best and most sobering portrayals of violence I've seen in a movie.

@peliculafanatic5701

2 жыл бұрын

Fun fact it's an adaptation of a DC comic of the same name

@knedy

2 жыл бұрын

@@skeletalsounds_ If you haven't seen his son Brandon Cronenberg's film Possessor I highly recommend it.

@LuisSierra42

2 жыл бұрын

It's an amazing movie

First video I've seen of yours. Pig is one of my favorite movies I've ever seen, but I was more drawn to how great and efficient your script and editing are. squeezing the analysis of Orpheus and Eurydice between the dialogue in the diner scene was really engaging and fairly impressive

That line really stuck with me "we don't get a lot of things to really care about" and the implication that we should take care when choosing what to care about.

Watched pig and then John wick back to back on a plane a month or so ago, did not realize it was actually the perfect 2 movies to watch together

Nic Cage is great in Pig. I can't imagine anyone playing this central part better. Actors deserve to be judged on their best work. Therefore, Nic Cage is great.

Pig was like a diplomatic John Wick, loved it so much

What a beautiful piece. I’m so moved by it. Thank you.

i just saw a random youtube suggestion video of this page and was instantly pulled in. 2nd video is this video, saw the spoiler warning and stopped the video and watched pig. a real underrated hidden gem. instantly subscribed. very much excited to watch the other videos of this page!!

Excellent work, Thomas!

Thank you so much for your videos, as a filmmaker and a fan, your videos really mean a lot. They just, have so much love and care. I feel like you "get me" with each upload.

This was beautiful. I forgot how poetic Pig really is. Thank you for this thoughtful examination!

thomas! you're a great critic. I love hearing what you think about all these great movies. Keep it up.

Thank you for your brilliant way of sharing your knowledge. Mille Grazie

Brilliant synopsis. Havent seen it yet. I love films like this, the intensity inherent in spare and meaningful words interspersed with long moments of contemplative silence.

13:20 - I think that I personally needed to hear these words. So thank you for this. Also great video. PIG is a great movie.

Thanks you. This is a great review and breakdown. I also really appreciate the more authentic tone and pacing you employ here. This is such an interesting and important film, with an intimately unique tension build towards the emotional release that actually does something truly original and subversive, not just continuing with an effective but all too predictable & void of real meaning outcome that many others repeat over and over. I hope to see more of these dark dramatic-horror adjacent films that apply the genre toward more grounded realism and character driven authentic settings. Showing how great and rewarding it can be to layer these thematic elements and tropes around real world occupations, settings & personalities instead of the typical government spy, ex-soldier/mercenary, gangster, larger than life hero etc.

You’re amazing at this, thank you!

Great video but I've got one slight disagreement with this, I disagree with John wick message being going back to the underworld was good or John learning that violence solves his problems, becuse the underworld was not a good place for John and it remains a bad place for him in the sequels, he isn't happy in the underworld he just tries to survive and live. John wick's main message is that actions have consequences, everything someone does will eventually come to stab them when they aren't expecting it and that john was foolish becuse he thought he could escape all the horrible things he has done, even in the sequels he continues on looking for his way out once again but there is no way out just a way to survive a little longer

@boianko

2 жыл бұрын

Yet at the end of it he does go back to this life. He's going around killing people in all the sequels. And it's not really presented as a downwards spiral.

@maxtenu

2 жыл бұрын

@@boianko He's drawn back into his old life, but so far it's absolutely been framed as a downwards spiral. The second movie plays with the idea of him going back to "business as usual" contract killing, and then denies it entirely - leading to him being betrayed and cast out from the assassin network entirely. The third shows how his attempts to regain entry into their society results in him both further cutting himself off from the peaceful life he tried to live, and being even further betrayed and hurt by the few people he trusted.

@motherplayer

2 жыл бұрын

@@maxtenu I particularly like how "John Wick: Chapter 2" gives an entirely inverse perspective on things now. We rooted for John the first time because he was a man on a mission getting back against some punk who did all this for a damn car. The next time, Winston's words come back to haunt John and the events of what came next were entirely on his own doing because he choose to do what he did, and we now see a man not out on a mission, but a reluctant party that takes absolutely no joy in having to do what he is doing.

@kermanbizzlebop8895

2 жыл бұрын

@@boianko ok bro you deadass either are trolling or haven't actually watched the films literally the 2nd fucking film is all about how the stupid shit he did in the first is coming back to haunt him, he's literally FORCED to start killing again, than is betrayed, then at the end he does something EVEN STUPIDER that makes him LITERALLY the most wanted man in the world in the third film where he's getting chased around and makes sacrafice after sacrafice only to be fucking shot off a roof by the men he thought he could trust the most. NOW he's about to do something extra stupid instead of laying low and letting people think he's dead he's gonna help the pauper King out of petty revenge, the same thing that got him INTO THIS MESS. the entire damn series is literally "shit gets even worse: the franchise" he doesn't "go back to it" we actively see the consequences of every stupid thing he does. you gotta be trolling bro

I remember when I decided to watch Pig. I saw a john wick ripoff with Cage and thought "Man this is going to be BONKERS!"... by the end I was moved and amazed. I consider it to be Cage's best film.

Good work on the video. I decided to watch the movie after seeing the thumbnail for this video. You did a great job of retaining the emotion the movie had. You also convinced me to read some Greek mythology

This is by far the best video essay channel on KZread right now. 2 years ago I would have said it was Nerdwriter but you have taken the cake. Go make a movie

Kill Bill nails the revenge story. An assassin leaving her old life behind for love and normalcy, only to be attacked by previous associates.

haven't seen either of these movies yet (I know, I know) but I'm letting it play in the background because I think you're one of the best film youtubers on the website and I want to support your content. keep it up man

Every now and then Cage pulls a good one out of his hat.

I thought this would be like John Wick, but man, this was such a sad yet heartwarming movie.

very insightful. thank you for the amazing interpretation of the film.

Damn, I didn't even recognize Cage in the thumbnail for a hot second there.

Wow, you nailed it. Great job!

History of Violence is also a great revenge flick

Cage's melancholy about things reminds me of Lacan's phrase about the underground man. "Those who are not duped are lost." It lends credence to the massive artificiality of culture and like a dance, you have to accept it to do it well and in step with others, you have to accept it as true or you can't dance. It fits perfectly with Cage's outlook, he is outside the game unlike the young man who drives him around, he's not fooled so it doesn't affect him.

One of my favorite films of the year. Brilliant performance by Mr Cage.

Thanks so much Thomas , this is an awesome look at the similarities and differences.

this movie has a special place in my heart. I like your in-depth view it made me appreciate these movies more.

Pig was definitely one of the best films of last year. Great essay Thomas!

I am really glad I came to have access to your words. I really enjoy the content You make, and how You make it.

I cried during this movie, and I cried during this analysis. One of the best films ever made. Great video.

NO SPOILER WARNING FOR ORPHEUS AND EURIDICE?!? ;-)

I had Zero expectations for PIG and knew almost nothing. I loved the movie by the time I walk out of the theater.

Thanks for the great video essay. After I finished the movie, I somehow think that Rob will return to society, moving on with his life while finding new things to love and care but this time he will know that those will be gone eventually. he won't be obsessed but truly love each moments and companies.

I’m glad you did a video for pig was hoping for it

Didn’t care for Pig much upon release, but this video really makes me want to revisit it. Great analysis!

Pig was so good, I watched it twice. I really believe it should have received an Oscar nomination. Wonderful story.

I saw a trailer for Pig, had no idea what it was about, but immediately was intrigued. I saw it at an indie theater with a handful of other people in the theater with me. The tension in that audience was insane. Every single one of us was absolutely enthralled in the entire film. By the end, all of is were crying - sniffling EVERYWHERE. When we all slowly began leaving after the credits, everyone was talking about how amazing it was as we walked out of the theater. Truly a special experience.

Had this film ready for a while and finaly saw it. Very very good! Delicate and touching. Nick is my hero from the times of Leaving Las Vegas. Great performance Once again!

I'm gonna need my pig back *pumps shotgun*

This was such an incredible analysis

Good stuff man! Good stuff.

Wonderful analysis, luckily I'm on the right track - for me. Thanks for the confirmation.

Pig and John Wick, its like the Yin Yang. Difference style but almost same environment feeling.

Thanks for the vid

i would honestly argue Taken did the whole "john wick" shtick first, and is what made it possible for John Wick to happen.

Excellent break down. Thank you. 🙏

Thank you. I learned a lot. As always.

8:26 That is some great rage and sadness at the same time.

I adore how touching and gentle this movie is. Like many I went in expecting a Nobody/Wick style movie and was pleasantly surprised to get something completely different. I really should of seen it comming seeing how Pig was rated 12a instead of 16.

Wait a movie where the main character doesn't torture people for information? How is that possible?

I went into Pig based on Chris Stuckman's recommendation, so pretty blind. It was an incredible experience and piece of filmmaking. I don't know all about the Greek legends and what not but doing this comparison with John Wick was great to see and further my understanding of what the filmmakers are doing with their art. Thanks!

the reason these stories work is because shit like this happens everyday ...and not everyone can do something about it.

There were moments of Pig I found moving but it largely didn’t work for me. And that sucks, cause I really thought it would. Cage was great in the film though for sure.

I was considering not watching this video after spoiler alert, but decided to watch it anyway - and now I still want to see this movie, maybe even more so! Thanks!

Would you consider doing a video on mise-en-scene? It’s a concept that all great directors talk about but I can’t seem to understand.

Lovely. I will make sure to see this movie.

Thomas, what's that grey sweater you're wearing? It reminds me of that one Daniel Day Lewis wears at the end of "There Will Be Blood" . Great video!

@ThomasFlight

2 жыл бұрын

I've had it for years and have no memory of where it came from. I think it may have been H&M or something. I buy a lot of clothes second hand.

Now I really want to watch this

Excellent Discussion!

Pig was a surprisingly lovely watch.

The subtle art of revenge in John Wick: "a f***ING PENCIL!"

Pig is by far one of Nicolas’s best works, at least it surely got a place in top 10 or even 5

Great analysis

there is 1 thing wrong with this essay Nicolas Cage can be IN ANYTHING in contrast to other actors

I definitely remember being taken off guard when the violence the setup lead me to expect simply never happened. The troupes of revenge genre conditioning as a complete surprise when cage talked out his problems. This is cage’s favourite piece of work as well which is saying a Lot considering the breath of his career

beautiful!