Il testamento del dottor Dowell

I had pretty low hopes for this film, not knowing at all what to expect, but from the first shot and lines I think I knew that it would at least be very different from anything I've seen and I would enjoy it. It's an 80's Russian realistic sci-fi set on an unnamed then-modern-day tropical island where Prof. Dowell's mansion/laboratory is located. The story is very imaginative and creative, and deals with medical/cognitive sci-fi as well as morality behind playing God. Every scene and shot meld perfectly into each other creating a unified consistent work that is fascinating to watch. The camera work is very unique and can be noticed from the first shot, zooming in and out and logically moving to and following important or interesting things in a given setting. The cinematography is never boring, it uses hand-held cameras quite a lot, and there are many great shots and angles to make this film a treat for the eyes. The story develops very well, the characters are interesting and have very different personalities and the actors are all great and (IMO) perfectly cast. I loved the script, the catchy somewhat silly music, the mood, the style, performances. It left me with a satisfied feeling that I had seen a very original and wonderful film that left me thinking about it after it was over. I also love the serious treatment of this material, probably because socialist-realism was USSR's official art form; nothing is made ridiculous (except for perhaps one of Dowell's creations) or unbelievable, the opposite, the film is made to be a modern-day realistic science fiction story. If not already a cult film at least in Russia, it has potential. It's strange, real, creative, silly and thought provoking. The camera work alone makes it stand out for me. A great film IMO, awesome (Soviet) cinema.

The word that came most of the time to my mind was "dilettante". Morality in science is a tough problem and should be addressed accordingly. The story is powerful, but the realization is far from best Russian movies. The acting is mediocre, not due to poor acting, but because of a bad script. There was not much to act upon. On top of it, camera work looked like a first grade student course. Most of the scenes did not "flow" one from another, but somehow jumped out and into action. I wanted to see or hear something that will make me think hard about the idea presented, but I found nothing of the sort. Four stars for the cinematic achievement and an additional one for the topic.

As I have found with many foreign films, they often lose something in the translation, and "Professor Dowell's Testament" is no exception. Interesting because of the Russian actors and locations, the film is somewhat disjointed, but certainly is not an intellectual insult like so many Hollywood low budget horrors. The visuals are interesting, and perhaps influenced other films with similar immortality themes. I believe most viewers will find the film to be dated, slow, and boring. With that in mind, only curious film buffs, and those who enjoy curiosities, should expect even marginal entertainment. All others would be advised to avoid. - MERK