Film: The Book of Revelation

[(Wordy)]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424863/

This screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival, and I saw a preview screening on Friday night. It's directed by Ana Kokkinos (Head On, The Secret Life of Us) and stars Greta Scacchi and Colin Friels.

The basic premise: a successful male dancer is abducted by three women, who chain him up and exploit him for their own sexual gratification. The film focuses on how this ordeal affects his life after he escapes, and its "Copernican gender reversal" obviously raises many questions about sexuality, power, masculinity and femininity.

It's an ambitious piece of work, and in its most artful and provocative moments, I think it scales heights rarely seen in Australian cinema. Cezary Skubiszewski's original music, which might best be described as cello-led electronica, is magnificent, and perfectly complements what is a dark and rhythmic film.

However, in my opinion the script wasn't quite up to scratch, with some unnecessary and wooden dialogue creeping in at times. Scacchi and Friels manage to rise above the script's shortcomings to deliver fine performances, as does Secret Life's Deborah Mailman. Tom Long's performance in the lead role is much more uneven, although his role is certainly a challenging one.

I'd be interested to hear what others think of this film. I'd say it's a must-see, despite its flaws.

 

[intothevoid]

i saw this last night...

was very interesting concept > to see the tables turned and men used by women as sex objects.
this movie is worth watching eve though i thought it dragged in parts.
also found it annoying how the charactor hadly was fairly mute and didnt verbalise what he was thinking /feeling about the abduction.

im getting sick of seeing movies where the charactors just clam up after going through some trauma ( eg. a history of violence.)

still its a good australian movie, shocking in parts, but abit overly stylised for my liking. I think it could have gotten more psycholgical depth with a better script
(eg: Roman Polanksi's Death and the Maiden.)

 

[(Wordy)]

found it annoying how the charactor hadly was fairly mute and didnt verbalise what he was thinking /feeling about the abduction.

Hmm... if anything I thought he said too much during the abduction scenes. Some of his lines I found unnecessary and pretty laughable really. In fact, members of the (mostly male) audience were laughing out loud during the abduction scenes. I guess disturbing sexual scenes will always be prone to inducing laughter as a response though (think the Dennis Hopper / Isabella Rosselini scene in Blue Velvet).

abit overly stylised for my liking.

I guess that's a matter of taste. I found it richly stylised and artistic, and enjoyed this aspect, whereas others might find it pretentious.

I think it could have gotten more psycholgical depth with a better script
(eg: Roman Polanksi's Death and the Maiden.)

Totally agree. Death and the Maiden is a very good example of a script that works on that level. Polanski's Bitter Moon also deals with similar themes.

 

[intothevoid]

maybe i worded that wrong:
I meant he didnt verbally express his/anger/outrage/confusion etc AFTER the abduction. he never talked about his experience with anyone accept that halfhearted attempt with the cops, not even his girlfriend which i thought was very strange. and no one questioned what happend to him even though he obviously came back a broken man.

I realise he seemed to get more introverted and detached from reality but it was hard to relate and empathise with him.

and yeah i agree he talked to much during the torture scenes but i understand it as a a verbal power struggle, since he was chained up and they were calling the shots - he was trying to insult the chick who was getting off, and he managed to mahe her cry....
so here i could see the concept but did find the dialog in that scene laughably cheesy.

other bits that detracted for me: was how the captors clomped around in noisy shoes all the time, and how they circled around him in a very unnaturalistic way. I realise the normal rules of reality are suspeneded in this movie, but these things made me wonder 'why are these things so over done?' i think the overstylisation weakend the impact of this film. maybe it was the directors way of softening the blows and sneaking past the censors?

Polanski is that man, will have to check out Bitter Moon, thanks for the recommendation.
;P