And just when you start to think that maybe you've seen it all when it comes to the world of film, a movie like Twilights walks right up to you, smacks you across the face, and loudly declares you most certainly haven't. That's because this is a Japanese short film about a ghost (I think) who doesn't want to let go of the world after he dies, even though no one recognised him anymore, as he travels through it.
It's mostly dialogue free (with title cards like a silent film for the limited conversations), and rapidly edited with plenty of low-budget special effects to tells its fantastical storyline. It's very much experimental, but at the same time, it sets up the core premise in a way that's surprisingly easy to follow. Even if individual shots or moments may be hard to interpret, the story - at its simplest - is discernible and quite clear, which I appreciate in an avant-garde kind of movie (doesn't happen very often). When it comes to the ending, it certainly has an air of mystery to it, but works on a base emotional level, too.
And the ending is maybe the most technically impressive part of the film, too, thanks to an extended long-shot at the climax that goes for about four minutes, with the camera moving alongside the main character the whole time while all sorts of things happen around him.
There were parts that reminded me of Spirited Away's take on fantasy, so I wonder if this film influenced that one in any way. There's also a part in a movie theatre with multiple screens showing the past/future, and I couldn't help but think of Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes when I saw it. As for films its reminiscent of that were released before it: some of the editing and fast-paced scenes feel a bit like Tetsuo: The Iron Man.
The music is technically repetitive in parts, but it didn't bother me. I liked it, really, and it was appealing in the same way that old school video game music was, where even if it looped, if it fit the visuals well enough, the repetition didn't matter.
I found out about this today and watched it within minutes of learning about it. I'm glad I did, because this 33-minute surreal fantasy film is one of the best short films I've seen in quite a while.
It's mostly dialogue free (with title cards like a silent film for the limited conversations), and rapidly edited with plenty of low-budget special effects to tells its fantastical storyline. It's very much experimental, but at the same time, it sets up the core premise in a way that's surprisingly easy to follow. Even if individual shots or moments may be hard to interpret, the story - at its simplest - is discernible and quite clear, which I appreciate in an avant-garde kind of movie (doesn't happen very often). When it comes to the ending, it certainly has an air of mystery to it, but works on a base emotional level, too.
And the ending is maybe the most technically impressive part of the film, too, thanks to an extended long-shot at the climax that goes for about four minutes, with the camera moving alongside the main character the whole time while all sorts of things happen around him.
There were parts that reminded me of Spirited Away's take on fantasy, so I wonder if this film influenced that one in any way. There's also a part in a movie theatre with multiple screens showing the past/future, and I couldn't help but think of Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes when I saw it. As for films its reminiscent of that were released before it: some of the editing and fast-paced scenes feel a bit like Tetsuo: The Iron Man.
The music is technically repetitive in parts, but it didn't bother me. I liked it, really, and it was appealing in the same way that old school video game music was, where even if it looped, if it fit the visuals well enough, the repetition didn't matter.
I found out about this today and watched it within minutes of learning about it. I'm glad I did, because this 33-minute surreal fantasy film is one of the best short films I've seen in quite a while.
