Lulu on the Bridge is a 1998 film, which is an independent work written and directed by Paul Auster. The movie consists of parts of mystery, romance, and fantasy, and deals with issues of love, destiny, and existence. The film exhibits surrealism infused with a linear plot along with a touch of what can be considered as rationalism.
Plot Summary:
The main character of course is Izzy Maurer (played by sources), one of the main heroes of the film, jazz saxophonist whose life dramatically changes due to a violent action. Izzy gets shot at a nightclub by a crazed gunman, which shatters any hopes for a career as a successful musician. Once during the recuperation period, he finds a bag on the street and opens it to discover an unusual object, a stone. This was the incident that made Izzy meet Celia Burns.’s burning ambition is to act the title role in the stage adaptation of Pandora’s Box.
As Izzy and Celia become entwined in each others’ lives, every stone in the corner of this world seems to burn in with supernatural mystery. The story becomes more fantastical with each turn of the page requiring some element of fate or destiny, yet within that space conflict between world and imagination persists.
Cast:
Harvey Keitel as Izzy Maurer, the jazz saxophonist whom fate changes.
Mira Sorvino as Celia Burns, an actress whom Izzy, the male lead, is infatuated with.
Willem Dafoe as Dr. Van Horn, a shadowy and unsavoury presence.
Gina Gershon as Hannah, Izzy’s former lover.
Vanessa Redgrave as Catherine Moore.
Themes and style:
At first comes the importance of Lulu on the Bridge, which can be easily noticed due to the absence of any clearness. Like all works of Paul Auster, this one is a mixture of maturation in philosophy about life and incidents with a mystery of a film noir, This movie is characterized by surrealism due to the frequent occurrence of the blurring between reality and fiction which creates a need to pinch oneself to determine the truth. The title and parts of the plot alluded to Pandora`s Box, the play by Frank Wedekind, about chaos and desire whose centre is the character Lulu, the chaos maker.
Reception:
The critique of the film turned out to be rather mixed. While some reviewers praised the performances of Keitel and Sorvino himself as well as the overall artistic of the film, the majority disparaged the storyline for it’s too chaotic and obscure. Still, undeterred by the varying views, Lulu on the Bridge is still considered as a good and interesting film making particularly the forays of those who appreciate Auster’s works.
