Destiny & Fate In THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (2013) - A Video Essay 

Good video, just one disagreement. Luke was not a man with no money, respect or girl in the beginning. He has all of these things, as he is paid to do what he loves, gets respect from the adoring crowds for his feats, and is implied to have girls in every town, as he sees no need to keep in touch after he leaves a given girl/town. The fact that he has all these things makes his later sacrifice of them noble, as the need to be a responsible father to his newly discovered son outweighs the "good life" he has. He gives up the life that was all about himself, in exchange for a life that was all about his son.

Apparently Ben Mendelsohn actually improvised the 'if you ride like lightening, you're gonna crash like thunder' line

It's hard to put into words the way I was affected by this movie. I remember coming out of the cinema feeling I had witnessed something deeply profound and it played on my mind for at least a week. An incredibly bold piece of film making.

Every time someone ask me why i like ryan gosling, i just say that its for this movie, the nice guys and drive.

The first time I saw this film I was 16 years old and I stayed up all night after watching thinking hard about what it means to be a man and a father. Mike Patton’s snow angel never fails to bring a tear to my eye, especially at the precise moments it’s used in the film. I watched it again last night and it touched me on another level. Luke reminds me so much of my brother. And to a lesser degree myself. Masculinity and the notion of duty, feeling like a failure and taking wild risks to escape that feeling of being a let down. Wanting to do so much more for yourself and those that mean the most to, but just not knowing how. I think there are millions of Handsome Lukes in this world and we can all be saved. Our pasts don’t have to define our futures and if you’re brave enough to confront your demons and change you can save yourself. This film truly touched my heart.

He even wore Metallica's Ride The Lightning t-shirt.

The sunglasses scene gives me chills every fucking time. I shed a tear everytime in this movie because of how i feel i relate to this story. Such an amazing film

I love this film. Regret, remorse, redemption... desperation. The willingness to make the wrong decisions to rectify the past, that can never be undone.

As creative as the intertwining multiple stories concept was, I can't help but wish that the entire movie had focused on Ryan Gosling's character despite how good the actual movie really was

Anyone who loves this film as much as I do is automatically a friend for life in my book. I love you guys!

"You're callin' him back!"

I think you missed the point. Jason, the son, escaped "fate." He escaped to The Place Beyond the Pines. Notice how he rides through fields at the end. The rest of the movie takes place in a town surrounded by pine trees. And he literally left town. The other characters chose to stay, which meant their fate was determined.

The Place Beyond The Pines is a modern fuckin' masterpiece. Glad you called it one of the greatest of all time. It's so true. Derek Cianfrance is underrated and before his time. Genius.

great analysis, this movie was in my top 10 of 2013 and it annoys me how little attention it gets, truly a hidden gem.

This movie keeps getting better for me. The music. The characters. I'm still in awe of how this movie made me feel. And I worked in up state New York for the better part of my 20's, and they captured something about the people of that region. And I believe he captured a feeling of desperation among people in our country. In such a beautiful way. Cheers!

Thanks for reviewing this film. I was a publicist for the film and it was truly a joy to work with Derek. He’s just a fantastic talent.

This movie is tremendous.

I agree completely, the place beyond the pines is one of my favourite films of all time, it's probably the most impacting film I've seen

This movie got me into riding motorcycles and will always be one of my favorite films. Awesome video mate!

Such a great film. Plus it has special meaning for me as it was filmed in my area (Schenectady, Scotia and Glenville NY). The word Schenectady means "place beyond the pines" in the native iroquois language