marcopop

Watching this film was a treat. Slow at times, but so stunningly poetic all the time, and once in a while, really intense. As if Kafka and Bergman had just watched "Eraserhead" and decided to do something together. Sort of.

This was definitely the most graphically disturbing film I've ever seen. Apparently, the sole purpose of the film is to shock and outrage people (according to the Stockholm Film Festival booklet), and I guess it does, but it doesn't really go any further than that. Or does it? I get the feeling that Karim Hussain has something to tell us, but it doesn't get through very well. I understand the reason for showing the things no-one dares to show, and I think that's good. But it is not presented very well, so people will not get the picture. The last section of the film is clearly a statement against American double standard of morality, and the modern mans loss of spirituality, and it is also the most intentionally apparent section.

The 'sound design' is great, very reminiscent to Lynch's Eraserhead. The music on the other hand, is most of the time inappropriate. The middle part of the film where people are indulging in an orgy with Mother Earth, is so badly scored the scene becomes silly, which is a shame. Hussain should have chosen music in the vein of Ligeti and Penderecki for a film like this (like Kubrick did).

If you want to see a shocking film that is dead serious all of the time, go for this one. Not for everyone, though. Or maybe it is?

This is one of those films you just have to love. But I wonder why Mr. E. E. Merhige chose this to be his second film, after his ground-breaking and artistically explosive debut "Begotten" some ten years earlier. Begotten displayed evidence of pure talent and originality, and most of all a rebellion against mainstream (Hollywood) cinema. This film, on the other hand, is a straight-forward story, lacking in originality even when compared to some recent Hollywood products. Why will an artist reduce himself from a Bunuel to a Tim Burton?

The acting makes the film. Dafoe is great as Max Schreck, although perhaps a bit over-acting at times. Malkovich makes a superb german "Herr Doktor" with a flawless german accent. Udo Kier is as stale and uninspired as always (we love him though). But the real star here is Eddie Izzard, who pulls of a remarkable portrait of "Gustav". It's totally impossible to take him seriously, even for a second, but he gives the film so much - his subtle facial expressions are priceless.

Finally, I must give a hand to Dan Jones on his fantastic score, the most extraordinarily beautiful american film music in years. This is probably not the last we've heard from this aspiring composer.

Nice film, see it.