Yeah. I had to laugh because even though I write poems, I do have trouble finishing certain well-known (and very lengthy) modernist poems. I couldn't figure out if that running joke was a (perhaps well-deserved) jibe at modernist poetry or if it was more tied in with the words of the poem and how they interact with the running narrative. I guess I'd have to watch it again.
There is only one poem that is completed and it is just prior to Gustav's death, as read by Agatha on the train. -something about "brothers." -it was a nice moment. Edit: humanodon -in the film, not finishing the poems has to do with interruption and not because they have any trouble remembering. Therefore, when Agatha can finally recite a poem without interruption it satisfies a sort of pent up anxiety in the viewer. You feel a sense of completion and satisfaction and then... Bam! Gustav dies.
I guess I didn't express what I meant clearly; I mean that the running joke is that who ever is reciting is interrupted, but is the joke more than just the interruption? As in, obviously Anderson chose when to interrupt and how the recitation was interrupted.in the film, not finishing the poems has to do with interruption and not because they have any trouble remembering.
Ah... To me it seems that people were all too ready and willing to cut off the poems in order to get on to more important things. The best interruption occurs when Gustav is hanging off of the cliff reciting his death poem and Zero throws Willem Defoe over. It's a hilarious moment.
Right, but it also said that Gustav had that collection of modernist poetry and it did seem to figure into his character. Like that thing about boning old, rich women. Anyway, in Wes Anderson movies I'm never sure what any but the most obvious symbols are vs. opportunities (intentional or otherwise) for the viewer to "read into" a particular scene or the movie as a whole. I like Willem Dafoe as a thug and while his scenes were pretty cartoonish, I kind of felt like more could have been done with his character.