Seen: July 18th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 7
I've go a soft spot for fantasy and science fiction films. I read a ton of the genre when I was a kid, and always hoped the films could stand up to the books. As an adult, it's interesting to see the takes on these genres from other cultures. I read Stanislaw Lem in translation in college, which was fascinating and it's always interesting to see how the French take things to the extreme.
This time it's the Russians.
The cool thing about this film is it's tone. It's very matter of fact. There's little discussion or debate. There's little pleading or cajoling. Sometimes someone needs the rules explained, and sometimes someone rails against them. But in the end, the rules are the rules, the lines are clearly drawn and everyone operates within them.
This doesn't mean that things are predictable or boring. Sure, you can see a few things coming, but even then, you wonder exactly how and why they'll happen.
The mythos created here is not unique at it's core. It's a fairly fundamental theme we've seen many times in the genre. The thing that sets it apart is how close everyone lives to the line. These enemies don't hide from each other, they're neighbors. The good guys do some questionable things. The bad guys show occassional compassion and kindness. The line is thin, and clearly drawn, but who resides where is sometimes a bit of a mystery.
The film is shot to match it's attitude. There's orginality and beuaty here, but it's all very much in service of the story. The film has a very gritty feel, from the locations to the characters to the shot selection, there's something concrete about the whole rendition. Solid and unwavering; like the rules.
I likes this. Probably more so for it's subject matter and because of it's foreign perspective. It may not be original in many ways, but it's certainly unique.
The Good: Science Fantasy with a Russian flavor
The Bad: A bit trite at the core
The Ugly: The Gloom
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