Watch Last Days

Last Days is a 2004 drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, a renowned filmmaker known for his works such as Milk, Elephant, and My Own Private Idaho. The movie is a fictionalized account of the last few days of the life of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain before his suicide on April 5, 1994. Van Sant's film is a slow, meditative, and immersive exploration of one man's fall into a deep state of loneliness, despair, and self-destruction.

The movie stars Michael Pitt as Blake, a struggling and reclusive musician living in a large, empty house in the woods of Washington State. Blake is a thinly veiled representation of Cobain, and Pitt's performance captures the musician's withdrawn nature, his drug addiction, and his inner turmoil. The movie follows Blake's meandering, dreamlike existence over a few days as he interacts with friends, family, and acquaintances.

The opening scene of Last Days sets the tone for the rest of the film. Blake waking up in his dilapidated house, wandering around in silence, wearing an oversized cardigan and dirty pajamas, and stumbling into rooms where people are trying to sleep. He looks haggard, tormented, and isolated in his own world. He's clearly uncomfortable in his skin and unable to connect with those around him. His speech is slow and slurred, and he moves with an awkward gait.

Throughout the movie, we see Blake drifting in and out of consciousness, muttering to himself, crawling on the floor, staring at walls, and losing himself in music. He wanders around his house or outside, smoking cigarettes, playing guitar, and avoiding interaction with the people who come to see him. There are moments of humor, such as when Blake tries to negotiate with a Yellow Pages salesman who has wandered onto his property.

However, for the most part, Last Days is a solemn and introspective film that relies on visuals and ambient sounds to create a sense of unease and disorientation. Van Sant employs long, static takes that give the audience time to contemplate the space around Blake and follow his movements as he shuffles from room to room. The sound design is immersive, with creaking floorboards, rustling leaves, and distant hums that evoke the emptiness and vastness of the forest.

The few characters who cross paths with Blake are all trying to reach out to him, but they struggle to penetrate his shell of indifference. His wife, played by Lukas Haas, arrives at the house with a private investigator, searching for him, but Blake offers only monosyllabic responses and avoids eye contact. A friend from his band, played by Asia Argento, comes to visit him and encourages him to play music with her, but he's unable to join in, and she ends up performing a song while he gazes at her from a distance. A group of fans shows up, breaking into his house and stealing his possessions, but he seems to barely register their presence.

The only person who manages to connect with Blake, in a brief and poignant scene, is a Yellow Pages deliveryman, played by Ricky Jay. The man comes to the house, and Blake lets him in, offering him a cup of tea. They exchange small talk, and the deliveryman reveals that he's a musician too, and they share a moment of understanding. It's a touching and unexpected scene that shows how human connection can be found in the strangest places.

The use of music in Last Days is one of its strongest elements. The score, composed by Michael Brook, is a haunting mix of ambient sounds, distorted guitars, and eerie textures that enhances the film's eerie and unsettling atmosphere. The few songs played in the movie, including a fragment of a Nirvana demo, add to the film's melancholic and reflective tone.

In conclusion, Last Days is an empathetic and evocative portrait of a troubled artist on the brink of self-destruction. It's a slow and introspective film that demands patience and attention but rewards the viewer with powerful moments of introspection and emotional resonance. Van Sant's homage to Cobain is a sober reflection on the price of fame, the isolation of creativity, and the fragility of human connection. It's a movie that will leave a lasting impression on those who are willing to engage with its delicate and haunting narrative.