476 A.D. Chapter One: The Last Light of Aries

It's definitely not the best movie out there, but when you take in consideration the ultra low budget behind its creation, which according to IMDb was at only 100k, it's actually not bad at all. According to the cinematographic quality, from the very beginning, it is obvious that it is a low budget art/indi film, however once you accept it for what it is, it is actually rather interesting, and seems to suck you in about half way in to the movie. For instance, the first 10 minutes, there is not a single word spoken, in fact it feels overly artsy and slow, and even comic in a way, however, it is very rich in imagery, which makes up for it's slow paste, and gradual rise. Sort of like the ambiance music you might listen to in an airplane, to calm you down, if you don't like flying.

The film sort of reminds me of the experimental 1960's Prague film school films, with a bunch of picturesque images intermingling with each other, while the richness in colors ads to its value. Another element that comfortably surprised me, was the fact that at every moment, there is some kind of a soundtrack playing, is it just some barely heard ambient sound, or a classical symphony, there is hardly a second in the movie without music. From the beginning until the end, the film never leaves its tempo, which it manages to hold until the very end.

The film doesn't really start to pick up in its story until about half way in, which I felt was cleverly done, as majority of the new high budget blockbusters reach their peaks at the beginning, and then just ride that left over echo throughout the entire movie. This, I find to be a grossly cheap solution for a quick money making gimmick with today's high budget blockbusters. However, here, it seems that the filmmakers didn't have another choice, but to be more clever and creative in using the less available funds at their disposal, which it seems, that they did just that. Here the slow gradual rise to its peak was rather interestingly done, where I felt the gradual transition in its tempo and dynamic of the story was original, in the way that it didn't use the usual formula that many others do. While at the same time, never loosing its art experimental feel and style of the film. This is something that I found very interesting in a low budget film, because very little filmmakers still manage to do this in a transition of the story, yet stay consistent to it's style and genre.

Overall, despite the lower budget lack of quality in its cinematography, compared to many today's blockbusters, this movie somehow never lost me, and managed to keep my attention until the end. Which for a low budget film like this, is very impressive in my opinion.

You just have to check this film out, because it is just very different! This is one of those bizarre low budget indi films that somehow grows on you. The more you see it, the more you like it. I bought it on Amazon a month ago, and didn't really care much for it then, but I decided to watch the whole thing again, and the second time I actually really liked it, and simply got hooked on it.

Perhaps this time I wasn't expecting Russel Crowe in Gladiator, or Gerard Butler in 300, and just watched it for what it is, without the whole rossi glasses. There is just something about this film that talks to you in its own hypnotic bizarre language, to the point that it made me open my Italian Red Malvasia wine.

The film is obviously low budget, as it is lacking in cinematographic quality, when it comes to the special effects, and computer graphics, but that is exactly what makes it interesting. Even though it starts really slow, at moments even corny, and just simply bizarre, if you watch it with an open mind, I promise you will love it by the end.

In an unorthodox way, it get to its own by the second act, as it catches up in its richness and novel like dynamic. It sort of feels like listening to those audio books, only instead of the voice, the atmosphere is expressed through the collage of plentiful rich and colorful images, almost like looking at classic paintings, and somehow you just can't take your eyes and ears of it.

The film manages to take you to the Mediterranean life it self, to the point that you feel you are actually there. This is something I caught right away, because I lived in Italy, which I try to visit at least once a year, and if anything, one thing this indi film caught very well, was the true Roman Mediterranean vibe. From the very beginning of the film, from that specific Mediterranean sun, the specific grape wines you see, the apples, the olives, the plums, and even the cicadas singing in the background, the filmmakers caught every detail of what Mediterranean truly is.

Therefore, when in Rome...Saluti!

If you like this kind of period piece and similar big stories like 'Spartacus', 'Rome', '300', 'The Immortals' etc...then you'll love this film. By Ivan Pavletic, a great up and coming Denver based Actor who comes off more like a chameleon and less like a human. Support Independent Film Making and rent '476 A.D. Chapter One: The Last Light of Aries' today!! Featuring a terrific and talented cast, this feature film is set in the first century with great costume and production design. Produced, Directed by, and Starring Ivan Pavletic (Wildflower) and featuring Matt Block (The Gospel According to Stevenson). This film is the first to come in a saga of two. The sequel is now in post production.

I decided to give 476 A.D. a shot at the recommendation of a buddy of mine, and from the look of the trailer I was expecting to sit through 75 minutes of repetitive imagery, sub-par scores and stiff acting. After an initially slow pickup, the movie really came into its own around the halfway mark. Acting that I expected to be stiff was quite the opposite, and the music, which could be overpowering at times, was for the most part a welcome accompaniment to the storyline. So while the film isn't necessarily devoid of all low budget clichés, its directorial direction is astoundingly clear, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an evening to spare.

Ivan did an excellent job bringing this big story to life with great attention to detail and setting. The story is easy to follow and draws the audience in quickly. Though this is not a high budget film, it came across as a very professionally created film. The costumes and setting brought an important authenticity to the production, making it simple for the viewers to connect with the story. The film was shot on location in Europe, as well as in the US, which helps to set the intended tone for the movie. The action continues at a steady pace and the story builds strongly along the way. Ivan is a very talented film director, writer and actor. I look forward to seeing the next part of this film when it comes out.