Siberia is what a person would call the last bastion of a human attempt to understand what the human condition really means. Abel Ferrara who directed this film gave us a concept of what would happen to an individual if he or she decided to live in the most remote regions in an unforgiving country. Willem Dafoe played such a man whose past life was marred with bad memories that seemed to squeeze into his concept of reality.
Each scene from start to finish were riddled with allegorical statements on whether or not he should have stayed back in america to move on with his life, or stay in Siberia to experience more of what his dream like visions had to offer. Each character had a life of its own permeating with his flashes of either horror, or joy, sadness and regret, which he abhorred the most.
What was most constant was that Abel described on how every character seemed to cohesively interact with one another as if by instinct. That no matter how trivial or complicated a vision would get, Dafoe's character seemed to allow every person a say in his quest or that they somehow needed to express their own opinion in various ways to help his understanding on why he needs to move on with his life rather than sink even further into madness.
Siberia to me is a unique film. Filled with emotions on different levels, with nudity which all humans experience in dreams, and nouveau like captures that we try to comprehend as fantastical elements. Dreams are never the same. They tend to twist, bind, release and startle the dreamer to the point of jolting themselves awake but can never remember what the dream actually was.
Aside from Siberia, another movie The Cell starring Jennifer Lopez, this film came close to that but without all of the ritzy sets, and lavish costumes. Siberia was meant to be harsh, rugged, visceral as well as creating an abundance of uncertainty. I give it seven out of ten stars for creativity, locations, theme and original concept. On the downside, even though it was entertaining to see what would happen next, the film had me lose grip on the story.
There was no objective to Dafoe's character. Did he leave Siberia? Did he stay further on? Would there be closure to his past rather than staring up into a grey stormy sky at the end? No one would know. Maybe that's what Abel was pushing for but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth that there was nothing except a possible decision on Dafoe's character to go home or stay and rebuild the backwoods tavern again.for those lonely neighbours who come by using dogsleds.
Each scene from start to finish were riddled with allegorical statements on whether or not he should have stayed back in america to move on with his life, or stay in Siberia to experience more of what his dream like visions had to offer. Each character had a life of its own permeating with his flashes of either horror, or joy, sadness and regret, which he abhorred the most.
What was most constant was that Abel described on how every character seemed to cohesively interact with one another as if by instinct. That no matter how trivial or complicated a vision would get, Dafoe's character seemed to allow every person a say in his quest or that they somehow needed to express their own opinion in various ways to help his understanding on why he needs to move on with his life rather than sink even further into madness.
Siberia to me is a unique film. Filled with emotions on different levels, with nudity which all humans experience in dreams, and nouveau like captures that we try to comprehend as fantastical elements. Dreams are never the same. They tend to twist, bind, release and startle the dreamer to the point of jolting themselves awake but can never remember what the dream actually was.
Aside from Siberia, another movie The Cell starring Jennifer Lopez, this film came close to that but without all of the ritzy sets, and lavish costumes. Siberia was meant to be harsh, rugged, visceral as well as creating an abundance of uncertainty. I give it seven out of ten stars for creativity, locations, theme and original concept. On the downside, even though it was entertaining to see what would happen next, the film had me lose grip on the story.
There was no objective to Dafoe's character. Did he leave Siberia? Did he stay further on? Would there be closure to his past rather than staring up into a grey stormy sky at the end? No one would know. Maybe that's what Abel was pushing for but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth that there was nothing except a possible decision on Dafoe's character to go home or stay and rebuild the backwoods tavern again.for those lonely neighbours who come by using dogsleds.