Essential Killing

All throughout watching "Essential Killing", the movie reminded me of the 1970's movie "Figures in a Landscape"; directed by Joseph Losey and starring Robert Shaw and Malcolm McDowell. Now, when browsing through the external reviews, I notice that Roger Ebert mentions that same film as well, so that means my observations can't be that stupid. Ha, maybe I should go work for the Chicago Sun Times! Anyways, "Figures in a Landscape" is a rather obscure and little known cult gem from the early 70's with a very bizarre narrative structure and substance. The film simply revolves on two escaped convicts nervously running across a desolate area, while chased by a menacing black helicopter and later also by army patrols on foot. All throughout that film, You won't develop any sympathy for the two fugitives - as they commit some truly vile acts along their way – but their journey nevertheless remains fascinating to behold. Well, there you go, Jerzy Skolimowski's new film "Essential Killing" is pretty much exactly like that. The widely acclaimed and professionally offbeat actor Vincent Gallo depicts a nervous Taliban terrorist named Mohammed. That alone is already quite courageous and controversial for an American actor, but Gallo has got several weird title choices in his repertoire. Shortly after his deportation, for murdering three US mariners in Afghanistan with a bazooka, Mohammed manages to escape during the prison transport and the rest of the film illustrates his harsh and devastating to remain at large. Not only does he has to outrun the much better prepared and equipped military forces who are continuously on his tail, he also has to confront a very uneven and hostile landscape without any food or apt clothing. Just like in the aforementioned "Figures in a Landscape", you can't (and I presume you're also not supposed to) develop much feelings of sympathy for the protagonist. After all, he's a Taliban terrorist – something of which we're reminded about occasionally through flashbacks about his training period – and he does kill several innocent people throughout his escape attempt. Killing that are essential for him to remain in freedom, hence the title. Obviously "Essential Killing" isn't the type of which you can say you enjoyed the viewing. The subject matter is dead serious, the narrative wants you to remain objective throughout and our lead actor doesn't have a single line of monologue or thoughts. Nonetheless this film is worth checking out, especially for the more demanding type of cinema fanatic, for various other reasons. First and foremost, there's Vincent Gallo's undeniably impressive performance. His role is both physically and mentally exhausting and you can clearly see that none of his emotions are staged, including the fatigue, famish and agony. How many actors, who have already achieved a certain status, do you know will be eager to do stuff like walk barefoot through the snow with a temperature reaching minus 30 degrees Celsius? The enchanting Emmanuelle Seigner receives second billing, but her role is limited to a small chapter near the end of the movie. The film itself is very absorbing, even without Gallo's tour-de-force performance. Every shot, every inch of the landscape seems precisely measured and re-considered at least a dozen times before featuring in the film. The choreography is simply wonderful and the locations – apparently a mixture between Polish and Norwegian – are almost continuously breathtaking. "Essential Killing" is a remarkable and memorable film, albeit not necessarily apt for all tastes.

Refreshingly unlike a lot of Hollywood's products where one is fed the director's opinion and invited to swallow it whole. Here a simple story is told without the usual, clearly identified good and bad characters. We watch a story thread its course and are invited to decide for ourselves who, if anyone, is guilty or innocent. Mahommed, the main character, could easily have been portrayed as the stereotypical Jihadist instead he is depicted as frightened and confused which one would suppose are the normal reactions to the situation he finds himself in. It is set in stark but beautiful environments and one can vividly feel the pain and deprivation which is depicted in a most understated manner. This film is different, it is in a league of its own and will be appreciated by anyone with a mind of their own - essential viewing for those who don't.

The film starts with an awesome aerial view of the desert n ends in the vast frozen woodland. A man (Vincent Gallo) responsible for killing three US soldiers is shifted to an unknown location somewhere in Poland. He gets a chance to escape into the frozen wilderness n from this moment on our fugitive has to resort to essential killing n various other stuff to survive, including sucking milk from a lactating female. Even Takashi Mike must hav not thot about this kinda thing. Vincent Gallo's acting is the highlight. His facial expressions speaks more than words. The director n cinematographer shud be commended for their effort.

I can't say that 'Essential Killing' is essential viewing. It's about a man named Mohammed (Vincent Gallo), a terrorist on the run from the US army in Afghanistan. Mohammed is captured and detained in a Guantanamo Bay facsimile, where he is given the treatment we've all read about. But en route to being transferred, perhaps extradited, the car he's in crashes on the snowy roads of Poland where he makes good his escape. The rest of the film is a chase.

One thing the film tries to do is humanise Mohammed. Recurring visions of his unveiled wife and child, and excerpts from the Koran, influence us into believing that Mohammed himself isn't a threat, but the fascistic ideology he subscribes to is ('Allah killed those men', his thought-process reassures him after he's killed a number of innocents).

Watching this film I kept wondering if Gallo was the right choice. I won't say it would have been better for a Middle-Easterner to play Mohammed because that would betray the very idea of acting. But one thing's for sure: Gallo doesn't convince as an Afghan.

There are too many conveniences. Mohammed is rendered deaf by an explosion, so can't respond to people. (Would it have been that difficult to learn a few words of Pashto?). It's apocryphal that he'd be such an efficient killer in his emaciated condition. And would being attacked by feral dogs, caught in a bear trap, crushed by a tree, starved and submerged in sub-zero waters not be enough to kill you? Apparently not mighty Mohammed.

The disjointed score is a distraction. Clearly that's the point, but it would have made what little suspense there is no less palpable to have no soundtrack at all. Director Jerzy Skolimowski might have realised from the absence of dialogue that silence is often the loudest noise.

It's a demanding role physically, and Gallo gives an almost animalistic portrayal of a man whose only dilemma is kill or be killed. What's both good and bad is that Gallo doesn't appear to be acting. The film features a few harrowing scenes, including one where Gallo, desperate for nourishment, sucks the milk from a pregnant woman's breast while she's breastfeeding her child. I'm sure I've never seen anything quite as grotesque. If any actor was going to do that, it'd have to be him.

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You've rarely seen a movie like Jerzy Skolimowski's "Essential Killing". Vincent Gallo (of "Buffalo '66") plays an escaped POW from Afghanistan who roams the European countryside in midwinter hoping to be able to survive in this unfamiliar setting. The absence of dialogue - except for a few lines - gives the film an especially surreal feel. There's no particular political message. The message is: when you're on your own, you'd better have your wits about you.

This is the first Skolimowski movie that I've seen. I'm impressed. I hope to be able to see more of his movies. In the mean time, I recommend this one.

Also starring Emmanuelle Seigner (Roman Polanski's wife).