Untangling the strands of a murky crime is undoubtedly appealing, which is what makes unraveling murder mysteries so alluring. Who can resist the thrill of exposing secrets and acting as both judge and jury in a mental theater? It’s a genre that speaks to our innate curiosity and encourages us to play detective and pit our wits against the intricate plot twists. Who does not enjoy a good murder mystery? The solution is as elusive as the clues themselves since the intrigue is ingrained in human nature itself. Glass Onion-Knives Out Mystery is a 2022 murder mystery, the second part of 2019 Knives Out. The movie features spectacular settings of locations and scenes from Greece. The filmmakers have utilized the beauty of the place to the core. The film features exquisite architecture and photography of streets, hotels, and even residences.
A Glimpse into the Film’s Narrative
A fascinating murder mystery is engineered by billionaire Miles Bron on his picturesque Greek island villa during the COVID-19 pandemic of May 2020. The mysterious and alluring game attracts five friends: the scientist Lionel, the governor Claire, the designer Birdie, the rights champion Duke, and the expelled Andi, co-founder of their software firm. The group warmly accepts the arrival of renowned detective Benoit Blanc, who deftly reveals the undercurrents of their hostilities and secret plans. As the tension rises, Duke’s unexpected death raises questions about Andi. Blanc peels back the complex layers, revealing a complicated plan entwined with a missing napkin—a revelation that might expose the risky Klear project, Bron’s favorite project. With perfect expertise, Blanc links Miles to a sinister network of betrayal and accuses him of being the mastermind behind both deaths. As Helen poses as Andi, she reveals Miles’ guilt, setting off his stunning fall amid the chaotic collapse of the mansion.
The narrative spins a web of deceit, ambition, and vindication against the backdrop of the pandemic. It culminates in a gripping exposé that leaves the characters and audience reeling from the devastating consequences of the truth.
Setting & Glamour: Revealing the Enigmatic Villa
The port of Dapia, which is on Spetses’ northeastern coast, is the first major location. When the main group gathers to board a boat for Miles’ private island, this is the key part of the movie where the port is used. This results in one of the movie’s funniest scenes, as each character arrives at Dapia’s pier to join Miles’ luxury yacht in their unique way. The most affluent Greek inhabitants are known to vacation in Porto Heli, which is situated on the mainland just to the north of the island of Spetses. The beach-lined Peloponnese has been the center of Greek culture for millennia and is dotted with ruins that are protected by Unesco. Amanzoe, a modern-day Acropolis with expansive views of the Aegean Sea, is located on the east coast of the Peloponnese, close to Porto Heli. Villa 20 at Amanzoe, an opulent resort near Porto Heli that is a part of the well-known Aman brand, is where the majority of the film was shot. The late architect Edward Tuttle, along with architect Marios Angelopoulos, was responsible for developing the architecture of all Aman properties around the world. Villa 20 at Amanzoe can be rented by cinema buffs for EUR 40,000 or more per night, excluding taxes and fees.
The tech billionaire Miles Bron has a massive modernist estate hidden away in Southern Greece, complete with sculpture-dotted gardens, private pools, bizarre art, and a huge glass pavilion that protrudes from the top. The large Grecian palace with a magnificent outdoor staircase was topped with a twenty-meter-high modern glass atrium. It is Miles’ tribute to the Glass Onion, his favorite bar where he started the IT company that made him wealthy. The structure is also a powerful representation of his dull character. It relates to Miles’s almost fetishistic interest in himself and the symbolic fact that there isn’t much to Miles at all. An atrium inside resembles a museum containing works by Banksy, Kandinsky, and the Mona Lisa. With nine bedrooms, six private pools, a 650 square meter spa, and a structure that flows down a hillside in six stages of sculpture-dotted scented gardens, it is the epitome of indoor-outdoor life.The main living area of Miles’s home, where much of the action takes place, was constructed on a set in Serbia while the interior of the villa was used to film the guest rooms.
The large, opulent home served as the ideal background for the production team’s diverse, seemingly random collection of everything expensive. From the B&B Italia chairs to the mesmerizing Icosahedron (the faceted mirror and LED sculpture in the atrium) by Anthony James, the Mona Lisa replica to the assortment of glass curios, many intriguing elements that stand alone but don’t come together under a single overarching aesthetic are rendered useless. They are cosmetic, much like their owner; the only actual quality on exhibit is enormous money.
Forging the Glass Onion: Behind the Scenes of Creation
An early drawing of the onion’s design was created using a picture of the villa and was then placed on top. After some more labor, it was decided to grab an onion, which was then started to be cut. As the genuine onion was cut, the layers were seen and it was required to delve into it because the sculptural quality was fascinating to investigate and comprehend. Finding a way to implement the idea after it had been conceived was the next difficult task. It would have been extremely expensive to try to incorporate compound curves into the glass because doing so would require transforming structural components into a complex shape. Even if adding compound curves would have been expensive, the building would have looked less architectural.
A thorough drawing of each layer, starting at the center and working outward to the walls, was used during the creation of the glass onion. Additionally, 3D renderings were mentioned. It looks like a big shipping crate since it was pre-built using plywood for the glass. This was carried out in the U.K., and it then required disassembly and transit to Serbia. The plywood was then delivered to a glass business where it was precisely cut to shape. Everything was then bundled and transported to the Belgrade stage. The idea was that Bron was a person “who wanted people to know he was powerful, he had great taste, and was a disruptor.”
Investigating Beautiful Artwork
The Hockney
Following the idea’s inception, Bron’s estate is home to the David Hockney Nichols Canyon acrylic on canvas. One of the best modern representations of the Los Angeles neighborhood is Nichols Canyon, which shows Mulholland Drive to the north and Hollywood Boulevard to the south. Bright colors are used to represent the aerial view in a Fauvist manner.
The Cy Twombly
Additionally, there is the 2004 work Untitled (Bacchus 1st Version V) by Cy Twombly, which is a wood panel covered in an explosion of crimson acrylic, wax crayon, and oil stick. At a Sotheby’s auction in 2016, this item was purchased by private dealer Michaela de Pury for $15,370,000. In Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which can be seen in Miles Bron’s (Edward Norton) sitting room of his enormous estate, it would turn out that this trader had to have sold it to him.
The red sofa
In this house, we also discover a striking crimson sofa. It is striking red and looks quite similar to the Terrazza Landscape sofa, with a red coffee table, rug, and lamps to match. The De Sede Terrazza Landscape sofa is furniture that incorporates Pop Art. The sculptural stepping DS-1025 sofa by designer Ubald Klug for opulent Swiss manufacturer De Sede is made up of two cleverly constructed sofa components that serve as the foundation for your interpretation. Each component resembles a terrace-like stepped slope with varying widths and depths. An appealing sofa, a sitting pyramid, or a little mountain range of seats can be made with just one building block on the left and right, just like in Pop Art interiors. The gorgeous leathers and colors for this stepped sofa are endless.
The mystery box
The complex puzzle box invitation that was mailed to each guest was reverse-engineered to serve as a miniature model of the dome. It begins with an elaborate wooden spinning wheel before revealing a succession of mind-bending puzzles, such as a projection, a Fibonacci number sequence, an abacus, and a combination lock. It opens and reveals itself, but it only reveals its mysteries as you unravel them. It constantly changes and opens up, just like the mystery that’s unfolding in the movie. The movie has a pivotal moment in the middle where everything changes and your perspective is completely altered.
The Monalisa
The Mona Lisa serves as a legacy sign in Glass Onion. If you will, the picture can be thought of as Bron’s life’s mood board because it represents the outcome he hopes to attain. Bron frequently says during the movie that he wants to be remembered alongside the Mona Lisa; he wants to be recognized as one of history’s greatest individuals, standing the test of time and being a member of the elite group of artists and inventors.
References:
Design Pataki. (2022). Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – Everything You Need To Know About The Greek Villa – Design Pataki. [online] Available at: https://www.designpataki.com/glass-onion-a-knives-out-mystery-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-greek-villa
Nast, C. (2022). The ‘Knives Out’ Sequel Trades a Gothic Revival Mansion for a Billionaire’s Mediterranean Palace. [online] Architectural Digest. Available at: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/the-knives-out-sequel-billionaires-mediterranean-palace
Tangcay, J. (2022). How ‘Knives Out 2’ Production Designer Built the ‘Glass Onion’ Using 350 Sheets of Glass and a Real Onion. [online] Variety. Available at: https://variety.com/2022/artisans/awards/glass-onion-production-design-how-it-was-built-rian-johnson-1235451805/
Benson, P. (2023). Detective work on the art and furniture in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – Film and Furniture. [online] filmandfurniture.com. Available at: https://filmandfurniture.com/2023/07/detective-work-on-the-art-and-furniture-in-glass-onion-a-knives-out-mystery
Desowitz, B. (2022). How the ‘Knives Out’ Sequel Got Its ‘Glass Onion’. [online] IndieWire. Available at: https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/knives-out-making-of-glass-onion-1234783551/
