From the opening ten minutes of Nocturama, I felt my inherent perception of impending doom increase, judging by the many characters you’re not so much introduced to, but thrust upon at the beginning of the movie. Reaching the one-hour mark of my first viewing, it’s clear that this movie is a slow burner.
I didn’t read anything about this film before viewing it and hoped that by title alone it would be something less morbid than what I last delved into, but it seems I made the wrong choice. Instead of brutal depictions of murder I’ve been met with scenes displaying domestic terrorism occurring in France, on a fictional level, of course. I’ll try and find a nice romantic comedy for you all someday, I promise.
Anyhow, I’m going to get back to watching this film and return upon reaching its conclusion (for real this time, I don’t feel too well today). The cinematography and character associations are very jarring and imposing and I can see why it received more critical appraisal than it did from its audience (plex displays that much to me on a preliminary level, at least.)
Unable to continue watching this film without taking a break, I feel like I must note how much the following half-hour dragged; albeit in a good way, if you’re to consider it on an artistic level rather than mere entertainment value – and if you’re accustomed to this blog by now, you know I focus upon the former.
There’s an extreme level of nihilism and evil that permeates from this film in a way I find hard to articulate. It could be the seeming lack of motive from the characters and lack of personality portrayed by the majority throughout, but something about it is really getting under my skin. I couldn’t possibly imagine being a news correspondent, but different archetypes, or something…
Upon finishing Nocturama I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but this film reaches no climatic points, in a good way. It was like watching a two-hour panic attack envelop your soul, increasing ever further until you end up feeling exhausted. This was a great movie and has a lot of political, materialistic, and karmic points to it and isn’t the emissary of evil I thought it to be at one point. In terms of existential meaninglessness, however, it certainly is; and it holds no prisoners.
It’s worn me down so much I can’t bring myself to write much more, but I’d say it’s essential viewing. I’m coming to realize there are levels to this movie stuff and there are so many diamonds out there that remain unacknowledged, especially if you remain averse to watching movies with subtitles. Should you decide upon watching it yourself, be sure to have some mental stamina.
Jeez.
Sedlo