Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by tinear (A) on May 03, 2006 at 05:02:13

balanced between tragedy and comedy, not unlike the crunching satires of Bunuel.
A man begins life as a king, then is seen far into the future as a destitute bohemian during some sort of civil war, and then again (also in the near present) as a pick-pocket who is transformed into a leader of a country controlled by a brutal secret police.
The themes of betrayal, torture, the corruption of power, and the ephemeral nature of human existence cleverly are weaved together as the six or seven actors forming the ensemble accompany the "king" on his strange time journey.
At some point, one becomes aware the film is all but silent: the power of the images and action making speech superfluous. It may lead you to question the necessity other directors feel in constantly having the characters or a narrator chatter on and on.
The acting is superb. The female lead is the most striking beauty--- extremely tall, slender, and dark--- I have seen in many years.
This is the first Omar Osseliani film I've seen but it certainly won't be the last.