Very shaky and obscured imagery can be simply frustrating and distracting, but not in the case of this mesmerising film by Grandrieux.
From the very first second we are thrown into an intense isolated (in more ways than one) world of darkness, snow and impenetrable forests from which the characters and viewer will have a problem escaping from.
I wont talk about the plot itself, which is very minimal and not really that complex, although due to the nature of the films form (minimal dialogue and focus on purely audio/visual story telling) the overall "plot" can seem rather obscured. Grandrieux wants to attack your senses directly and has no desire to tell a traditional narrative story, so just immerse yourself in his world and all should be clear (!?!) by the time the lights come back up.
Grandrieuxs aim seems clearly to be the total immersion of the viewer, and in his skillful hands we experience 2nd hand what the main character Alexi sees, hears and feels when at one with his work, his horse and the world around him. This film has some of the strongest single images I've ever seen in a film. The images of the close ups of the horse in its barn, breathing through the darkness and also Alexi running with the horse and his sister through the snow come to mind in particular.
To go back to the first image, I've hardly ever been so instantly arrested by a films total visual and audio output. Just make sure you see this in a dark dark cinema (as Grandrieux wants us to according to his interview at the London Film Festival 08). If you HAVE to see it at home, before it starts make sure the volumes up and the curtain well closed.
From the very first second we are thrown into an intense isolated (in more ways than one) world of darkness, snow and impenetrable forests from which the characters and viewer will have a problem escaping from.
I wont talk about the plot itself, which is very minimal and not really that complex, although due to the nature of the films form (minimal dialogue and focus on purely audio/visual story telling) the overall "plot" can seem rather obscured. Grandrieux wants to attack your senses directly and has no desire to tell a traditional narrative story, so just immerse yourself in his world and all should be clear (!?!) by the time the lights come back up.
Grandrieuxs aim seems clearly to be the total immersion of the viewer, and in his skillful hands we experience 2nd hand what the main character Alexi sees, hears and feels when at one with his work, his horse and the world around him. This film has some of the strongest single images I've ever seen in a film. The images of the close ups of the horse in its barn, breathing through the darkness and also Alexi running with the horse and his sister through the snow come to mind in particular.
To go back to the first image, I've hardly ever been so instantly arrested by a films total visual and audio output. Just make sure you see this in a dark dark cinema (as Grandrieux wants us to according to his interview at the London Film Festival 08). If you HAVE to see it at home, before it starts make sure the volumes up and the curtain well closed.