Brad Anderson
Paramount
2004
Review by Rory A.A. Hinton
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| The Machinist |
Brad Anderson's The Machinist is a cinematic commentary on the Kafka-nightmare, with The Castle doing indirect duty as the narrative vehicle. After several viewings the subtlety of the symbolism can't be missed. Then again, maybe I am idiot enough not to have picked up on this on first viewing. Yes, Dostoyevsky makes an appearance, along with Christian Bale who, to prepare for this role, stuck to the Dolores O'Riorden diet: coffee and cigarettes. Is guilt overrated? Watch the film and find out. Then watch it again.
Sources
Brad Anderson. The Machinist. Paramount. 2004.
Franz Kafka. The Castle. Wordsworth Classics. 2009.
Fyodor Dostoevsky. The Idiot. Penguin Classic. 2004.
The Cranberries. To The Faithful Departed. Island. 1996.
