Flooded with a cacophonous kaleidoscope of audiovisual splendor, all but phantasmagorical, in many ways this is like nothing else I've ever seen. The script is overloaded with a flurry of often grandiose dialogue spat out with astonishing briskness; the most terse legal drama can't begin to compare with the number of words spoken aloud here. John Corigliano's original score is a wild trip in and of itself, often characterized by peculiarly discordant chords and tones that strike me as a far cry from what is common for music in films. Even setting aside effusive delivery, the cast give extraordinary performances of vibrant intensity that seem plainly uncommon. Scenes of social gathering, domesticity, or more typical research in discretely familiar settings play out with a bombastically energetic flow that make even these moments feel somewhat otherworldly. And all this is to say nothing of the hallucinations and visions, whirlwinds of imagery that by their very arrangement and presentation are uniquely disturbing, whether the content thereof is distinctly nightmarish or simply more everyday scenery given strange new life. Before we even begin to consider the course of events, 'Altered states' is a dazzling experience.
It's well established that director Ken Russell and writer Paddy Chayefsky conflicted terribly throughout the production, yet between both their contributions, the vision given to us is as complete and compelling as it is wholly original and fantastical. The movie is an incredible sci-fi exploration of the furthest reaches of human consciousness, self-discovery without limits, and the search for Truth, twisted together with a hellishly prismatic maelstrom of light, sound, imagery, and effects that evoke earnest airs of awe-inspiring horror. Direction, casting, acting, characters, dialogue, scene writing, narrative, special effects of all varieties, production design, art direction, robust editing, precise cinematography, sound effects - in every regard, down to every last detail, 'Altered states' is a wondrous spectacle uniting the sensibilities of Tobe Hooper ('Poltergeist'), Stanley Kubrick ('2001'), Andrei Tarkovsky ('Stalker,' 'Solaris'), David Cronenberg ('The fly,' 'eXistenZ'), and other visionary filmmakers into a single, inescapably spellbinding picture.
And to think, this marked the big screen debuts of William Hurt and Drew Barrymore. I'm less familiar with others appearing here, including Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, or Charles Haid, but from one to the next the acting here is outstanding. It's worth also reiterating foremost praise for all the effects artists who worked on 'Altered states,' and editor Stuart Baird, because they arguably had the hardest jobs of anyone involved here. Yet that's not to speak anyone less of all others, for from top to bottom and start to finish this is a captivating, exceptional viewing experience that from its pacing and on its strength never lets us go or ease back for one moment. I had high expectations when I sat to watch, based on a vague sense of a solid reputation, but I had no foreknowledge and was in no way prepared for what I was committing to. This is lofty, almost esoteric storytelling that DEFIES easy telling - I don't doubt for one moment the difficulties Russell and his collaborators faced in realizing Chayefsky's material. And for the slant of this feature I couldn't for one instant begrudge anyone who tries to honestly engage with it and finds it's not to their liking. 'Altered states' is many things, but it is certainly not built for any type of general audience. For anyone seeking the unusual, offbeat, inspired, and whimsical, however, this is surely a must-see.
It's well established that director Ken Russell and writer Paddy Chayefsky conflicted terribly throughout the production, yet between both their contributions, the vision given to us is as complete and compelling as it is wholly original and fantastical. The movie is an incredible sci-fi exploration of the furthest reaches of human consciousness, self-discovery without limits, and the search for Truth, twisted together with a hellishly prismatic maelstrom of light, sound, imagery, and effects that evoke earnest airs of awe-inspiring horror. Direction, casting, acting, characters, dialogue, scene writing, narrative, special effects of all varieties, production design, art direction, robust editing, precise cinematography, sound effects - in every regard, down to every last detail, 'Altered states' is a wondrous spectacle uniting the sensibilities of Tobe Hooper ('Poltergeist'), Stanley Kubrick ('2001'), Andrei Tarkovsky ('Stalker,' 'Solaris'), David Cronenberg ('The fly,' 'eXistenZ'), and other visionary filmmakers into a single, inescapably spellbinding picture.
And to think, this marked the big screen debuts of William Hurt and Drew Barrymore. I'm less familiar with others appearing here, including Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, or Charles Haid, but from one to the next the acting here is outstanding. It's worth also reiterating foremost praise for all the effects artists who worked on 'Altered states,' and editor Stuart Baird, because they arguably had the hardest jobs of anyone involved here. Yet that's not to speak anyone less of all others, for from top to bottom and start to finish this is a captivating, exceptional viewing experience that from its pacing and on its strength never lets us go or ease back for one moment. I had high expectations when I sat to watch, based on a vague sense of a solid reputation, but I had no foreknowledge and was in no way prepared for what I was committing to. This is lofty, almost esoteric storytelling that DEFIES easy telling - I don't doubt for one moment the difficulties Russell and his collaborators faced in realizing Chayefsky's material. And for the slant of this feature I couldn't for one instant begrudge anyone who tries to honestly engage with it and finds it's not to their liking. 'Altered states' is many things, but it is certainly not built for any type of general audience. For anyone seeking the unusual, offbeat, inspired, and whimsical, however, this is surely a must-see.