Richard Gere and Jacob Elordi's portrayal of the same character across decades is a cinematic marvel. In "Oh, Canada," Paul Schrader takes us on a profound journey through the life of Leonard Fife (Richard Gere), an octogenarian documentary filmmaker facing terminal illness. This movie is not just about a man's life but a reflection on the nature of art and the consequences of one's choices.

Unraveling the Fallen Life through the Lens of "Oh, Canada"

Section 1: The Making of a Movie

Leo made his name in 1970 with a film exposing the testing of Agent Orange on Canadian farmland. Now, as he sits for an extensive interview about his career, it becomes a confrontation with his own self. His agreement to this interview is a calculated move to destroy his reputation, with his wife Emma (Uma Thurman) present to witness it all. This reflexive twist sparks Schrader's imaginative flights and his skeptical view of the movie business.The multiple layers of flashbacks add depth to the story. They cover Leo's recollections of his actions in the 1960s, including his failed political commitments, marriages, and romances. There are also flashbacks to more recent times, such as his time as a film-school professor. One of Leo's failings is his abandonment of a son, whose voice is heard at the start of the film, looking back at Leo's confessional interview and death.

Section 2: The 1968 Defining Moment

In 1968, Leo (played by Jacob Elordi) was teaching at the University of Virginia and married to Alicia (Kristine Froseth). Their lives were filled with plans and opportunities, but a fateful offer came their way. Leo was given the chance to take over his wife's family's pharmaceutical business, which would have tied him to her family and separated him from his friends. This decision set in motion a series of events that would shape his life.Schrader films these scenes with a visual romanticism, capturing the physical stylings of the era. The sleek lines of Leo's mid-1960s Corvair, the modernism of a new airport, and the gleam of a diner counter all add to the atmosphere. The road movie aspect of Leo's travels from Virginia to Vermont and finally to Canada is a journey fueled by his self-loathing and the lies that have defined his life.

Section 3: Schrader's Method and Manner

Comparing "Oh, Canada" to Schrader's previous adaptation, "Affliction," shows the distinctiveness of his recent work. Shot rapidly on low budgets, it displays rough textures that run through the performances, editing, dialogue, and sense of form. In "Oh, Canada," Benjamin Rodriguez Jr.'s sharp-edited scenes and Andrew Wonder's varied cinematography bring the story to life.Schrader's script is full of conceptual leaps, and he daringly assigns some actors to play multiple roles. The dual characterization of Leo by Elordi and Gere is a masterstroke. Elordi plays young Leo with an appealing diffidence that contrasts with Gere's portrayal of a dying man worn down by physical and moral suffering. Later, there is an extraordinary turn that raises Leo's confession to sublime spiritual heights.Schrader frames Leo's crossing of the border as the end point of his life, a real death that he traded his soul for over fifty years earlier. The story of Leo's public life, his acclaimed cinema and teaching career, and his romantic and professional partnership with Emma is a life lived posthumously. It is a horror and a religious vision, a zombie movie in essence.