Alien Visitor

The basic vision of this movie struck me -- and still strikes me -- as an excellent starting point. The cinematography is marvelous and the devotion to environmental and societal questions is admirable. Even without any answers, the importance of the questions the film highlights gives it validity. Unfortunately, the writing and direction left huge holes in the logical development of "She" as an alien character. "The Man" is required to fulfill each of "She's" requirements in thought pattern and relationship development. Unfortunately "She" violates every premise she, herself, dictates. Even "The Man's" most notable leaps in understanding are insulted and demeaned by the alien visitor. When "She" stoops beneath the level of Earth human cruelty by destroying "The Man's" favorite tree (with which he had "shared blood") every supposed superiority of the proposed advanced galactic peoples is totally eradicated. The lesson seems to be that trying to communicate with a less developed individual will destroy your own more delicate feelings and understandings. What could have been a thought provoking challenge to our society wound up being a cheap grouping of pot-shots taken at civilization by childish, dissatisfied, spoiled whiners.

Epsilon is the story setting in the outback Australian. "She" is naked, lost when accidentally lands on earth from her planet, Epsilon. Then, she meets "the man" who is camping in the bush. She learns from the man that she is on earth which she has heard that it is the worst planet in the universe. In the conversation, she tries to show the man that why the earth is not a good planet to live. Their relationship develops quite quickly during their journey. They try to find their common to live together. Finally, she decides to live on earth with the man although she did not like living on this dirty earth at first.

The film is very rich in the cinematography. I think Australian nature is already beautiful and this film makes it more wonderful. And I really love the plot that does not directly teach people how to treat the earth good. The writer uses an old woman to tell the story of "she" and "the man" to two little girls. I know that this film is teaching me something but I do not feel like I am taking a lesson. I also like this film because of the well done story-line leading by just two main characters and three story tellers.

This film had the potential to be a truly great flick .. but was let down badly by its 'sledgehammer' approach to environmental issues, and the appallingly bad acting in the closing scene.

As an armchair greenie, I was pleased to see a film that brought the issues of sustainable resource development to the forefront .. but the continuous hammering on a single issue became annoying.

There are, however, some excellent moments in the movie.

The concept of "You breathe the foul air" as a dismissive insult is particularly evocative, and the ever-changing scenery does far more to draw attention to Ullie Birve's 'alien-ness' as She than all of Hollywood's FX could ever do.

Unlike most science-fiction of the 90s, this was not a chance to show off technological whizz-bangery .. and Rolf de Heer has, with just a few camera angle & location changes, done a masterful job of showing us changed perceptions.

Syd Brisbane, another de Heer favourite, plays the role of The Man with just the right combination of wide-eyed wonderment and plodding suburban pig-headedness .. but there needed to be more made of his Saul-like conversion if his later, unseen role was to be believed.

Which brings us to the final scene.

Althea McGrath's narration was quietly brilliant throughout the film, and her on-camera acting in the final scene was OK, if not outstanding. But oh, her grandchildren ...

Chloe and Phoebe Ferguson got quite good reviews for their roles in another de Heer film, "The Quiet Room" .. but unfortunately in Epsilon, their minor (but crucial) roles as "Child" and "Child" in the campfire sequence don't work.

In fact, the closing scene makes the entire movie like the fire itself: it casts light, it crackles and flares .. but eventually the wooden performances in the dying embers of the film leave nothing but ashes .. and the mood that de Heer has tried to conjure up blows away like so much smoke.

Which is a pity because, as I began, this movie could have been so much more.

Got a screed about all of mankind's faults? Can't get anyone to pay attention, however, because we've heard it all a thousand times before? Even fellow greenies react to it with a half hearted, "right on" (while suppressing a yawn.) Get a job on a sci-fi movie, and put those same words into the mouth of a contemptuous alien. Suddenly people think the words have become profound and thought provoking. I'm starting to understand how "The Day the Earth Stood Still" got an 8/10.

If you liked "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" - you'll probably like this film. Don't look for special effects - it's more about ideas. It's a bit on the preachy side, but it's head and shoulders above most of the easily forgettable movies produced these days. By the way, it doesn't have much action either - just some simply presented ideas worth thinking about.