This movie was sent to me by a kindly stranger 3000 milies all the way in England. That is has so few letterboxd notes due to what I can only assume is a criminal lack of availability it's a shame because it was one of the most humane depictions of life I've ever seen on film, transcending all taboos and conventional filmmaking. (Going for a more experimental, maybe even tamed anarchy filming approach) that delivers a strong meloncolic but also somewhat courageous. What I noticed in the cinematography and my understanding of some of the dialogue was that the script of the film is taken from and heavily inspired by the Russian works of authors such as Dostoevsky, Chekov and Goncharov, with standout influences here being; Crimes and Punishment, A Nervous Breakdown, Notes from Underground and Oblomov to list just a few. First, similar to these works, this movie emphasized to me that people's actions and intentions can be the result of very complex and often deeply hidden thoughts, experiences, beliefs and feelings.
Both the main character of the film and the audience undergo an examination of conscience. As a practicing Muslim, I am familiar with this concept through the application of Islamic Muhasaba, but after reviewing it and comparing it to Crime and Punishment, I was left with a new understanding of how we sin, why we sin, and the consequences. I had to watch this twice to get to terms with this, as on the surface one can easily be lost in the layers this film has to offer, but Jack's dealing what I see as a deeply spiritual and psychological crisis (that those around him can't understand) makes for a more interesting approach to character study, that instead of building up his own values he sees glory lost and like an anti-message on Henry Vaughan's 'The Retreat' or Wordsworth's Immortality Ode, he seeks to transcend his own image to something abstract and beyond the negative experience of society.
The way this movie reintroduced me to English culture is what intrigued me the most, and in light of the European literature I've read over the years, I can say that presents a new fascination on multiple levels that communicates a 'New England', a weeping and tortured England, a land of high poverty , low art. I was so captivated on so many levels; The language they spoke to me seemed even foreign compared to the generally depilated language or my unconscious prejudices about the English character. How can I interpret what these conservatives are doing to subjugate based on what I see on the screen? Are there other people at this level? For others, this can lead to fantastic experiences in this distinctive genre of English filmmaking.
I must also mention that the filmmaker who offered me the chance to see this film exuded an infectious and fervent excitement, the likes of which I have never before encountered, with no sales or profit motives, but a want to share and connect with others.
Cinematography, with its lyrical soundtrack, gave each inanimate element the allure of a national icon and gave each shot a sense of urgency and resting beauty. The movie has the feel of something that will grow in importance over time; perhaps twenty years from now people will appreciate it for its hidden beauty and the lessons it contains; For now, I'm just grateful to be one of the lucky few who saw it.
