heyvalera

Having previously seen "Pro urodov i ljudej" in glorious sepia, I was already familiar with the idiosyncratic world of Balabanov, very much akin to Caro and Jeunet's vision of mankind in their similarly bleak rendition of emotional down-spiraling. Constructed as a simile of a theme with many variations, recurring and developing throughout the film, this superbly shot black and white gem could have been shot in the 50s or the 70s or the 90s - so simple and so powerful are its characters and circumstances. The continuous attempts to fit in, to find one's niche in the empty and desolate landscape of a somewhat modern, but clearly abandoned city constitute the narrative, punctuated by eccentric yet very realistic characters some of whom we only hear. Simple events can turn out to be phantasmagorias, and the most unusual noises and visual sequences reveal to be but a look from aside. Camera-work is mesmerizing - the sequences in the dark foyer, the crane shot over the city near the end of the film, as well as the ending - are simply stunning. Fans of Raoul Ruiz, Caro and Jeunet - this is a must-see film!

I am not sure why the other commentators chose to re-tell the plot albeit sparingly, when it is one of the few pleasures of the film to watch the "sudden" twists and adventures of the characters on the run amidst the chaos. The script itself is reminiscent of Stoppard's Goldenstern and Rosencrantz, where second-plan characters take center stage while we can still guess the main characters in the background - now there, the nice reason to watch the movie as you get a glimpse of many historical personalities that are absolutely marginal to this particular plot. The nostalgic feeling that the movie is mocking ever so gently permeates every frame, yet you can be assured that it is very respectful. There are so many superb ironic scenes (watch what keeps happening to the manuscript!). There is a similar movie by Nikita Mikhalkov "Slave of Love" (Raba lyubvi), about an actress caught in the chaos of war (the Civil War in Russia) - almost a perfect companion piece. Highly recommended.

Imagine yourself as a world traveler, who wants to see the world, who is looking for a love of the woman. Imagine you have no money, but great personality, artistic skills and curiosity. Imagine there is a soundtrack and a digital camera which sees everything you see, maybe even the way you see it. Part-dynamic digital photography, part-Discovery Channel, part-VH1, part-Arts and Entertainment, it is hard to nail an appropriate label for this gem of visual artistry. Clearly following the path of Dziga Vertov and Jean Vigo, Sig Zag aka Siegfried created a very personal, yet universal travelogue of our world (or at least three continents). We cross Spain, Portugal, France, Hungary, Russia, Japan, Egypt etc. We see faces of the children, men and women, old and young, beautiful and strange traffic patterns, we travel on trains, planes and automobiles, we become hostages to the Chechen guerrillas, beaten up by the airport security - you have to see it to appreciate the chance to get fully immersed in Sig Zag's vision of the world. Roschdy Zem (or, Le Rosch) is absolutely phenomenal in this excrutiatingly personal film - it is hard to lie with a camera literally in his face, relentlessly up close. Highly recommended - not for home viewing, as everything may distract from this extremely nuanced and finely tuned film.