The Filmmaking Style Of Taika Waititi In ‘Thor: Love And Thunder,’ Explained

In Taika Waititi’s “Thor: Love and Thunder,” the character archetype is brilliantly crafted as the God Butcher (antagonist) hands his daughter over to a God (protagonist). And again, for the careless, almighty, monolithic Thor, the struggle of becoming a caring, loving ‘Uncle Thor’ explores new possibilities to the character. This transition was somehow unexpected from what we have witnessed in Ragnarok. The way this Thor film ended is very satisfying, if not perfect. The makers opted for virtual sets rather than a green screen, which gave the audience a more convincing VFX experience. Overall, after the grave disappointment in “Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness,” Marvel fans can once again smile after seeing Taika Waititi’s “Thor: Love and Thunder.” Reason? Waititi never disappoints.


How Was The Film? 

Well, however, the best part was the approach taken by Waititi. Marvel movies don’t prefer talking about Cancer, nor do they indulge children much. It was different this time, and the myths regarding gods were shattered into pieces. This Thor movie had a basic urge for companionship, which makes it more humane. From the plot construction to the character build-up, we will give you a ride to the world created by Taika Waititi in “Thor: Love and Thunder.” Let’s go.


The Style Of Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi is known for making films that build up a specific connection with the audience. He narrates a story full of humor, yet there is an urge for heartache at its core. If we take “Jojo Rabbit,” for example, we can always look for a connection between a child and his mother. Taika skillfully portrays stories that talk about companionship. The human urge to love makes his stories impeccable. He should be celebrated for his take on innocence, just like he did with the almighty Thor in “Ragnarok.” In “Jojo Rabbit,” too, he employed his divine gifts in converting the innocence of a mother-son relationship into a never-ending solitude. At the beginning of time, his approach to Thor remained pretty intact. His version of Thor is a child who makes gullible decisions every time. This Thor doesn’t intend to hurt people; he wants to be loved and cared for by those who love him. The concept of God abruptly changed in Ragnarok, which made the movie and Taika Waititi a blockbuster in Hollywood.

In “Thor: Love and Thunder,” people might argue that there was too much comedy. Well, we all know how Waititi loves to approach his narratives. His taste in music and humor is unblemished. This is a Marvel movie, and it is meant to be funny most of the time. It’s not like the serious business of the “Avengers” and the end of the world; it is more like a place where Zeus is celebrated for his entry, not for being the most powerful god. Waititi’s has approached the narrative on a comic note and there are many directors in recent times who failed to do it with such perfection.  Let’s get you through the lead characters to understand how Taika made this movie reasonably funny.

If we look into the build-up of Gorr, the God Butcher, we can see the pain in his eyes. The loss of his daughter made him retaliate against all the gods in the universe. He never begged for his daughter’s life to any god; instead, he had hoped for the betterment in front of the god he worshiped. The god rejected him while the crush of a demon embraced him, and his rage rained over all the gods. Taika and Christian Bale did a magnificent job portraying the most accurate meaning of how it feels to be Gorr, the God Butcher. The pain of losing the loved one while scavenging around the universe beheading gods, was subtly put, and a tinge of dark humor was added at times. For example, when the children talked about Thor beheading Thanos, Gorr demonstrated what a beheading looks like. The cheers turned into screams within seconds. The timing of the dark comedy here is impeccable.

Now, the protagonists in this film all have their share of suffering. Jane (Natalie Portman) is going through stage 4 cancer. She is destroyed both mentally and physically, yet she helps a stranger understand what exactly a wormhole is. She talks with a funny tone, knowing her days are numbered, and many of her wishes will remain unattended. On the other hand, Valkyrie lost her loved one on the battlefield, seeking help from the gods, and they never cared. She is now the Queen of the New Asgard and keeps the Asgardians safe from any distress. Here too, the build-up from Jane Foster to Mighty Thor is well-monitored by Taika Waititi. Thor had almost the same treatment in the first half of the movie, but in the second half, we see a more mature man responsible for the lost kids as well as his newfound long-lost lover. Here too, Taika Waititi kept the innocence in him while giving him maturity in the narrative.

The comedy is justified, and so is the course of action, as this movie was meant to be a classic Marvel movie. Marvel movies are always up for some fun, love, and callbacks. Although, this time, there weren’t any such callbacks, which made the film more interesting. The virtual sets helped Waititi play with the lighting more diligently than ever. The fighting sequence between Gorr and Thor on the black and white screen significantly impacted the audience. This is by far one of the very best pieces of VFX by a Marvel production in recent times. During an interview, Christian Bale once commented that Taika is a very original filmmaker. The effects Taika brought in the fight sequences, the transition of thundering blue and shadowed yellow in a black and white foreground and background is something this movie will be remembered for a more extended period. There is not much of a complaint in the VFX section; no one does that in a Marvel movie. This new-age technique helped “Thor: Love and Thunder” in so many ways that words cannot describe them. Taika Waititi has produced one of the most scintillating visual effects in modern times. His vision should be regarded as one of the most era-defying pieces of work in this field.

So, the filmmaking approach of Taika Waititi has always followed the vision of his heart, and thus the end work always appeals on an emotional level. This movie takes on the funny sides yet produces a regular action-packed theme. “Love and Thunder” is technically sound and visually blissful. However, the scenes where Thor takes on Zeus might have some absurdities that may have different opinions regarding the essence of the film. The screams of the giant goats add another layer of comic relief to this movie; even the conversation between Star-Lord and Thor starts with a deeply philosophical approach and ends entertainingly. Some might argue that the film is too comical in its tone, but Taika Waititi made it very clear from the beginning that he would be reconstructing the myths of the Marvel movies. Even the tone of Marvel is changed magnificently, bringing in the metal vibe to the ever so charming manner.

In conclusion, Taika Waititi outperformed himself in “Thor: Love and Thunder,” surpassing all expectations. This film has all the tonal shifts the audience doesn’t expect. This is what made it impeccable, if not infinitely superior.


See More: ‘Thor: Love And Thunder’ Ending, And Easter Eggs, Explained – Is This The Thor We Always Knew?


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Shovan Roy
Shovan Roy
Shovan Roy is a creative content writer. Formerly he used to write film reviews on an international film festival website named Beyond the Curve International Film Festival. He also interviewed global directors. He also interviewed one of the characters from the show 'Trailer Park Boys', Mr. Bernard Robichaud, platformed in Netflix. Shovan tends to write through the third person narrative and he loves to do psychoanalysis. He can't say that he has mastered it but that is some sort of hobby of his. Film is a platform where he loves to spend most of his time learning.

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