It seems to have taken me a very long time to see Nicolas Winding Refn’s latest effort, and researching a lengthy interview I had with the man, I was forced to spoil much of the story for myself in order to discuss it in detail. Fortunately, narrative is low on the list of priorities for all concerned, as Only God Forgives proves to be an almost operatic exercise in style, design and aesthetics (if they are in fact different things), with what little plot there is taking a back seat to a sequence of beautifully lensed, languidly paced sequences in which a rogues gallery of ferocious human beings square off against each other in near total silence. With minimal dialogue and brilliant use of colour and music, Only God Forgives seems to exist in an entirely different artistic space to most conventional cinema – even that of director Refn – yet nonetheless proves a visceral, hypnotic and powerful experience.
Only God Forgives
