Last Days (2005 film)
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| Last Days | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Gus Van Sant |
| Written by | Gus Van Sant |
| Produced by | Gus Van Sant Dany Wolf |
| Starring | Michael Pitt Lukas Haas Asia Argento Jared Solano Scott Patrick Green Nicole Vicius Thadeus A. Thomas |
| Cinematography | Harris Savides |
| Edited by | Gus Van Sant |
| Music by | Rodrigo Lopresti Michael Pitt |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Newco Fine Line Features |
Release date | July 22, 2005 |
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,456,454[citation needed] |
Last Days is a 2005 American experimental film directed, produced, and written by Gus Van Sant, and is a fictionalized account of the last days of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. It was released to theaters in the United States on July 22, 2005, and was produced by HBO. The film stars Michael Pitt as the character Blake, based on Kurt Cobain. Lukas Haas, Asia Argento, Nicole Vicius, Scott Patrick Green and Thadeus A. Thomas also star in the film.
Background
Van Sant has stated he had contemplated the project for nearly a decade.[citation needed] At one time, he wanted to do a biographical film about Cobain, but decided against the idea out of concern over the potential of a lawsuit by Cobain's widow, Courtney Love. He was not sure how Cobain's fans and family would react to the film. He spoke to Love several times over the years about his project and recently expressed his concern that it may be painful for her to see the film. Actress Asia Argento, who plays a character reminiscent of Love in the film, stated, "It's been written that I play Courtney Love, and it's not true. I'm so upset. I don't know why people say that. I feel very sorry for her. She's been demonized and I feel sorry for anybody that's lost like that. But no, I play a character that's very dorky."[citation needed]
Plot summary
Introspective artist Blake is buckling under the weight of fame, professional obligations and a mounting feeling of isolation. Dwarfed by towering trees, Blake slowly makes his way through dense woods. He scrambles down an embankment to a fresh spring and undresses for a short swim. The next morning he returns to his house, an elegant, if neglected, stone mansion. Many people are looking for Blake--his friends, his managers and record label, even a private detective--but he does not want to be found. In the haze of his final hours, Blake will spend most his time by himself. He avoids the people who are living in his house, who approach him only when they want something, be it money or help with a song. He hides from one concerned friend and turns away another. He visits politely with a stranger from the Yellow Pages sales department, and he ducks into an underground rock club. He wanders through the woods and he plays a new song, one last rock and roll blowout. Finally, alone in the greenhouse, Blake will look and listen--and seek release.
Cast
|
(parentheses indicate the person each character is based on)
- Michael Pitt as Blake (Kurt Cobain)
- Lukas Haas as Luke (Rene Navarette)
- Asia Argento as Asia (Jessica Hopper)
- Jared Solano as Jared
- Scott Patrick Green as Scott (Michael 'Cali' Dewitt)
- Nicole Vicius as Nicole (Jennifer Adamson)
- Ricky Jay as Detective (Tom Grant)
- Ryan Orion as Donovan (Dylan Carlson)
- Director and Van Sant colleague Harmony Korine, as Guy in Club (Ollie Craig)
- Rodrigo Lopresti as a member of the Band in Club, The Hermitt
- Kim Gordon as Record Executive (Danny Goldberg)
- Adam Friberg as Elder Friberg #1 (Mormon missionary)
- Andy Friberg as Elder Friberg #2 (Mormon missionary)
- Thadeus A. Thomas as Yellow Pages Salesman (real-life Yellow Book salesman)
Relation to other Van Sant films
Last Days is the third and final installment in what Van Sant has frequently called his "Death Trilogy", which began with Gerry and continued with Elephant. The dialogue and narration in all three films are minimal, and scenes do not proceed linearly. As in Elephant, scenes are revisited from new angles, starting at differing points in time, without a signal to viewers that the clock has been turned back and a previous scene is being revisited. In Paranoid Park, a later film by Van Sant, the same technique is used.
Music
Last Days features two original compositions by Michael Pitt, an acoustic song entitled "Death to Birth", and an electric jam called "That Day". Another piece, "Untitled", is by Lukas Haas. Rodrigo Lopresti composed "Seen as None," and "Pointless Ride." The character of Scott listens to "Venus in Furs" by The Velvet Underground. Blake, in one scene, watches the music video for "On Bended Knee" by Boyz II Men on television. "Venus In Furs" contains the lyric "...on bended knee". A soundscape piece called "Doors of Perception" ("Türen der Wahrnehmung") was composed by Hildegard Westerkamp.
Filming location
The film was shot in the Hudson Valley region of New York, which, due in part to cinematographer Harris Savides' specialized treatment of the film stock, suggests the Pacific Northwest, where both Cobain and Van Sant come from.[citation needed]
Reception
The film received some positive reviews, including the Village Voice and the New York Times.[1][2][3]
Awards
The film was entered in the 2005 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Technical Grand Prize.[4] It was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography, but failed to win any awards at the festival.
