Post by Messiahknot on Jun 24, 2008 1:39:12 GMT -5
I watched this movie for the first time the other night. I knew it was highly regarded and how people consider it a classic of horror. I'd never got around to watching/buying it though. Whenever I watch a film which has a lot of praise attracted to it, I take it with a grain of salt. I know it will probably be good, but I keep my expectations calm. With this movie though, it blew my mild expectations out of the water. Wow!
It was far deeper than I expected it to be. An existential Italian zombie movie - who could have imagined! I deliberately kept myself naive beyond the basics, for fear of ruining it, but when I finally watched it the rich undercurrent of the film - the layers and themes and metaphors - truly surprised me. It was obvious from the outset there was more going on than superficial visuals. There was a palpable, complex narrative unfolding, content with subtly dancing at the fringe of the main story. The nuances, symbolism and philosophical points it displayed were truly inspired. The title 'Dellamorte Dellamore' literally translates as 'Of Death, of Love', and goes some way of representing what the film is about. The intelligence of the message alone propelled it in my mind to a much higher plain than its contemporaries. The main story is surreal and confusing at face value, but ultimately far more rewarding. It was smart in that way too - because it blended the regular horror/zombie fare so well with the higher purpose of the story. You can enjoy it simply as a regular living-dead film - with the violence and sex, as much as an you can appreciate it as an 'intellectual' film. Its very accessible and easy to latch onto the deeper themes it toys with.
On top of that, the film was just beautifully shot. The images were poetically envisioned and near perfectly captured. The kinetic filming style paired with the slow framing shots, intrusive closeups, and wandering dolly moves culminated in a visual spectacle. Wow, some of those scenes were profound, filled with so much love and thought. To finish I'll quickly talk about the characters. They were appealing and enigmatic and you really grow to care for dark, gaunt Francesco and his happy dimwit companion Gnaghi. Their plights, hopes, and thoughts were sympathetic and intriguing - you want to go on the journey with them and see what unfolds. The side characters were all appealing too. The acting was wonderful. This movie ticks all the boxes.
All in all, it was a near perfect movie. As a result, I think the director Soavi is a genius. I seriously think he borders on Argento, Bava prestige. I bought Stagefright and The Church as a result (Damn, The Sect is hard to come by) and can't wait to watch them.
Now, lets discuss the meaning
What do you think?
It was far deeper than I expected it to be. An existential Italian zombie movie - who could have imagined! I deliberately kept myself naive beyond the basics, for fear of ruining it, but when I finally watched it the rich undercurrent of the film - the layers and themes and metaphors - truly surprised me. It was obvious from the outset there was more going on than superficial visuals. There was a palpable, complex narrative unfolding, content with subtly dancing at the fringe of the main story. The nuances, symbolism and philosophical points it displayed were truly inspired. The title 'Dellamorte Dellamore' literally translates as 'Of Death, of Love', and goes some way of representing what the film is about. The intelligence of the message alone propelled it in my mind to a much higher plain than its contemporaries. The main story is surreal and confusing at face value, but ultimately far more rewarding. It was smart in that way too - because it blended the regular horror/zombie fare so well with the higher purpose of the story. You can enjoy it simply as a regular living-dead film - with the violence and sex, as much as an you can appreciate it as an 'intellectual' film. Its very accessible and easy to latch onto the deeper themes it toys with.
On top of that, the film was just beautifully shot. The images were poetically envisioned and near perfectly captured. The kinetic filming style paired with the slow framing shots, intrusive closeups, and wandering dolly moves culminated in a visual spectacle. Wow, some of those scenes were profound, filled with so much love and thought. To finish I'll quickly talk about the characters. They were appealing and enigmatic and you really grow to care for dark, gaunt Francesco and his happy dimwit companion Gnaghi. Their plights, hopes, and thoughts were sympathetic and intriguing - you want to go on the journey with them and see what unfolds. The side characters were all appealing too. The acting was wonderful. This movie ticks all the boxes.
All in all, it was a near perfect movie. As a result, I think the director Soavi is a genius. I seriously think he borders on Argento, Bava prestige. I bought Stagefright and The Church as a result (Damn, The Sect is hard to come by) and can't wait to watch them.
Now, lets discuss the meaning
What did everyone take away as the meaning of the film? To me, it is about understanding, finding an equilibrium, and the process we go through to achieve this. I like the theory that Franco, Francesco friend, was really the only character in the film, and that Francesco and Gnaghi were aspects of his warring personality. He was in a coma the whole time, after killing a crowd of people and his family (This is why Francesco unconsciously enacts this in dreams). Francesco represents the dark side, who is dominant - and to an extent ignorant and lacking understanding, and Gnaghi represents the pure side, which is submissive - and to an extent wise and knowledgeable. There are many instances which this theory is derived from:
* Gnaghi loves the sun (life), Francesco loves the gloom (death).
* Gnaghi can complete the skull puzzle, Francesco cannot (understanding of death).
* Gnaghi can experience love (purity), Francesco always loses it (confusion).
* Gnaghi burns the phonebook (letting the past go), Francesco obsessively collects them (staling in place).
The isolation at the cemetery represents Franco's closed mind, unable to gain enlightenment and truth. All the events in the film act as a catalyst for the change to come. At the end when they depart the cemetery to leave their current 'existence/understanding', they come to the brink where everything becomes clear. In an epiphany Gnaghi elevates and Francesco relegates. Thats why Gnaghi is suddenly able to speak clearly, and Francesco is only able to talk in code (Light and dark swap, their power reversed). That is why the last shot is so profound when it zooms out of the snowball. The snowball represents purgatory, the confines of Franco's unconscious mind and body. We saw at the beginning the same snow-globe, but with Gnaghi and Francesco in swapped positions. This demonstrates that balance and truth have been found, and thus peace.
* Gnaghi loves the sun (life), Francesco loves the gloom (death).
* Gnaghi can complete the skull puzzle, Francesco cannot (understanding of death).
* Gnaghi can experience love (purity), Francesco always loses it (confusion).
* Gnaghi burns the phonebook (letting the past go), Francesco obsessively collects them (staling in place).
The isolation at the cemetery represents Franco's closed mind, unable to gain enlightenment and truth. All the events in the film act as a catalyst for the change to come. At the end when they depart the cemetery to leave their current 'existence/understanding', they come to the brink where everything becomes clear. In an epiphany Gnaghi elevates and Francesco relegates. Thats why Gnaghi is suddenly able to speak clearly, and Francesco is only able to talk in code (Light and dark swap, their power reversed). That is why the last shot is so profound when it zooms out of the snowball. The snowball represents purgatory, the confines of Franco's unconscious mind and body. We saw at the beginning the same snow-globe, but with Gnaghi and Francesco in swapped positions. This demonstrates that balance and truth have been found, and thus peace.
What do you think?