{"id":89531,"date":"2023-01-27T13:02:50","date_gmt":"2023-01-27T20:02:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=89531"},"modified":"2023-01-27T13:02:50","modified_gmt":"2023-01-27T20:02:50","slug":"man-of-flowers-1983","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=89531","title":{"rendered":"Man of Flowers (1983)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Would God approve of someone who found flowers as sensually arousing, tender, loving beings?&#8221;<\/strong> <\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Poster-214x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-89533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Poster-214x300.png 214w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Poster-91x128.png 91w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Poster-192x270.png 192w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Poster.png 413w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAn eccentric elderly man (Norman Kaye) with a fixation on flowers and his dead mother pays a young model (Alyson Best) to come to his house and undress for him, and soon finds himself caught up in Best&#8217;s troubled relationship with her drug-addicted artist-boyfriend (Chris Haywood).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Artists<\/li>\n<li>Australian Films<\/li>\n<li>Models<\/li>\n<li>Nonconformists<\/li>\n<li>Werner Herzog Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary is a big fan of this &#8220;marvelous, richly-textured, award-winning film about a lovable, rich, middle-aged eccentric (Norman Kaye)&#8221; who is &#8220;haunted by his sad upbringing&#8221; and &#8220;spends his time battling the mediocrity that characterizes the modern world,&#8221; &#8220;seeking out and nurturing its rare forms of beauty.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Looking-at-Art.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Looking-at-Art-1024x580.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"363\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Looking-at-Art-1024x580.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Looking-at-Art-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Looking-at-Art-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Looking-at-Art-768x435.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Looking-at-Art-477x270.png 477w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Looking-at-Art.png 1277w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>He describes Kaye as someone who &#8220;writes daily letters to his mother although she is long dead, has regular sessions with an incompetent therapist:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Therapist.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Therapist-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89539\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Therapist-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Therapist-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Therapist-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Therapist-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Therapist-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Therapist.png 1279w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and mails himself letters so he can engage in meaningful conversations with his mailman.&#8221; In addition, &#8220;He paints, plays the church organ, listens to classical music, collects art and sculpture, and once a week pays a beautiful artist&#8217;s model (Alyson Best) to strip to the love duet from Donizetti&#8217;s <em>Lucia de Lammermoor<\/em>&#8221; &#8212; though he never touches her &#8220;as his intentions are honorable.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Model-Strip.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Model-Strip-1024x579.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"362\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89537\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Model-Strip-1024x579.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Model-Strip-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Model-Strip-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Model-Strip-768x434.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Model-Strip-477x270.png 477w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Model-Strip.png 1271w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Peary argues that &#8220;director Paul Cox smoothly blends wicked, offbeat humor with sad, penetrating looks at nice people who have really been clobbered (in more ways than one) in life.&#8221; He asserts that Kaye &#8212; &#8220;who was terrific in Cox&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31956\"><em>Lonely Hearts<\/em><\/a>, is even better here, playing a triumphant character instead of an insecure loser&#8221; &#8212; a &#8220;wonderful, original film character whose unique perspective on life has helped him overcome every roadblock to happiness&#8221; and who &#8220;is the ideal protector of the much younger Best&#8221; given that they &#8220;each can provide the other what they need most at this particular time in their lives.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Windshield.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Windshield-1024x571.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"357\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Windshield-1024x571.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Windshield-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Windshield-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Windshield-768x428.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Windshield-484x270.png 484w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Windshield.png 1279w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>However, I don&#8217;t really agree. While Kaye certainly shows unique agency in the final portion of the film, he is far from a &#8220;triumphant character,&#8221; but rather a sad, haunted man whose flashbacks to his past (including Werner Herzog playing his disciplinarian father): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Herzog2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Herzog2-1024x598.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Herzog2-1024x598.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Herzog2-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Herzog2-128x75.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Herzog2-768x448.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Herzog2-463x270.png 463w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Herzog2.png 1249w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; show how deeply wounded he was and remains. Sure, he gets by (he&#8217;s inherited plenty of money), but he&#8217;s deluded, lonely, misunderstood, and in some cases blatantly taken advantage of. His noble desire to help Best is laudable &#8212; though Peary weirdly ignores the fact that Best actually takes up a new lesbian lover (Sarah Walker) who seems equally interested in rescuing (and seducing) her. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Lesbian2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Lesbian2-1024x592.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"370\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Lesbian2-1024x592.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Lesbian2-300x174.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Lesbian2-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Lesbian2-768x444.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Lesbian2-467x270.png 467w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Lesbian2.png 1253w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Peary does point out that &#8220;since this film is about a lover of beauty, it&#8217;s only fitting that Cox&#8217;s film is beautiful to look at and has a sumptuous classical score to listen to,&#8221; and I agree with this; the sets, cinematography, and score are noteworthy. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Pool.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Pool-1024x594.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"371\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Pool-1024x594.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Pool-300x174.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Pool-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Pool-768x446.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Pool-465x270.png 465w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Pool.png 1249w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>On a personal note, I recall watching this film years ago in an evening class on Australian Cinema. Our instructor insisted on replaying the final, slow-moving, enigmatic shot &#8212; of Kaye on the beach, surrounded by other figures and birds &#8212; for a second time: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Beach.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Beach-1024x589.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"368\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Beach-1024x589.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Beach-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Beach-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Beach-768x442.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Beach-470x270.png 470w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Beach.png 1261w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and I remember feeling like this was cruel and unusual punishment at the end of a long day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Atmospheric sets and cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Studio.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Studio-1024x585.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"366\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Studio-1024x585.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Studio-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Studio-128x73.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Studio-768x439.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Studio-472x270.png 472w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Man-of-Flowers-Studio.png 1261w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though anyone interested in Australian cinema will certainly want to give it a watch. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0085893\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1984\/10\/09\/movies\/man-of-flowers-australian-esthete.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/man-of-flowers\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Would God approve of someone who found flowers as sensually arousing, tender, loving beings?&#8221; Synopsis: An eccentric elderly man (Norman Kaye) with a fixation on flowers and his dead mother pays a young model (Alyson Best) to come to his house and undress for him, and soon finds himself caught up in Best&#8217;s troubled relationship with her drug-addicted artist-boyfriend (Chris Haywood). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Artists Australian Films Models Nonconformists Werner Herzog Films Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: Peary is&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=89531\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89531","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=89531"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89531\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89555,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89531\/revisions\/89555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=89531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=89531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=89531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}