Why the Mona Lisa is the KEY to Glass Onion
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- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2024
- While I still prefer the original Knives Out movie from 2019 to Glass Onion, this late entry to 2022 certainly surprised me. In this video, I focus on the significance of the Mona Lisa and what it represents rather than deep diving into the whole film. As always, I'm open to hearing other interpretations in the comments.
I apologize for the audio quality, working on the refinement process.
Subscribe if you enjoy.
#videoessay #monalisa #glassonion #knivesout
Any art history major will tell you that the Mona Lisa wasn't considered a masterpiece until after it was stolen in 1911. The newspapers called it the crime of century, although really one of the workmen at the Louvre hid in a broom closet and just grabbed it off the wall after it had closed. When it was recovered the previously unappreciated Mona Lisa became the most famous painting in the world. Whether it's Da'Vinci's greatest work or not is debatable, but since it's so famous everyone assumes it is. In this way the Mona Lisa could represent Miles Bron in the movie. Miles is also completely dependent on his fame to maintain his reputation as a brilliant industrialist and innovator. Even Benoit Blanc assumed he would be to smart to kill Andi himself. (In hindsight we should have realized the emperor had no clothes as soon as we saw Miles' note "Uber for Biospheres?") And for all his talk of DaVinci's technique Miles' reverence for Mona Lisa is derived from how famous it is. His life's goal is to be remembered with it, to be just as famous as the Mona Lisa, and since he stole Andi's idea for Alpha, then just like the Mona Lisa Miles owes his fame to a theft.
I'd love for someone to ask Rian Johnson about the history of the painting. I suspect he chose it deliberately.
Yup. Good analysis. The painting could be a parallel of how misleading Miles' repute is. The painting could be viewed as an allegory to his masquerade. Once it is burned, he gets totally exposed.
That's really deep
Wow. The iceberg for this movie just keeps going, doesn't it?
@@KevinLyda I agree with the original poster that "...Miles' reverence for Mona Lisa is derived from how famous it is".
Rian Johnson appears not to worry about factual details very much. Plot holes like Loinel (the scientist) not wearing his fancy mask properly, Duke not tasting the pineapple, the bullet being stopped by the journal and why all of the buildings exploded are examples of this.
The "disruptors" do not turn on Miles at the end as a means of redemption, they have no altruistic motives! They turn on him because they realize that the money and influence he awarded them is gone. And Helen "becomes" Mona Lisa at the end as she sits on the bench!
Exactly what I was thinking!!!
I always thought of it as the direct opposite of the glass onion concept. A glass onion is something that appears complex but isn’t, and the Mona Lisa appears simple but is actually complex. It’s the difference between Miles and Helen.
(Also another interesting thing is how at the beginning, Miles’ friends play by his rules to open the box invitation but Helen immediately breaks it lol. She really is the true disrupter in the story.)
Thats so interesting, I almost wonder if Rian meant to question whether or not the Mona lisa is deep at all? Like, maybe it's just a picture. It doesn't mean as much as we think it does. She herself is just as shallow as miles
At the end, after Helen basically blows up Miles’ house and burns the Mona Lisa, I thought she would quip to Miles that now she is a disruptor as well.
I think the exact opposite! How amazing. Mona Lisa is a Glass Onion. Until the it was stolen, was just another work of Da Vinci. Now us ful of complex conspiracies and symbolism, legends and layer and layers of deep meaning for something that is propably a simple portrait.
Anyone notice that as Miles watches the Mona Lisa burn he resembles the second most famous painting in the world…Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”.
I disagree with the idea that they were freed from their chains - the threat of Miles was removed from them to give them the safety to go against him, but they are still beholden to following what will make them the most profit or look the best. Miles called them shitheads like Helen did at the end because they again sold someone out for their own gain. They are still weak and compliant in my opinion because they cannot make a strong move without someone stronger doing it first
Good point. I still think it was a step in the right direction, a character shift, even if they only rebelled because of Helen. Also I never say that the group members became disrupters, only Helen did. So I do think they experience a newfound freedom, but they’re actions are not enough to completely redefine them and make them true disruptors. With the perspective of still wanting to make the most money and looking the best, I suppose the large majority of the world can never be disruptors. There’s always going to be weakness in character, so to me it made sense just to look at the present scenario. Thats my thoughts. Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it.
True dat
Yeah they end up doing the right thing, since Miles deserved to be stopped and the truth should have come out. But they do it far too late to be meaningful. Better late than never sure, but they were still so late that it became basically the only reasonable option, no longer a choice to do the right thing.
I think that that since miles is out there is no one there to hold their hand for their mistakes anymore. They have no bail outs and are pretty much guaranteed to fail.
As much as I feel sorry for the Mona Lisa getting destroyed at the end, at least her sacrifice was not in vain. (I know Helen purposefully wanted the painting destroyed but it was necessary for the destruction of Mike’s empire.)
there were other priceless art there also probably
I agree, Colin!! 😆 👍
In real life, wouldn't Helen be prosecuted for intentionally destroying the Mona Lisa?
@@Terra_Lopez Yeah, I think she would have potentially been facing a bunch of criminal charges. That's one of the reasons the ending didn't sit well with me. But I _guess_ she considered it to be worth risking some prison time to bring down Miles. (?)
It also sort of depends on how much the rest of the "Disruptors'" loyalty has shifted. Probably the whole investigation into the events at the Glass Onion would depend a lot on their testimony.
@@harringt100 I believe the ending implies that the witnesses to the act are willing to “lie for the truth” essentially in regards to what happened with that specifically.
Change will cost us and if we want that change we have to be able to give some things up. Helen is the one with any backbone. She actually changes the world.
spot on
The actual Mona Lisa is painted on poplar, not canvas, whereas the fire at the end of the film clearly shows canvas burning. Is this a plot hole or a signal that Miles *thought* he had the Mona Lisa - just as he thought he had Paul McCartney's guitar, even though McCartney plays left-handed - but in fact had just a copy? I've been thinking about this since my first viewing. It's not mentioned in the film.
I see your points, especially, as a hack guitarist in spotting a left-handed guitar.
These and other points cause me to wonder if the author was an absolute genius or lazy in research. Was Gilligan of “Gilligan’s Island” a true genius or a buffoon?
Regarding Rian, I’m going to look for signs of either.
The movie shows how representatives of the cultural elite (Politician, Scientist, Streamer, Celebrity) are actually all in thrall to the billionaire tech bro, who himself is dependent on an army of engineers, lawyers, "puzzle guy", and mystery writers to actually do anything.
Is that also a nod against Ayn Rand’s Objectivism?
You’re such a criminally underrated channel, the editing, the commentary are all such a breath of fresh air
means a lot, thanks C
Also the fact that the Mona Lisa didn't become famous in history until someone stole it 🤷🏼♀️
One point that wasn’t mentioned was how Mona Lisa itself is a bit of a glass onion: it has nearly 30 layers of painting by da Vinci but ultimately what you’re seeing is what you get. At a thematic level one could argue that the mythos of the painting is a bit of a glass onion too, given that people imbue so much meaning and thought into why it’s famous or special - like miles himself tries to explain - but the answer is just stupid (and not even brilliantly so): it rose to prominence and awareness because it got stolen. It’s like it went viral when you couldn’t easily do só - and precisely bc of that, nothing else quickly swept in and took over the attention like it happens these days.
Back to more of a grounded thematic element, the jumps between Mona Lisa and Andi definitely are referencing the layers of painting of Mona as an analogy for the layers through which we’re seeing Andi herself unaware of what’s beneath it
I didn't notice this until now, but the dress Helen/Andi wears when she first arrives on the island foreshadows her next outfit: both have red on the left side of the chest!
Interesting video throughout. Love the way you depicted it. Definitely agree on the points you made 👍
Much appreciated!
I wonder if the "disruptor speech" also referred to Johnson's movie in the Star Wars universe. Especially the part about breaking "THE thing that nobody wants you to break".
@hasslfoot That is faint praise indeed.
Johnson was quoted saying "We have to give them something they DON'T expect that WE want". Apparently that also applies to logic and established rules (including laws of physics). Some of us intuitively pay attention to such things and are jerked out of suspension-of-disbelief more easily that others. I can enjoy plots that rely on the unexpected, but only if they are clever enough actually to be possible within their established universes.
I rewatched "Glass Onion" and it didn't hold up very well to a second viewing (Duke not tasting the pineapple, the .45 ACP bullet stopped by the notebook, and all the explosions at the end, for examples). The first two could have been explained away by a more talented writer (Duke had a cold, journal cover made of some exotic material), but they were not.
Another example that Johnson either does not understand or simply ignores reality is that he has stated "Lionel who is supposed to be a scientist, has a very proper N-95 mask". Yet Lionel is wearing the mask improperly (over his beard), a factual detail that invalidates the director's intent of showing scientific knowledge.
@@skuxx6702 I actually dislike Cinema Sins for being overly nit-picky. I do, however, admit that I dislike stories in which the mystery or crime is solved by something that is impossible, at least in the world in which that story is set. I argue that a major point of those stories is to entertain the audience by showing the cleverness of the antagonists and protagonists using logic, deduction, and science. I see significant plot holes and/or a reliance on the impossible as a sign of poor writing.
On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoy stories in which the protagonist surprises me with an intelligent and plausible solution. FWIW, I particularly enjoyed the TV series "Leverage" because they had technical experts to verify that everything was indeed technically possible.
Perhaps I am more distractible than most, but the items mention previously were enough to cause me to pull out of the movie and think "Wait... that does not make sense" or "that's simply wrong".
@@hasslfootyou’re kinda right, it will be recognized one of the best since the og trilogy since the sequels all suck
@@hasslfoot yeah. I think it’s a combo of nostalgia and the fact that people capitalized on it. It expanded to such an extent that it’s a bit more than kids movies, but based off movies intended for children/ a younger audience. Though, Star Wars from the start did have a high following of adults from its theater release (or so I’ve been led to believe)
Frankly, the obsession with the painting was my first big clue that Norton's character was just a rich idiot, therefore unsympathetic and the perfect villain. Later, when he mispronounced author Gillian Flynn's name, I knew it was gonna be him. I didn't anticipate all that stuff with Helen, and so I appreciate this video for diving into the subtext before and after the reveal.
One thing about the mona lisa I didn't get during the film (and this could becme being v dumb or missing a line) was that right before Duke was murdered, the barriers off the mona Lisa kept sliding on and off while everyone (beside Helen) was all together. Can someone please tell me what was going on to cause that?
How I understood it, the slamming shut was primarily to build tension, giving the audience the feeling that something bad is about to happen (dukes death). Every time it slammed shut the shot was more zoomed in on the Mona Lisa’s face. I think what set it off was just escalating conversation or any sudden noise. It was not precisely defined the loudness required to set it off. That’s my thought, curious what others think.
Duke's phone pings set off the security system. There's a line earlier about it's "sensitive enough that even a cell phone will set it off". If you rewatch the scene, you'll notice it slams shut after each cell phone ping.
Love this breakdown that adds to the discussion surrounding this movie, but the poor sportsmanship towards the director's previous work was unnecessary. I'm here for Glass Onion praise, not for listening to yet another Twitter take 😂
what is actually written on the napkin is laughably absurd.
"One of the best movies of the year" ??? Wow man , wow. I am truly dissapointed . I have zero faith in your taste and ability.
Great Video,Kid! Been watching your videos all afternoon. Looking forward to more!
5:10 did this quote actually pay homage to Hitchcock's film? Was what Miles said a quote from that movie, or are you pointing out that he used the word "vertigo"?
To me the word seemed like a very specific and calculated choice given the scenario of the scene, and given that Rian Johnson directly took inspiration from Hitchcock’s films, I can only imagine that he included it as a nod to the classic ‘58 thriller. More of a fun connection I found rather than a blatant paying homage.
just came across your channel and as usual as other channels i follow i was expecting millions of views or a huge following, due to the beautiful editing of your videos and how you create such art as your talking about art. i know your channel is going to be big , i love your videos and how you build them , love the videos alot
This is an interesting argument, but I think it puts too much focus on the symbolism of the Mona Lisa, which is ultimately there only as a darkly comedy riposte to Miles' nonsensical, narcissistic need to be known "in the same breath at the Mona Lisa". So while it's cool that you can find more to it than that, I really don't think it pulls enough focus to be the thing the film revolves around. It's more like the cherry on top
Yeah the video wasn’t so much meant to be an analysis of the film as a whole. I would definitely choose different points of emphasis if that were the case. I just wanted to share my perspective on what the Mona Lisa specifically could represent. I do appreciate the feedback though!
@@sder True, I think I went in assuming it was like a general essay on the film, and that's where my criticism came from. As a video focusing literally on a specific element of the story rather than the film as a whole, your angle makes more sense.
It's also very very important to note that the painting is fake. Like canonically. The mona Lisa was painted on poplar wood, and miles' burns like cotton or hemp.
Great video man! Never thought about this context of the mona lisa being a representation of Helen.
THE LAST JEDI is the only good thing about Disney having STAR WARS
The Lost Stars novel is easily my favorite Star Wars story, so I have to disagree.
Rogue One? Clone Wars series? ANDOR?
@@zachrabaznaz7687 the clone wars series started before it was acquired by disney
This film remind me of “Last of Sheila.” Directed by Herbert Ross. 1973.
The actor playing Miles did a REALLY good job.
Ed Norton is a legend
Go watch Fight Club if you haven't.....
this review is pretty good!
Nice vid, good luck with your channel!
I loved Nortons face when the Mona Lisa went up in flames.
But the Mona Lisa miles has is a copy. It's too big and painted on canvas not wood. Unless you understand that it's a fake, you miss the major point of the film.
This movie is fulllllll of Cinema Sins
They'll literally sin anything. That's just saying this movie is full of "things"
I enjoyed your succinct analysis. Thank you.
Towards the end , A nostalgic dream !?
Bro , you know that one to ?!?
I Subscribed so hard just now !
The Mona Lisa is actually an ancient photograph using 'camera obscura' which was used by Davinci all the time. There are several layers that were actually painted by Davinci himself but it is a lost technique by all means
Your knive_sharp analysis is neat! Cutting to points that exemplary demonstrates of what Johnson could do in his original franchise.
Thank you!
The Last Jedi is his best movie.
you are going places my guy
Can you boost your audio in the future? I had to amp up my laptop to hear you sometimes. I really enjoyed the analysis dude. It really solidified this movie in my top 10
I was waiting for the destruction of the painting for the greater good to be connected to the glue actions of Just Stop Oil
The Monalisa is the Glass Onion simple but complicated the more you look at it.
im the hand up mona lisa's dress
Outstanding video
THE LAST JEDI was great, get over it.
I think most people -- both people who like and people who hate TLJ -- believe Johnson would make a great standalone Star Wars
Before watching this video I had to watch that Pisceshite movie. Let's hope the video will end up being better.
It still blows my mind how bad The Last Jedi was but how good these two movies have been.
This is a great video! Could you possibly add captions to this video? It was hard to follow the video essay without captions.
There are people in the comments who believe the Last Jedi is the best SW movie
I have a feeling Da Vinci would rather have his most famous burned than have it the hands of a Miles Bron, a Jeff Bezos or an Elon Musk.
Just watched this movie and it was good.
It’s no masterpiece but definitely a solid film
Ben Shapiro: waaa I feel mIsDiRecTeD
The final leap for the greater good? More like the greater evil.
Yes! More knives out less Star wars Ryan
The Last Jedi was great though.
Your lying on a goldmine here, I can only hope the algorithm helps out.
Every comment helps!
The Mona Lisa is painted on a wood Panel not canvas would it burn like that was miles really a fool who bought the recreation that was hanging in the museum at the time thinking it was real or just a better burn up for visual?
Stuka
Whirlwind
Was looking forward to watching this and you ruined it in less than 30 seconds.
Somehow palpatine returned
@@sder You’re Goddamn right.
Its hard for me to take you or this video seriously since you resort to bashing Rian Johnson over a movie that a lot of us thought to be the best in the three movies of the Star Wars sequel. Might I suggest you just get over your hatred for it?
One can make fun of things without hating them. Movie's a mess tho lol
I actually really enjoyed his Star wars movie Just not as a f****** Star wars movie lol
glass onion = meh movie...wheels spinning. knives out is great.
for real struggling to not fall asleep watching it, why is this guy giving shit movies so much head just cus they have ight cinematography and plot, if something isnt that enjoyable dont give it so much toppie sloppie
What if the Beatle's song - "Glass Onion" have also multilayer onion ring meaning? The Mathematica principal publishers Edmond Halley in 1692 conjectured that the Earth might consist of a hollow shell about 800 km? (500 mi) thick, two inner concentric shells, and an innermost core. Atmospheres separate these shells, and each shell has its own magnetic poles.
What if the sun rotates inside hollow earth and when sunlight hits glass inner spheres it creates an onion or tulip bulb Lennon lyrics: Looking through the bent-backed tulips. Tulip and onion-shaped bulb. This is David Brown's "DaVinci Code" stuff.
the last jedi is the GOAT
He does the same thing to mysteries that he did to star wars and it's great.
Ben Shapiro should have watched this, before opening his big mouth.
I want Johnson away from starwars, but for the sake of Johnson. Most of starwars is no more than forgetable kill-time entertainment after the Original Trilogy. I mean, i love starwars: but there is no sacred story, character or worldbuilding to protect; everything has been done and redone before: (the lore has been retouched so many times and) most of it is in the range of ok...fine...regular (i am also talking about comics, games and novels i read from both old eu and new eu), and StarWars survives everything; we are not gonna loose it for a movie someone doesn't like; the galaxy won't be destroyed forever. Like, people still watches starwars after ix, and that one was a Franchize killer. If suddenly something energetic and good comes out, the hype will rise again.
In the case of Johnson, he is yet to make a mediocre, forgettable movie. And for some reason, being involved in something something starwars may destroy some people's career and potential, as much as it can boost them. Johnson doesn't need boost.
Can't agree with this at all.
For me this was the first nail in the coffin.
For years I listened when ppl said RJ was a hack and said to myself that ok. X has its flaws but it works. Y has its flaws but it works. He sucks at SW. I always found an excuse for his shortcomings.
This is the point I realized that it works despite RJs contribution, not because of it. It works because of good actors working together elevating a mediocre story into something else. IDK if it was the wrong actors or how they were paired off or how they interacted but this one was a fail for me.
I doubt i'll be as forgiving with RJs work moving forward.
And as an FYI if your story has as a centerpiece the destruction of a piece of art that is supposedly a heritage of mankind you're no better than isis. Go had in hand and wreck what better ppl have done with far fewer resources while proclaiming yourself to be better than them. Even though had you been born in their time you would be lucky to be anything but a speedbump in the civilization's progression.
Was excited to watch your video until you made the fateful TLJ cut within the first 30 seconds. Nope. Can't do it. I'm out.
Not even twenty seconds before the 10000th bad Star Wars take on RUclips. Too bad, it sounded like an interesting video. I'm out!
He made the best Star Wars movie imo.
And I hope that future SW fans will appreciate it more.
Man I hate being stupid
:(
I bet you got an a in English 😂
Helen destroying and in the final shot replacing the Mona Lisa is obviously Rians self insert as the guy who destroyed what no one wanted destroy, star wars. It goes perfect with his “let the past die, kill it if you must”
Also, this is an anti-whodunnit. (Just like TLJ was an anti-star wars film. Yea. Thats his one trick. A true “disruptor” if you will.) There is no mystery in here. The film makes that clear as soon as Helen smashes the puzzle box at the start.
This film has the exact same philosophy as TLJ, so I find it weird you hated that and loved this.
Having the same philosophy or central theme doesnt mean TLJ actually portrayed that theme well
It's pretty telling if you walked away from a film thinking that what the villain was saying was what you're supposed to agree with even when the film outright goes against them.
That last scene destroyed the movie for me, I could not get over it. She destroyed such an important piece of art (with all the other ones) for her own interest, for her own revenge. It made me hate the caracter so much. I'm French and love art, so I might be bias lol
My personal opinion is that Glass Onion was a silly, pretentious, and incredibly bloated movie. Craig's "southern" accent was waaaay cringe-worthy, and too many things were too simple-mindedly telegraphed. Did anyone see that roomful of glass sculptures and not know they'd all end up broken on the floor? Did anyone hear the word Hindenburg and not know the story would end in a fiery paroxysm? This kind of english-style drawing-room mysteries are supposed to be clever and subtle - not bludgeon you over the head...
It's not clever or subtle because Miles Bron is not clever or subtle. He's too stupid to learn from Hindenburg to NOT run the Glass Onion entirely out of the hydrogen compound. He's too stupid to not protect most of his valuable glass figurines when he invites people who hate him to the Glass Onion. The only thing he does protect is the Mona Lisa, and even then, he treasures it because of what it represents (recognisability) and not really because of its technical merits. His puzzle box creator literally makes one of the puzzles a fool's mate, the fastest possible checkmate in chess (indirectly framing Miles as a fool from the get go). He's no Moriarty. He's no master manipulator or crafty mastermind. He relies on others for his power, copying ideas from Blanc for the murder and Lionel for burning the note. And so, writing a murder mystery where the killer is an idiot makes us in turn overestimate their abilities, so we tend to come up with wilder theories, when really the truth is staring us down in the face and barely avoids being caught instantly.
@@placeholder6974 Jeez - some people are easy to impress. None of that makes the script or acting better, Craig's dreadful accent less cringy, or the "telegraphing" less obvious. Get a grip. This thing stinks on ice...
@@godfreydaniel6278 Alright then, can you recommend me some examples of better murder mysteries to watch then? I'm not even being sarcastic here, if you know of any ones that you think are better, just share some and I'll watch them.
I appreciated the movie for consistency, great reincorporation, and tight storytelling, but Johnson's politics that he stuffs down your throat are such a vapid turnoff that it made me hate this movie. Johnson is a clever, good filmmaker. He's also a smug, pretentious, out of touch prick and his personality simultaneously is the strongest and weakest part of every film he does.
Yeah that’s fair, I’m recognizing more of that as I reflect on his films.
These politics being that maybe these “genius billionaires” a frauds that profit off of other people’s work?
As much as I love this movie, I have to agree with you. Your statement is spot on.
Someone is uncomfortable with reality! LOL Just say you didn't get the point of the movie, and move on! Oh, you got it and didn't like it? 🤷
Could you be specific on the politics stuffed down our throats in Glass Onion please?
Just couldnt resist bashing Star Wars could you. 👎🏽👎🏽