Set in a a world after a great war (it ended not because anyone won but rather because the instinct for human survival kicked in) there are few people left. The artifacts from before the war are treasured. In the sky high above is a space ship of some sort that has hung there since before the war.
On earth life goes on Candy goes about his business trying to gather up lost treasures, avoiding the second generation Nazi's and just getting by with his girlfriend. When the bowling machines in the bowling alley come back to life Candy realizes something is afoot and he realizes he has to go speak to Santa Claus, if he can find him.
We've been here before and we haven't. We've seen similar things before (Tarkovsky's STALKER or some of the Polish or Soviet Science Fiction Films of the 1970's& 80's or the novel CANTICLE FOR LIEBOWITZ) but nothing quite like this. Rarely has a world been so beautifully created. Rarely has any science fiction film, especially a post apocalyptic one, felt so right and so real. Granted the fact that the film was shot in Ethiopia as it is today, in places that are alien to much of the world helps, but at the same time the world beyond that is so consistent internally it all hangs together.
This is more a film of ideas and images than action. If you go in expecting anything but talk and small moments you'll be disappointed. This is a film that gets to your heart through your head.
Its also a film with lots of ideas running around. There are the obvious notions of older civilizations being thought to be better, of how people misread objects of the past, of how we process things we've seen and make them part of our memory (say a movie watched too many times) are all at work here as are a dozen or so other ones. Its a film that one could and people will write doctoral thesis on. I need another three or four passes through the film to begin to get it all.
One of the best science fiction films in years is also one of the best films at Fantasia 2015 (and maybe 2015). A must see for those who want idea over gadgets.
CRUMBS plays later today and August 3rd for tickets an more info go here.
No comments:
Post a Comment