Siberia

A strange film that explores the mental landscape of a man struggling with his devastating memories. The filmmaking is of variable interest and boredom points its nose a little too often. Abel Ferrara has a lot of energy and inspiration but does not provide great intensity or great precision of filming here to make up for the lack of a real narration. The camera moves at times in a rather crude way. Dazzling beauties are scattered throughout the film. For example, a very good editing point where Clint (Willem Dafoe) perhaps sees himself entering a room. Madness lurks. You have to take it as a particular trip, not as a very mastered work, and then it becomes an interesting experience beyond the flaws.

If my dreams would be that boring, I would simply stay awake till I get some real trippy stuff going on in my mind. Verdict: pseudo-artsy-intellectual movie that achieved mainly one emotion in my soul: boredom by torture (if this of course was/is the aim of writer and director, they did well). Some introspective scenes including some nudity and violence don't make something good by itself, and even Mr. Dafoe's acting skills could not save this movie for me - and I really like some of his more experimental and trippy movies like The Lighthouse (2019, also directed by Abel Ferrara) or Antichrist (2009, Lars von Trier).

In his attempt to film dreams, Abel Ferrara shows a nightmare. Although the images of Willem Dafoe in a remote and frozen place visited by characters he doesn't understand, are mysterious, the hallucinatory journey becomes confusing. Based on the active imagination that Carl Jung showed in "The red book," this representation of the dream world feels scattered and somehow more ordinary than it would have us believe.

This film has no story. It is just a collection of scenes which are sexual, twisted or bloody. I find it quite a torture to watch.

I just watched it at Berlinale festival and liked it. Many people left the theatre during the film. For example when they saw a naked person or something they might not understand. Sure, it's not a Larry wants Harry to meet Barry film. I watched such horrible films. The last days. And this one was beautifully shot. People are not able anymore to just watch and try to understand. They need it all clear and dull. And as soon they see a naked woman they call it sexist, even when it's intention is the complete opposite. It's a philosophical film about life and relationships and also about the human nature and nature itself within its powers way beyond ours. It's episodically filmed with many layers. I'm so saddened about what I experienced around me in the cinema. Ferrara was always edgy and thank god he is. That's art. That's freedom of art. Unpleasant. My favorite film of the Berlinale so far.