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Reality, or at least the semblance of reality, provided cover for his attraction to extreme personalities.
Hes done the same with his new film,Eden, too.
But this time, Howard to his eternal credit lets the craziness take over.
The remarkable premise is, indeed, based on a true story.
They might have shunned bourgeoissociety, but they were also eager to promote themselves.
They sent letters abroad, and fantastical articles in German papers touted Ritters bold new experiment.
Or maybe he thinks the struggle will cure what ails them.
Ritter believes in agony.
What is the true meaning of life?
he asks in his work.
In pain we find truth.
And in truth, salvation.
In fact, others suffering turns him on.
We might begin to wonder if all this suffering is turning the director on, too.
She has elegant clothes, records, books, and not a clue about what shes doing.
If Ritter is a masochist and a sadist, Eloise is a pure hedonist.
Shes also a narcissist and a neurotic.
She repeats to herself, I am the embodiment of perfection, as if trying to convince herself.
We dont know what her story really is; even her accent seems fake.
And Armas plays her with live-wire unpredictability.
Uncharacteristically, Howard embraces the messiness of these people and the contradictions of their lives.
We see how vulnerable she is, which makes her both more captivating and more dangerous.
Everybody else is on uncertain ground as well.
This man is no visionary; hes just trying to make a name for himself.
For all her outward support, his wife has clearly begun to have her doubts about her beloved prophet.
But it pulls us along, too.
