Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Maril555 (A) on September 19, 2015 at 12:15:33

In Reply to: RE: 'Hard to be a God' = Hard to be a viewer . . . posted by Billy Wonka on September 15, 2015 at 23:04:30

It is based on my all-time favorite book, that I read first time about 35-40 years ago, and read many times since. So, obviously, I was very excited about the movie.
But, yet again, as with "Stalker", that is based on the book by the same authors (brothers Strugatsky), it disappoints.
First of all, if you haven't read the book first, the movie will be very difficult to understand.
And as is with "Stalker", Alexei German went for the visual impact, sacrificing intellect, subtlety and humor of the original.
Main character has NOTHING in common with the protagonist, the whole atmosphere of the movie is very different from the book, etc.
The differences aside, I think the movie is overdone. The misery and cruelty of Arkanar is being hammered down relentlessly to a point, where after the first 30-40 min into the movie, one can't help, but to ask oneself- "OK, got the message, very convincing, but, what is next?
And there is no next, same relentless abuse of the senses until the very end.
I couldn't shake a feeling, that it's very overcooked, repetitious and heavy- handed.
It does achieve the goal of impressing a viewer, but what I had expected from a master like German, is more subtle, meaningful delivery, more thought provocation, etc.
Victor is right in saying, that this style is nothing new to Russian cinema.
I'm just not sure it is the highest form of cinematographic art.
It's not all that difficult to offend viewer's senses and sensibilities.
To introduce an idea, to ask thought provoking question,
and to invite intellectual process- that is a goal of an artist, and IMHO, German had failed in this regard.
It takes to be Russian, to have a different perspective on this movie (I'm guilty, as charged). Robert Ebert liked it, I didn't.
On many levels it was insulting to my intelligence, for whatever that's worth.