This is an awesomely beautifully photographed and edited documentary filmed in Australian cities like Sydney and Melbourne with some rural and desert diversions. The imagery explores night time and its enjoyment and reaction to Australians of all ages. Created by Lawrence Johnston who directed the exquisite personal documentary ETERNITY over 10 years ago, NIGHT is a visual triumph, a sort of Australian BARAKA with an emotional symphony music score that matches the scrapbook of sequences very well. The only unnecessary additions to this wonderful film are 30-somethings as talking heads telling us about their personal experiences of night (dreams included) when their unseen narration over the incredible scenes would have done just fine, and late in the film when a 9/11 shot of the twin towers is included which weirdly is the only day shot in the film. I really found this to be an emotionally enthralling documentary and came from the screening quite overwhelmed. Johnston and his team including the composer and photographer and especially editor are to be applauded. This film along with the Vivaldi documentary '4' released late last year has seen talented Australian film makers offer truly exceptional humane documentaries deserving of many awards and huge ticket-sales. If NIGHT or 4 come anywhere near you, I advise you to run to get a ticket. ... and track down ETERNITY.
3 Reviews
Achingly Beautiful, Fatally Flawed
proword9 June 2009
When this movie was first released about 12 months ago it had only a very limited distribution along the eastern seaboard, and never came out in Perth. I was annoyed with this because many of the reviews had been quite glowing.
SBS TV, after much fanfare, broadcast Night late yesterday evening. I had waited so long to see this, and when it was over I felt rent asunder.
The pluses. The cinematography was, in some places, so good I couldn't credit that I was seeing it and still be awake. Unlike many overseas movies (of all types) I was looking at locations that I had personally visited, or even grown up in, but looking at them through completely fresh eyes. There were very few BADLY shot interludes. Some were pretty bland and perhaps over-long, but only by seconds.
I thought the most spectacular view was the show with the aerial artists floating under "balloons". A dreamscape if ever there was one.
The music an excellent complement for the most part but there were one or two jarring elements.
Now for the negative, and a BIG negative. The totally irritating interviews and voice overs. These ruined the film for me utterly. Some of the comments were downright inane.
It seemed as if the maker was trying to plough two different furrows simultaneously and succeeding in neither. As a documentary, it lacked depth both in any sort of story and interaction with the characters. But as an "art-flick" it was spoiled by the intrusive interviews.
If this movie is ever released onto DVD could the director PLEASE offer an alternative soundtrack WITHOUT the voice overs.
I don't think I could watch this movie again, at least with the sound on, and that means I would miss the music which was so integral to whole experience.
Cannot recommend it in its present form.
SBS TV, after much fanfare, broadcast Night late yesterday evening. I had waited so long to see this, and when it was over I felt rent asunder.
The pluses. The cinematography was, in some places, so good I couldn't credit that I was seeing it and still be awake. Unlike many overseas movies (of all types) I was looking at locations that I had personally visited, or even grown up in, but looking at them through completely fresh eyes. There were very few BADLY shot interludes. Some were pretty bland and perhaps over-long, but only by seconds.
I thought the most spectacular view was the show with the aerial artists floating under "balloons". A dreamscape if ever there was one.
The music an excellent complement for the most part but there were one or two jarring elements.
Now for the negative, and a BIG negative. The totally irritating interviews and voice overs. These ruined the film for me utterly. Some of the comments were downright inane.
It seemed as if the maker was trying to plough two different furrows simultaneously and succeeding in neither. As a documentary, it lacked depth both in any sort of story and interaction with the characters. But as an "art-flick" it was spoiled by the intrusive interviews.
If this movie is ever released onto DVD could the director PLEASE offer an alternative soundtrack WITHOUT the voice overs.
I don't think I could watch this movie again, at least with the sound on, and that means I would miss the music which was so integral to whole experience.
Cannot recommend it in its present form.
Worst Movie I've Ever Seen
moviefan573625 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I've seen lots of bad movies. My friends are fans of stuff like Aliens vs Predators or Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow...so I know what a bad movie consists of. Movies that I have seen recently that I liked, to give you a background, There Will Be Blood, Juno, Indiana Jones 4, Stardust. So I have a wide taste in movies.
This is the only movie that I have ever left the theater and I actually felt angry. Angry at the movie and having wasted my time. It draws you in with this spectacular 2 minutes of time lapse footage with lighting flashes and storms rolling in at night. Absolutely beautiful. In the first half hour, there are some amazing time lapse footage of stars and nighttime landscapes. That maybe adds up to about 6 minutes of the movie. The rest of the movie feels like a senior film student project where he got 5 of his best friends to talk about stuff somewhat relating to night. Doesn't really matter if what they are talking about is interesting or even has anything to do with what is shown on the screen. "Say whatever pops into your head," seemed to be the director's only direction.
After the beautiful footage of lightning, the director takes us into a midnight bowling alley complete with black light. There is 2 minutes of an attractive blond dancing at the alley, for no reason. I mention this only to point out the director's weird obsession with filming young women, mostly young heavily cleavaged women. On top of that, half the movie takes this voyeuristic slant of filming people in their homes from on the street through their windows...
The tangent on Fear and terrorism is absolutely irritating. Let's talk about terrorism and I'll show footage of people waiting in line at the airport, but make sure it is at night so I can try and tie it in. At one point, he shows a couple frustrated with airline's electronic ticketing machine. While his idiot friends talk about terrorism.
Then there is the weird slow motion midnight mass church service. I half expected it to say "Join the church of later day saints," (I realize that catholicism and LDS are two different things, but it points to how cheesy this segment was).
This movie was nothing like Baraka which was filled with beautiful images and music. It has been a while since I've seen it, but I don't remember any dialog in it, let alone commentary. I would have better spent my time watching Baraka again.
I'm getting irritated again, and I saw this movie weeks ago. It just sits there and festers taking up valuable space in my brain.
This is the only movie that I have ever left the theater and I actually felt angry. Angry at the movie and having wasted my time. It draws you in with this spectacular 2 minutes of time lapse footage with lighting flashes and storms rolling in at night. Absolutely beautiful. In the first half hour, there are some amazing time lapse footage of stars and nighttime landscapes. That maybe adds up to about 6 minutes of the movie. The rest of the movie feels like a senior film student project where he got 5 of his best friends to talk about stuff somewhat relating to night. Doesn't really matter if what they are talking about is interesting or even has anything to do with what is shown on the screen. "Say whatever pops into your head," seemed to be the director's only direction.
After the beautiful footage of lightning, the director takes us into a midnight bowling alley complete with black light. There is 2 minutes of an attractive blond dancing at the alley, for no reason. I mention this only to point out the director's weird obsession with filming young women, mostly young heavily cleavaged women. On top of that, half the movie takes this voyeuristic slant of filming people in their homes from on the street through their windows...
The tangent on Fear and terrorism is absolutely irritating. Let's talk about terrorism and I'll show footage of people waiting in line at the airport, but make sure it is at night so I can try and tie it in. At one point, he shows a couple frustrated with airline's electronic ticketing machine. While his idiot friends talk about terrorism.
Then there is the weird slow motion midnight mass church service. I half expected it to say "Join the church of later day saints," (I realize that catholicism and LDS are two different things, but it points to how cheesy this segment was).
This movie was nothing like Baraka which was filled with beautiful images and music. It has been a while since I've seen it, but I don't remember any dialog in it, let alone commentary. I would have better spent my time watching Baraka again.
I'm getting irritated again, and I saw this movie weeks ago. It just sits there and festers taking up valuable space in my brain.
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