The guy who takes her home is not a kind stranger as you describe. He's clearly trying to take advantage of a girl who seems deeply disturbed and is probably in desperate circumstances. He's not interested in helping her he just realises that he can take her home offer her shelter then take advantage. He doesn't try to contact the police or ask if she has family.
I am curious if the similarities with the mythological creature "Selkie" found in Irish, Scottish and Faroese mythology was intentional or not. Selkie's are described as seals that tear off their skin and become humans on land, where they are described as being very attractive and seductive. Since the Scottish sea is a reacquiring theme in the movie it would make a lot of sense.
I think the moment I realised how well this movie was going to work was the editing of the van scene. They go through a number of little vignettes where she's electing *not* to pick certain people up, and it's quickly clear that they're people who might be missed: people on their way to work, with families, and so on. So it's immediately obvious that she's hunting. Very efficient storytelling. And then of course it goes on in the same vein. The beach scene was horrifying though. I'm not sure I could sit through it again.
Did anyone notice how similar the scene with the insides of the first victim being sucked out - the floating leftover skin - with the one beach scene where the wave creates a mist that slowly curls and floats in the air. Beautifully done.
John Cleese is quoted in IFC's Monty Python documentary as such: "People say that film is a visual experience. LIFE is a visual experience, yet here we are, sitting talking."
I can't deny that Under the Skin is a very well done movie, but I hate it for what it put me through. the neo-realism accomplishes it's goal, to say the least.
I find the title appropriate because it's exactly what the movie does. After I first saw it I was somewhat ambivalent, but then it just couldn't stop thinking about it. Something about it is just so unsettling that it burrows into your brain and doesn't leave, and any movie that accomplishes this is obviously doing something very right.
That moment when we first see someone ripped from their skin and turned into mush still haunts me. That floating empty skin suit. Just. Wow. Then the second one. It was brutal but also beautiful in its simplicity.
I can’t help but draw parallels between this movie and Lynch’s vision in Twin Peaks. Torn between two worlds, logs and the main character’s name is Laura.
3-iron/빈집 (Empty Houses) is a korean film with similar silence but a very powerful story Dolls by Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi) Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring is another good one
Best insight into thid rather stunning yet massively misunderstood piece of cinema… I wont go into my personal views but I will say this is in my top 20 movies and possibly top ten I’ve never enjoyed being led by the nose by writers or directors and this is a very classy example of how to make cinema Great review You have a new subscriber for sure Great work
I liked your view on film and especially making the parallel with Italian movement. What's is intriguing for me as she discovers herself she unfolds us as a species and our desires and feelings. For me, film is more about us than her.
The Neorealism part made me think of City of God by Fernando Meirelles. know you don't take request, but I would love to hear you thought on this movie one day.
I found myself strangely entranced by Glazer's previous film Birth (it's still in my list of favorites) and this also looks similarly mesmerizing. What a tragic, inevitable ending too, though Glazer's endings aren't usually happy. Nitpick, but you're missing a few syllables on neurofribromatosis, lol.
This is one of those films that are amazing but really hard to recommend, from the beginning the story is intriguing and you have to decipher and interpret what is going on at every step, in the last part the film worked so well for me that it made me feel empathy for Scarlett's character even knowing is not human, but wanting desperately to be one. The director has been called "the next Kubrick", after watching this movie I kinda see why, I don´t exactly agree but I can see some points in common with both directors. This movie is a great use of Sci-Fi to show human nature. Greetings from Mexico Leon and sorry for the bad english.
I just recently found your channel and have been watching a lot since then. I got reminded of Under the Skin and watched it again just now, and I remember the last time I watched it I was disappointed no-one I followed on youtube said a word about it. Luckily you didn't disappoint :) Good analysis as always.
The separation of the human into 'gore' and 'epidermal membrane with still-discernible facial features' is a brilliant cinematic achievement. There's more metaphysics in that scene than in half the philosophy books I read at university.
@@Tesla_Death_Ray The first woman was also an alien, but like Scarlet she had developed awareness from experiencing our world and probably tried to escape and so they 'eliminated' her and brought scarlet as a replacement.
I'm confused about the men who participated in this film because they didn't all receive the same treatment. We know the motorcyclist was hired specifically because of his skill and that Adam Pearson had an audition while he was in the hospital. The swimmers must also have been experts But what about the rapist - was he a volunteer? And then we come to the men on the street. Apparently the ones she picked up in the van didn't know they were being filmed until later, at which point they agreed to allow their images to be used. But at what point were they informed? How far did Scarlett Johanssen string them along before they learned the truth? It must have been before they learned they'd have to strip and immerse themselves in black goo to be in the movie, but when exactly were they told? I've watched the DVD and the extras, and the questions I have aren't addressed. Does anyone out there know the answers?
Thank you for detailing points and thoughts on a film that i have always touted as my favourite science fiction film. This is now an easy way to help defend my choice when it comes up in conversation.
I love this movie. a nice critique on how ppl treat ppl that are different. we tend not to judge a person's character but their features on the outside. probably scarlett Johansson's best performance in my opinion
one of the best movie channels.great analysis.i will recommend this channel to everyone i know that likes movies.i can't believe that it doesn't have much more subscribers .and by the way great movie.can you do analysis of stalker by andrei tarkovsky.i would be very grateful.greetings from croatia
It's pretty cool that there are different ideas of the what the movie could mean. I thought it had ideas on how the modern world views beauty and sex. Once we see what's Under The Skin of a person, we avoid it. Break up with it. We as humans have lost the ability to see beyond beauty. Beyond pain. We burn it. And move on to the next. We are the hunters.
1 of the best for so many reasons, but the best way I can sum it up quickly is that it touches a deep, dark, yet primordial longing to risk anything to be with a beautiful stranger. Particularly men seeking women. It taps into the power of procreation at any cost. But there are human layers of feelings inherent throughout. I am both disturbed and moved at the same time. I cannot keep my eyes off of Scarlett. I know I would do the same for 1 chance with her. She is the everywoman. it's a pity most Americans do not appreciate her amazing talent and prefer to see her as Black Widow instead of pure art.
I keep on getting this film confused with "The Skin I Live In"...So 5 seconds into this I am stopping since I don't want to spoil this movie for myself.
This is a really good artistic validation of the movie. Sadly, it doesn't actually make the movie any easier to sit through, and one of the reasons people escape into movies is to escape from the drudgery and tedium of reality.
I made this video in 2014. (It was just re-uploaded in 2016.) I don't remember much of the movie, what I said in the video or if I even did say that. I make a new video every week, and this one is about 250 videos ago.
@@renegadecut9875 Oh no I get that you saw the movie long ago, I was just curious to find out where the name Laura came from, not even in the credits is the name mentioned, actually in the credits you dont see any character name, only the actors names.
Thoughtful analysis. My view of this film? The underlying story fits the book it is based on pretty well. And in terms of story, there is not much there. While using a technique of lack of dialogue in science fiction can be intriguing, for me it is helpful if there are layers of meaning underneath the visuals. "2001" does this very well. By contrast "Under the Skin" doesn't have much to comprehend. - It's an experience which was most effective at the end when Scarlett leaves her "job". The neorealism beginning with using non actors was clever; though for me it got in the way of understanding the dialogue.
bb1111116 Everything was intentional. We were supposed to experience everything as she did, as a new or alien experience. Besides the human consumption house she was supposed to take all her victims to, human life was new and strange to her, as the whole film demonstrates, and we were experiencing some of that as viewers. I think the film does a great job of this. But it is a very strange and unusual film as well, so this strangeness was very offputting and compelling at the same time.
They would have had to give their permission, and been made to sign a release that serves as a sort of basic contract. So they were obviously fine with it, otherwise we wouldn’t see them in the film.
Because without the paparazzi and the glamourous clothes they are just ordinary people. Plus even if you had suspicions, the fact that she's driving a van in Glasgow would be enough to convince you that you must be mistaken.
SJ looks very different with black hair. When I first saw the trailer, I didn't realise it was her until her name came up. Very convincing English accent too!
this movie is amazing, just watched it for the first time last night! your videos are very efficient Leon, lol. is there any chance of your mulholland drive video getting uploaded to youtube, or is that one lost to the ages?
I'd like to see this movie now, even though it seems really depressing hahaha. From the synopsis given it's an interesting take that as soon as the alien stops being a predator and tries to become more like what she sees as human that she is then victimized and killed. Is there any point in the movie where she interacts with human women? It seems like her only point of reference for being a woman is through the eyes of an alien and then through the eyes of the men she could convince to follow her through promises of sex. Which goes some way to explaining why being unable to have sex like a human becomes a failing point. It's sad that she doesn't seem to interact with any women at all, not even to make her disguise better, maybe if she had her integration would have gone better?
The repetition and barbarity reminds me of a slaughterhouse worker. Poor and usually ill-educated, they're expected to ruthlessly kill thousands of animals every day. Over and over. With no empathy for their victims.
Love this movie! Hadn't thought about the almost-feminist layer, really liked that point. I also like sci-fi movies that focus on small things, not just big groundbreaking discoveries or the end of life as we know it. The show Black Mirror has some interesting stories like that. Great job as always Leon, thank you, looking forward to the rest of Kubrick Month too!
They still need permission after filming to use their faces. Also, the one's talking aren't professional actors, but they still auditioned for the roles.
Filming someone in public, with some caveats, is usually legal. Part of what constitutes the legal definition of a “public space” is that there isn’t a reasonable expectation of privacy. If that wasn’t the case, people taking videos on their phones wouldn’t be such a widespread phenomenon. Plus, we’re talking about a professional being made, so I’m sure they were well compensated
Its similar to the book, in the book she escapes and crashes her car, she's stuck in the wreckage knowing that authorities will come and discover her. So she chooses to blow up the car with herself inside it, because its rigged with a self destruct device.
The guy who takes her home is not a kind stranger as you describe. He's clearly trying to take advantage of a girl who seems deeply disturbed and is probably in desperate circumstances. He's not interested in helping her he just realises that he can take her home offer her shelter then take advantage. He doesn't try to contact the police or ask if she has family.
You did not mention the score. It was so evocative and was one of the reasons the movie felt so "alien" to me.
I am curious if the similarities with the mythological creature "Selkie" found in Irish, Scottish and Faroese mythology was intentional or not. Selkie's are described as seals that tear off their skin and become humans on land, where they are described as being very attractive and seductive. Since the Scottish sea is a reacquiring theme in the movie it would make a lot of sense.
selkies: the endless obsession
I think the moment I realised how well this movie was going to work was the editing of the van scene. They go through a number of little vignettes where she's electing *not* to pick certain people up, and it's quickly clear that they're people who might be missed: people on their way to work, with families, and so on. So it's immediately obvious that she's hunting. Very efficient storytelling. And then of course it goes on in the same vein.
The beach scene was horrifying though. I'm not sure I could sit through it again.
Did anyone notice how similar the scene with the insides of the first victim being sucked out - the floating leftover skin - with the one beach scene where the wave creates a mist that slowly curls and floats in the air. Beautifully done.
and the smoke in the fire at the end too!! almost looked like the silhouette of a fetus. symbolism for rebirth?
John Cleese is quoted in IFC's Monty Python documentary as such: "People say that film is a visual experience. LIFE is a visual experience, yet here we are, sitting talking."
I can't deny that Under the Skin is a very well done movie, but I hate it for what it put me through. the neo-realism accomplishes it's goal, to say the least.
I find the title appropriate because it's exactly what the movie does. After I first saw it I was somewhat ambivalent, but then it just couldn't stop thinking about it. Something about it is just so unsettling that it burrows into your brain and doesn't leave, and any movie that accomplishes this is obviously doing something very right.
Oh man, I feel glad that I could find your channel. Your work is extremely good and interesting. Keep it up! (cheers from Brazil)
That moment when we first see someone ripped from their skin and turned into mush still haunts me. That floating empty skin suit. Just. Wow. Then the second one. It was brutal but also beautiful in its simplicity.
Perhaps you should bear witness to what goes on in a slaughterhouse.
I can’t help but draw parallels between this movie and Lynch’s vision in Twin Peaks. Torn between two worlds, logs and the main character’s name is Laura.
3-iron/빈집 (Empty Houses) is a korean film with similar silence but a very powerful story
Dolls by Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi)
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring is another good one
Holy shit 3 Iron thanks for reminding me of that movie. I saw it well over a decade ago and couldn't remember the name. Love that film
Best insight into thid rather stunning yet massively misunderstood piece of cinema…
I wont go into my personal views but I will say this is in my top 20 movies and possibly top ten
I’ve never enjoyed being led by the nose by writers or directors and this is a very classy example of how to make cinema
Great review
You have a new subscriber for sure
Great work
I liked your view on film and especially making the parallel with Italian movement. What's is intriguing for me as she discovers herself she unfolds us as a species and our desires and feelings. For me, film is more about us than her.
Good job Leon.
Such a great movie, Under the Skin. I also really love The Raid as well.
One of my favorite science fiction films of all time. I loved it!
The best review I have seen.
Very informative
I didn't think of THAT "getting burned alive" means cleansing. Appreciate insightful analysis as always!!!
Absolutely love and appreciate your vids. Thank you for making them and sharing them
The Neorealism part made me think of City of God by Fernando Meirelles. know you don't take request, but I would love to hear you thought on this movie one day.
I found myself strangely entranced by Glazer's previous film Birth (it's still in my list of favorites) and this also looks similarly mesmerizing. What a tragic, inevitable ending too, though Glazer's endings aren't usually happy.
Nitpick, but you're missing a few syllables on neurofribromatosis, lol.
This is one of those films that are amazing but really hard to recommend, from the beginning the story is intriguing and you have to decipher and interpret what is going on at every step, in the last part the film worked so well for me that it made me feel empathy for Scarlett's character even knowing is not human, but wanting desperately to be one. The director has been called "the next Kubrick", after watching this movie I kinda see why, I don´t exactly agree but I can see some points in common with both directors. This movie is a great use of Sci-Fi to show human nature. Greetings from Mexico Leon and sorry for the bad english.
One of the most truly disturbing movies I've seen in many, many years. Couldn't get it out of my head for weeks. Beach scene almost broke me.
i like that word "otherworldly". they use it constantly in "ancient aliens".
I just recently found your channel and have been watching a lot since then. I got reminded of Under the Skin and watched it again just now, and I remember the last time I watched it I was disappointed no-one I followed on youtube said a word about it. Luckily you didn't disappoint :) Good analysis as always.
The separation of the human into 'gore' and 'epidermal membrane with still-discernible facial features' is a brilliant cinematic achievement. There's more metaphysics in that scene than in half the philosophy books I read at university.
My favorite film of all time. Thanks for such a fantastic video.
What's happening with her doppelganger early on? Did she first find a woman to copy?
@@Tesla_Death_Ray The first woman was also an alien, but like Scarlet she had developed awareness from experiencing our world and probably tried to escape and so they 'eliminated' her and brought scarlet as a replacement.
Shit this film also came out in 2014? Really was the best year for films, jesus
I'm confused about the men who participated in this film because they didn't all receive the same treatment. We know the motorcyclist was hired specifically because of his skill and that Adam Pearson had an audition while he was in the hospital. The swimmers must also have been experts But what about the rapist - was he a volunteer? And then we come to the men on the street. Apparently the ones she picked up in the van didn't know they were being filmed until later, at which point they agreed to allow their images to be used. But at what point were they informed? How far did Scarlett Johanssen string them along before they learned the truth? It must have been before they learned they'd have to strip and immerse themselves in black goo to be in the movie, but when exactly were they told?
I've watched the DVD and the extras, and the questions I have aren't addressed. Does anyone out there know the answers?
Thank you for detailing points and thoughts on a film that i have always touted as my favourite science fiction film. This is now an easy way to help defend my choice when it comes up in conversation.
Entertaining and elaborate as usual mr. Thomas ...
Amazing Videos dude I honestly show everyone I know your channel! Great work and supporting everyday!!
I love this movie. a nice critique on how ppl treat ppl that are different. we tend not to judge a person's character but their features on the outside. probably scarlett Johansson's best performance in my opinion
Nice done! Interesting.
Would you be interesed in doing it with Shame by McQueen? Thanks!
one of the best movie channels.great analysis.i will recommend this channel to everyone i know that likes movies.i can't
believe that it doesn't have much more subscribers .and by the way great movie.can you do analysis of stalker by andrei tarkovsky.i would be very grateful.greetings from croatia
It's pretty cool that there are different ideas of the what the movie could mean. I thought it had ideas on how the modern world views beauty and sex. Once we see what's Under The Skin of a person, we avoid it. Break up with it. We as humans have lost the ability to see beyond beauty. Beyond pain. We burn it. And move on to the next. We are the hunters.
1 of the best for so many reasons, but the best way I can sum it up quickly is that it touches a deep, dark, yet primordial longing to risk anything to be with a beautiful stranger. Particularly men seeking women. It taps into the power of procreation at any cost. But there are human layers of feelings inherent throughout. I am both disturbed and moved at the same time. I cannot keep my eyes off of Scarlett. I know I would do the same for 1 chance with her. She is the everywoman. it's a pity most Americans do not appreciate her amazing talent and prefer to see her as Black Widow instead of pure art.
I keep on getting this film confused with "The Skin I Live In"...So 5 seconds into this I am stopping since I don't want to spoil this movie for myself.
Thank you for this
This is a really good artistic validation of the movie.
Sadly, it doesn't actually make the movie any easier to sit through, and one of the reasons people escape into movies is to escape from the drudgery and tedium of reality.
Is that robert fripp and brian eno playing at the end ?
Where did you get the name Laura? I dont think I ever heard her saying her name. Was I not putting attention on that part?
I made this video in 2014. (It was just re-uploaded in 2016.) I don't remember much of the movie, what I said in the video or if I even did say that. I make a new video every week, and this one is about 250 videos ago.
@@renegadecut9875 Oh no I get that you saw the movie long ago, I was just curious to find out where the name Laura came from, not even in the credits is the name mentioned, actually in the credits you dont see any character name, only the actors names.
Again, I don't remember. I don't even remember saying that.
Goodness, I need to see this movie!
Thoughtful analysis. My view of this film? The underlying story fits the book it is based on pretty well. And in terms of story, there is not much there. While using a technique of lack of dialogue in science fiction can be intriguing, for me it is helpful if there are layers of meaning underneath the visuals. "2001" does this very well. By contrast "Under the Skin" doesn't have much to comprehend.
- It's an experience which was most effective at the end when Scarlett leaves her "job". The neorealism beginning with using non actors was clever; though for me it got in the way of understanding the dialogue.
bb1111116 Everything was intentional. We were supposed to experience everything as she did, as a new or alien experience. Besides the human consumption house she was supposed to take all her victims to, human life was new and strange to her, as the whole film demonstrates, and we were experiencing some of that as viewers. I think the film does a great job of this. But it is a very strange and unusual film as well, so this strangeness was very offputting and compelling at the same time.
I'm curious about how these randos felt when they found out they were in a film.
They would have had to give their permission, and been made to sign a release that serves as a sort of basic contract.
So they were obviously fine with it, otherwise we wouldn’t see them in the film.
How do these people not notice there talking to or walking past a famous actress
Because without the paparazzi and the glamourous clothes they are just ordinary people. Plus even if you had suspicions, the fact that she's driving a van in Glasgow would be enough to convince you that you must be mistaken.
Joey Walker one of them asked her, "are you famous or something?" She just smirked and said, "no".
SJ looks very different with black hair. When I first saw the trailer, I didn't realise it was her until her name came up. Very convincing English accent too!
this movie is amazing, just watched it for the first time last night! your videos are very efficient Leon, lol. is there any chance of your mulholland drive video getting uploaded to youtube, or is that one lost to the ages?
lol sorry i was just scrolling through your tumblr and saw you answer it. you probably get asked that all the time! sorry if i annoyed you
Which Italian film was that in the beginning? With the man wearing a hat
+Renegade Cut Awesome thanks! Great video by the way as always
I'd like to see this movie now, even though it seems really depressing hahaha. From the synopsis given it's an interesting take that as soon as the alien stops being a predator and tries to become more like what she sees as human that she is then victimized and killed. Is there any point in the movie where she interacts with human women? It seems like her only point of reference for being a woman is through the eyes of an alien and then through the eyes of the men she could convince to follow her through promises of sex. Which goes some way to explaining why being unable to have sex like a human becomes a failing point. It's sad that she doesn't seem to interact with any women at all, not even to make her disguise better, maybe if she had her integration would have gone better?
Think Sexy Beast is worthy of a review?
The unnerving soundtrack is one of the bests. Leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
Truly disturbing film
The repetition and barbarity reminds me of a slaughterhouse worker. Poor and usually ill-educated, they're expected to ruthlessly kill thousands of animals every day. Over and over. With no empathy for their victims.
Love this movie! Hadn't thought about the almost-feminist layer, really liked that point. I also like sci-fi movies that focus on small things, not just big groundbreaking discoveries or the end of life as we know it. The show Black Mirror has some interesting stories like that. Great job as always Leon, thank you, looking forward to the rest of Kubrick Month too!
Isn´t it shady to secretly film people? And isn´t it also disputable to make an attractive actress hit on passers? What if that raised false hopes?
They still need permission after filming to use their faces. Also, the one's talking aren't professional actors, but they still auditioned for the roles.
Filming someone in public, with some caveats, is usually legal. Part of what constitutes the legal definition of a “public space” is that there isn’t a reasonable expectation of privacy. If that wasn’t the case, people taking videos on their phones wouldn’t be such a widespread phenomenon.
Plus, we’re talking about a professional being made, so I’m sure they were well compensated
A female Alien that only kills men. And i wonder why i never saw this movie.
Great analysis but the film itself had a totally idiotic and rotten ending. The screen writer must have had a bad night or two and came up empty.
Its similar to the book, in the book she escapes and crashes her car, she's stuck in the wreckage knowing that authorities will come and discover her. So she chooses to blow up the car with herself inside it, because its rigged with a self destruct device.