Dante's Inferno

Having read the Inferno of Dante's works, it can become a bit stale with all of the adaptations and re-adaptations. The video game based on the works was okay but limited only to the horror/action genre that it had set itself up to be. I find this take on the classic to be NOT watered down, but a modern interpretation that a layman can view and perhaps be inspired to look more into it.

All of the snobs that say that it's dumbed down apparently don't realize that very old classic literature--especially ones with heavy religious themes--don't click with everyone and can appear on the surface as holier-than-thou to a modern reader. With this film the basics of not only the horrors of Hell and Dante's enduring love for Beatrice (which would probably seem obsessive and maudlin for today's audience) are presented in a digestible way. I was already acquainted with the Circles of Hell even before watching this film, but making parallels and connections to what I knew and the "updated" version of it proved to be just as entertaining as if I came knowing little about the source material.

You never know what you're going to get with an independent film...Even one that's "won awards." I'm pleased to say that this film both entertained and impressed me visually. The art style had me nervous at first, but as the film progressed it was clear that these filmmakers put a lot of effort into the look of the film.

Of course, you should know this film has no insights to speak of. This gives a very surface-level account of the inferno...which I read once 8 years ago, and still remember details this film left out. The film basically defines each level, provides one or two examples, and moves on. History and philosophy aside, the film does well to keep things low-key, and uses that to their comedic advantage wisely. The film is never laugh-out-loud funny, but it definitely aims to be a comedy.

I wasn't watching this movie for a thought-provoking film, I was just looking for a visually entertaining movie, and it was.

8/10

Yes, this is a puppet show. Yes, the puppets are kind of cheesy, hand-drawn paper animated with visible sticks. You know what? It fits. The art design is really interesting. Seeing Hell represented as an allegory of a crowded urban city is very interesting. They do a very good job of mapping (mostly) outdated "sins" to modern ones. If you liked the original poem, or even better Larry Niven and Jerry Pournell's novel "Inferno" than you'll enjoy this movie. To those that say it mocks Dante's beliefs, well, most of the people he populated hell with were political enemies, either contemporaneous or historical, and in those terms the source material could be seen as less about his vision of the afterlife and more a book of schadenfreude celebrating his enemies downfall. Funny how his allies with similar flaws as his enemies mostly wound up in Purgatory. I hope they consider making both Purgatorio and Paradiso.

If you ever wanted to see a film based on Dante's Inferno that was performed with cutout puppetry, then you'll get just that with this 2007 unknown indie project. I never thought I'd see the day when Alighieri's work would be adapted into the world of puppets that look like they were done by Mike Judge, Robert Crumb, and Rob Zombie. The many different vignettes that our leads roam through are impressively crafted, but they do go on a bit too long, although that is depending on your appreciation for the music on display. Besides, the two dimensional puppetry allows for some creative design work that makes one feel like they're seeing a puppet show caught on film. The film is sadly hard to find nowadays, but for what it is worth, there's a lot to appreciate in the craftsmanship.

I just finished watching this on DVD and have to say it was an interesting experience. I have been a watcher of animation and a reader of classic books, but to see the two combined in such an unusual manner was well... refreshing. I love the fact that the movie was an updated telling of Inferno. I think that the retelling of the original would be lost to most moviegoers, heck unless you happen to be a historian specializing in the day and age of Dante, you would probably be scratching your head at obscure Italian politicos of the 13th century. That's why footnotes are lovely in books. The film seemed to carry the same spirit of the book, in that it was a rousing social and political poem. But it does carry a strong leftist theme that most conservatives would rather not endure. The look of the film is, to me, very fresh and amazing. The amount of work and care in the puppetry is spectacular. If you are open to a new experience of an old tale give it a try.