This Halloween I chose to review Ronny Carlsson's new avant-garde short "Récompence". Shot in HD and widescreen format, the film is given a professional look that stands out from Ronny's previous experimental shorts. Récompence is a silent film filtered in hard black and white with the Adjustment Levels balanced to eliminate any gray color, lending well to the contrast of Mariette's eyes. The background music is eerie and beautiful, strengthening the atmosphere of the film, (one track even reminded me of the Cannibal Holocaust theme, a personal favorite of mine). Ronny carves his vision into his film palette like a fresh pumpkin ready to expose his fire inside. And like his previous films, Ronny leaves the story open for interpretation, allowing every viewer to take something different from the experience. Récompence explores themes of loss, fear, love and acceptance in a non-linear time line. And of course for those with no patience or imagination there is plenty of gore and nudity to provide both tricks and treats for everyone.
Ronny keeps insisting that I point out every little flaw in the film to avoid sounding biased towards my friend, leaving me no choice but to nitpick. Thanks Ronny! Personally I would favor cuts instead of fades and only one transition shot at a time for better pacing. And I could also do without the scene where Mariette walks towards the camera to the beat of the out-of-place techno music, (she appears to get bored with the length of the shot after a while, itching her nose, flipping her hair, and looking away from the camera. This may have been intentional though, remember Bizarro is the keyword here). But to point out jagged carving cuts is to miss the point of the overall great art on display here. And if I were to go pumpkin smashing over petty things like that I would never be able to enjoy any film again. This is another reason why I respect Ronny, what other filmmaker would ask a reviewer to find and point out flaws in the film? Ronny reviews bizarre movies every day so he knows what it takes to create a truly surreal experience for the viewer and Récompence is proof of that. You'll never know what to expect next in this film. A very ambitious project for a short film. And just when you finally start to admire the growth and beauty of this pumpkin, Ronny cuts it open and rips out it's guts! (Don't forget who's making this film)! Récompence has the pacing and strangeness of an Alejandro Jodorowsky movie with a unique filtered look that separates it's visuals from most films, leaving you with a final eye-catching design for a jack-o-lantern worthy of repeat viewings. Happy Halloween!
