This film is a masterpiece. Rarely have I seen such depth of vision and such stunning mise-en-scene.
The story is relatively simple. A family survive day by day in a burnt out, post-apocalyptic wasteland. Each of the characters has been shaped in different ways by the holocaust. The young boy seems to shrink further into his introversion to survive the horror of everyday life. The mother hangs pitifully to the last vestiges of a past, more elegant life. As the story unfolds, we see the ageless struggle between the weak and the strong. A world stripped of any last pretense of civilization or humanity. In this raw state, the characters manipulate and brutalize each other into submission.
The acting was superb. I was surprised at an earlier reviewer who could see no emotion. These characters convey some of the deepest emotions I've seen on the screen. Their emotions however, are not the emotions of a TV soap opera. There is no hysterics. No sobbing breakdown. The emotions are conveyed through a single look. Or a hesitant pause. Beautifully subtle, and all the more powerful for it.
But it is the look of the film that ultimately takes your breath away. Each scene is like a canvas, rich with detail and and intricately framed that create a believable surreal landscape. From the almost monotone greens and grays of the opening exteriors, to the saturated reds and golds of the interiors, each scene overwhelms the senses like a morroccan bazaar.
As I said. It is a masterpiece.
The story is relatively simple. A family survive day by day in a burnt out, post-apocalyptic wasteland. Each of the characters has been shaped in different ways by the holocaust. The young boy seems to shrink further into his introversion to survive the horror of everyday life. The mother hangs pitifully to the last vestiges of a past, more elegant life. As the story unfolds, we see the ageless struggle between the weak and the strong. A world stripped of any last pretense of civilization or humanity. In this raw state, the characters manipulate and brutalize each other into submission.
The acting was superb. I was surprised at an earlier reviewer who could see no emotion. These characters convey some of the deepest emotions I've seen on the screen. Their emotions however, are not the emotions of a TV soap opera. There is no hysterics. No sobbing breakdown. The emotions are conveyed through a single look. Or a hesitant pause. Beautifully subtle, and all the more powerful for it.
But it is the look of the film that ultimately takes your breath away. Each scene is like a canvas, rich with detail and and intricately framed that create a believable surreal landscape. From the almost monotone greens and grays of the opening exteriors, to the saturated reds and golds of the interiors, each scene overwhelms the senses like a morroccan bazaar.
As I said. It is a masterpiece.