I watched it in its entirety

My first impression was the same impression I have gotten from most European movies/stories. I liked the concept that Bradbury portrayed in Fahrenheit 451, but I dislike how the story was told. I dislike the manner in which most European stories are told. I never read the book "The Martian Chronicles" by him, but I did try to see the movie. I gave up on the movie as I would have on the book.

I prefaced this post with that yammer, because "Michael" hit me the same way. I understand what was being conveyed, I just disliked HOW it was attempted. I suppose I am spoiled with American methodologies in story telling.

There are several things that did strike me as poignant, however; enough that it makes me want to briefly discuss it here.

The most memorable moment in the movie, for me, was the boy (Wolfgang, although you only know that from David Rauchenberger's credit at the end) choosing the knife. (If anyone has not seen the movie, this scene will not make sense to you.) I really felt badly for the boy and certainly can understand his choice. I think that is where the movie defined the conflict very well for people here. This entire movie pointed to something that just is NOT us, here. I cannot see a problem (other than a social one) with a sexual relationship between a grown man and a willing participant who is the age of the boy in this movie. However, that is NOT what this movie focused on. The boy was NOT a willing participant and, as such, the movie suggests to the mass of viewers that all adult/child sex is like this. For this reason, and this reason alone, I object to the movie as a whole.

Another great moment in the movie was when Michael was having his sexual encounter with the woman. She could sense he was having "problems" and asked about it. Michael denied it. Yet, there it is! No matter how hard one tries to change one's sexual library, often it is impossible. There he was, in flagrante delicto, with all the motivation a healthy heterosexual male could want yet his power tools were just not plugged in... so to speak. This feature of human sexuality works in reverse, as well. A normal, heterosexual human would find it difficult to perform homosexually, should society declare that homosexuality was the only legal way to enjoy sex. I think the movie hit that point well.

I liked how the movie ended with Michael's mother discovering things. But I noticed, too, that of all the child/adult sexually focused movies I have seen, the adult is usually killed. In "The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane", the antagonist is killed by the little girl. In "Hard Candy" the girl kills the antagonist also. In Water World, the boater who wants to buy sex with the "wee one" if he can't buy sex from the adult female, gets killed by the protagonist although it wasn't directly because the requested sex partner. There are many movies/stories that have the "pedophile" killed as a catharsis. I object to that being a common plot.

I read a review about the Christmas Card scene where Michael burns Christmas Card Drawing that the boy had created for him.
The card being the boy and his abductor. I think what upsets Michael is how sterile and emotionless the drawing is. Most kids draw their families holding hands, next to a house--maybe a sun in the background. There are two disconnected individuals in the picture with no inscription. I think this is especially difficult for Michael having read the boy's letters to his family.
For me, I found it to be quite ambiguous.

I certainly felt bad for the woman co-worker who managed to enter into the home. She was honestly happy to see Michael but he ended up kicking her out. I felt very badly for her.

Sound quality was better than Hollywood Foley artwork. I liked how all the little sounds were cranked up a bit to help you feel you were "in the movie".

I promised that I would watch the movie and comment. Thus, I have done so.