L'Empire

Bruno Dumont's "L'empire" presents a visually stunning journey across northern France, capturing its landscapes-from fields to sea and sand dunes-with tasteful drone shots, alongside the grandeur of the Versailles Palace and the Saint Chapel turned spaceships. The cinematography, marked by beautiful landscapes and great shots, is complemented by impressive special effects and beautifully designed vessels, showcasing Dumont's mastery of his craft and general attention to visual detail.

However, beneath its exquisite exterior, "L'empire" delves into an absurd satire where the forces of good and evil grapple over humanity's fate, centering around a child who embodies all the evil in the world. This premise, while intriguing, unfolds into a narrative filled with empty dialogues and scenes devoid of meaningful content. The storyline offers little in terms of character development, despite the peculiar and endearing cast. This aspect resonated personally with me, as the characters' authenticity and their reminiscent nature of my childhood in this region touched a familiar chord.

Despite its potential, the film's attempt at humor often falls flat, as evidenced during its screening at the Berlinale in a theater filled with over 2000 attendees where laughter was notably scarce. Clocking in at 90 minutes, the movie paradoxically feels much longer, plagued by a lack of substantive material and cringe-worthy moments, that neither the visual beauty nor the quality of the effects could salvage.

The sound design, a tasteful blend of classical and jazz, stands in stark contrast to the unpleasant vocal tones of the higher beings and the screeching sounds in moments of tension, offering some auditory relief amidst the film's broader discord.

Dumont tries to tackle themes of power, grandeur, divine and absolute rulership, drawing parallels between the French monumental legacies and the modern, humbler territories of northern France. However, the film struggles to connect these historical reflections with any tangible influence in contemporary society, rendering the battle between good and evil an abstract and ultimately insubstantial concept.

"L'empire" might aim to convey a deeper meaning through its exploration of historical and modern themes, but it falls short, succumbing to a style-over-substance approach. For those seeking a comedy, this film might not meet expectations, leaving much to be desired in both narrative depth and humor. In the end, "L'empire" remains a visually captivating yet narratively unfulfilling experience, highlighting a missed opportunity to blend its aesthetic achievements with a coherent and engaging story.

Its good or its bad. Its meandering or its fun. Mostly i watched this for the cinematography and the weirdness. It did not disappoint. Although the story is somewhat lacking, its kind of there if you give it enough chances.

Is this movie for everyone? No. But if you're a fan of weird french scifi like kamikaze 1986, la jetee, city of lost children, delicatessen etc... well this kind of fits right in there.

Good vs evil. Aliens vs more aliens. At 2 hours it is a bit too stretched out. Feeling a bit tired and bored by the end. And then the ending, woo. Well. Subvert your expectations because , subversion!

I thought the film had some good ideas. But fell flat on others. You probably wont like it.

Arbsurd comedy which is not funny, but a great example of cringe movies. It could be compared with Monty Python, but not funny, with Jodorowsky surrealism, but with much worse psychodelics.

Banal dichotomy of good and evil, 0 and 1, classic and jazz, black and white, men vs women is deconstructed in a form of lengthy and dull parody of a cosmic opera with light sabers set in rural scenery. It lacks development of characters, story progression and accessible humor. Any potential message is obscured by its nearly incomprehensible cinematic language and weak satire.

This philosophical battle between good and evil within human nature, which nowdays is more important than ever, could be imagined by viewers with the screen turned off, without any loss of emotions and meanings.

And no pun intended either - but on a serious note: this should be watched with an open mind - and with the knowledge of ... nothing! As in not questioning things that happen here. There are not many things that make sense here. Yes it is good vs. Evil - but shortcuts could have been made. Both sides are ... lacking certain qualities ... things are too on the nose (binary system with 0 and 1 that is being used) ... others are way too ... let's say it is not political correct.

Why Aliens would use buildings and furniture is beside me ... but back to my point of not trying to think anything ... it is tough as you can see. But why use entertainment in a form that is quite ... let's say discriminatory ... and I am being nice in calling it that. If you see how the evil "lord" amuses himself ... what or rather who is being summoned ... I would not blame you if you have issues with that.

But comedy is supposed to be mean ... has to have an edge ... these may be arguments you have ... fair enough! I am not telling you how to feel about things depicted here ... just trying to prepare you. Now bow down and accept this as your true Emperor ... I am just kidding ... or am I? Well don't trust the police to be of any help ...

I was worried I wouldn't enjoy L'Empire - I had tried to avoid trailers and reviews, but finally gave in a read one which said at one screening many people had left halfway through the film. The images looked grotesque, but I still wanted to give it a go as I really admire Dumont's film l'Humanité and find his mix of professional and non-professional actors sensitive and clever, never humiliating. The film kept me entertained throughout. Dumont's touching look at small french coastal towns stem from his personal experience and history, which makes it all the more authentic. One could say the film is a pastiche of various sci-fi blockbusters (although I must say its way more like Star Wars than Dune) but in truth it felt like it must have been inspired by childhood games in a mostly poor and neglected area of rural northern France that features the entire village as enthusiastic players. On top of that great graphics and effects, and hilarious UFOs made for an amusing, unusual and ulitamtely moving film. I'm pleased I got a chance to see it at the Berlinale - and in my opinion it's a well-deserving winner of a silver bear!