Punch Drunk Love: Beauty in Simplicity

Art has such a special ability to change perspective. It opens the eye to ideas and feelings previously unfelt. It is a powerful tool of expression and exactly why I love movies so much. Punch Drunk Love had a transformative effect on my perspective. It perfectly demonstrated a feeling that I had been unable to put into words before watching. This film is the perfect representation of love and the transformative effect it has on a person. I fell completely in love on my first watch and felt myself giddy at the rolling of the credits. This film had such a profound impact on me, and I adore it so much. I think this is one of the most beautiful pieces of art out there, a truly one-of-a-kind film.

This is the purest form and expression of love that I have seen on screen. It perfectly highlights the transformative power that it can have on your life. Barry lives a pretty unfulfilling life when we first meet him. His whole demeanour is meek and his confidence in himself is basically non-existent. His seven overbearing sisters control his every action, so much so that he does not know who he is or what is normal to feel. His one source of comfort, the aspect he feels in control of, is his work where he is a moderately successful entrepreneur. We see how his sister’s control seeps into all aspects of his life and how he struggles and reacts to their overbearingness with fits of rage, the only way he knows to express himself. He is lonely, deflated and desperate for compassion which leaves him vulnerable to being taken advantage of. That is as much of the story I’ll give away so as not to ruin it, but the conflict in this film perfectly fits the theme. It sets up a perfect foil to the warmth of the love story.

This film portrays the simplicity of love so perfectly. A lot of the time with romance in films, it is often displayed through grand gestures and Hollywood dialogue. Whilst this is enjoyable, it is often hard to resonate with. This film has grand cinematic moments, but it excels when it lives in the little, simple moments of love. Barry has seemingly never experienced a true romantic connection before, so all his feelings are heightened. The simple parts that often get overlooked become life or death scenarios for Barry. These aspects are often overlooked but for me are some of the most wonderful things about love. The anxiety that comes with a new connection, the comfort of being in the company of someone that truly understands you and the confidence in yourself that unconditional support from a partner brings you. We go through all these feelings with Barry; the smallest obstacles feel like mountains, Paul Thomas Anderson does a fantastic job of putting us in Barry’s shoes. I felt the anxiety and frustration when Barry wanted to kiss Lena, what a big deal it was to trust her with his pudding scheme, how safe and understood he felt being around her and expressing himself to her without her freaking out. This film lingers on the small stuff, and it has such a transgressive effect. One of the most powerful scenes is when Barry and Lena walk together in comfortable silence and he feels comfortable enough to slip his hand into hers. This is one of the most powerful expressions of what true love really is. Love can be all consuming and this film truly understands that, it gives you strength, purpose and a new lease of life. Barry is a new person once Lena enters his life. Nothing captures this more when Barry says “I have a love in my life, it makes me stronger than anything you can imagine.” This line is borderline cringe worthy, but the way Adam Sandler delivers it, is such a juxtaposition to the character in the first half. What is more, you can tell that he really means it and that it is actually true; love has given him a new purpose in life.

This film expresses itself through its visuals so masterfully, it uses the full range of the artistic medium to glorious effect. Everything is so purposeful, and expression can be found in the smallest of details. It can be something as simple as Barry wearing all blue and Lena wearing all red, opposites attract, lovely! However, throughout the film you see small changes in their attire, Lena switches to purple and Barry adorns a red tie, showing how their lives are merging. The scene by the telephone box where the light comes on as she answers the phone is so wonderful and exciting, it is the perfect expression of that moment. The film exudes warmth and the visuals contribute so heavily to this. The film switches between a handheld, shaky-cam when Barry is on his own, in the more stressful moments to a steady-cam when he his with Lena. These subtle changes convey the comfort and calmness he has found with her and creates a perfect atmosphere for the dialogue to thrive.

I love this film and how it makes me feel. PTA is a fantastic author as he can convey human emotions so realistically. His displays of greed, corruption, fear, optimism and in this case love feel so true it absorbs me into the character. This film makes me feel like no other, the warmth, happiness and inspiration I get from this film almost feels indescribable. I fear I have not done justice just how special this film is but I couldn’t not write about it, I love it so much! If you are still in doubts after reading this, go watch it yourself and you’ll see just what I mean, I have absolutely no doubt.