VIDEO REVIEW: Tuvalu

VIDEO REVIEW: Luna Papa

REVIEW: Tuvalu

Tuvalu
Director: Veit Helmer
Year 1999
 
Tuvalu is a breathtaking oddity of a film brought to us by German director Veit Helmer. Featuring an exceptional cast, imbued in a colorful palette that is as diverse as it is obscure, the film screams for the attention of the audience. The movie is all performed in a cinematic world that is anything but ordinary, displaying that even the strangest of places can give birth to the most extraordinary of stories. With heart and soul, Tuvalu breaks the mold on what to expect when viewing a film and there really isn’t anything like it out there.
 
The film is a literally wildly colorful coming of age tale about a strange young man named Anton who lives at his family’s bathhouse. Secluded from the rest of the world, Anton’s only interactions are with those of his blind father and with his long-suffering mother. Stagnant in life, Anton lives a quite existence that is until a young beautiful girl named Eva visits the bathhouse with her ailing father. Anton becomes obsessed with this exciting beauty and through a series of unexpected events the two get tangled up in one of the most interesting and heartfelt of tales showcasing the growing pains of life and the agonizing reality of the introduction to the age of maturity and responsibility.

I’m not too familiar with director Veit Helmer’s other works, but if Tuvalu is any indication on the rest of his filmography, then I better get my ass started on hunting down the rest of his directorial efforts. This film is an absolute vision. Using a small, yet diverse color palette, Helmer is able to convey a wide array of moods that help separate the tonal atmosphere within the bathhouse from the outside world. Through this method, we are given a greater inside look on how Anton views the world around him, by displacing the feel between the freedom outside and the seclusion inside. Resulting in this choice of color specified shots, the director sets the mood of the piece in brooding mystery and fantastical ambiance.
 
There’s also a deliberate decision to portray this cinema world in a circus style atmosphere. Nothing seems right and everyone seems a bit off when it comes to mental stability. Anton himself, played by Denis Lavant, comes off as more of a man child, having the appearance of a grown man but the disposition of an innocent youth. His inexperience of the world outside is embedded in his character, but Lavant portrays the clueless Anton with such an amped up sense of infantile aplomb that he becomes wholly sympathetic and strikingly relatable.
 
The same can be said for the rest of the cast, including the character of Eva, played by the outrageously talented and absolutely beautiful Chulpan Khamatova. Her innocence mirrors Anton’s, but she represents the outside world and the bearer of experience. She’s seen so many things that Anton has not, but in the end she’s as lost as him in the world. With Anton, his metaphorical crutch is his family and the bathhouse, and with Eva, her crutch is that of her father. Both of their support systems are coming to an end. The bathhouse is on its last legs and so is Eva’s father, so in that sense the two have a common path. When the catalyst of the film sets into motion and the whirlwind of problems begin to siege themselves upon both characters, each one is taken to task with coming up with a way to survive the bedlam. I really loved how both characters interacted with each other and the world around them, both dealing with things differently but ultimately and constantly having their paths cross and intertwine. It almost seems like the director was making a comment on destiny by having the two star crossed lovers fall in and out of each others lives, but eventually connecting when the dust clears.

Another thing that can be said about this film is that there isn’t a whole hell of a lot of dialogue to be heard, leaving the actors to really overact and emphasis their actions. The resulting effect is actually more effective, allowing you to seep into the world and become a part of it. Much like Anton and his slow reveal of the outside world, we too follow in his footsteps and get used to the way things are in this odd cinematic landscape. Like all things we are first introduced to, it appears jarring and unfamiliar, but once you establish the tone and allow yourself to familiarize with the culture of this fictional society, it actually becomes a sensible and stalwartly way of depicting a world full of humanity and soul. There is so much life within this film that it almost threatens to burst from outside its enclosed frame.
 
Even the sets have a life of their own. The age and wear can be seen on every crusted wall, every rusted fixture, and every cracked tile. The personality of the bathhouse alone has enough interesting history within its tired walls to write a book about. That’s the thing about this film that I find most intriguing. Not only are the characters fully realized and exhilaratingly believable, but the locations and sets are equally teeming with verve. There isn’t one place in this film that doesn’t seem lived in and appropriately aged within the confines of the cinematic world that Helmer has set up. The craftsmanship and acute melding of both the visual look of the world with the expressive cast is so unparalleled that this masterpiece disserves to be seen by anyone open to foreign cinema and able to think outside the box. Don’t get me wrong, this film is not for everyone. You have to be able to let go of what you know and just go along with the wonderful imagery that Helmer has lovingly crafted for this undiscovered world.

Tuvalu is an exceptional example of cinema at its finest. Constructed from the imaginations of cerebral thinkers and portrayed in such a visual light, the film shines like nothing like it. The coming of age story is at its core a simple one, but Helmer has injected that traditional context with a vibrant dose of heart. Denis Lavant and Chulpan Khamatova have created an inspirational performance in their characters and have fully brought them to stark life. Through the method of expressive actions blended with extraordinary sets, Tuvalu excels in showing us something that we’ve never seen before.
 
A true original masterpiece, the movie takes us to a place that can only exist on a cinematic plain, but that disconnected feeling that we should have with a wholly fabricated world is never felt. Instead we are allowed to meld within the story and find our own place inside this enjoyable tale of love, loss, and the overwhelming event of passing from youth to adulthood. Tuvalu is truly a film that transports the viewer to another place by disregarding the norm in order to bring movie lovers something that is absolutely exceptional. This film is……

Somewhere out there.

Keep your hands off my daughter's panties!

I feel zestfully CLEAN!

A face only a mother could love.

Scratch that. Not even his mother loves that mug.

You panty sniffing FREAK!

Just keep quiet Chulpan. The weirdo will go away.

You're A OK in my book son.

Someone get me out of this crazy film.

Yep, Anton is a special one alright.

Who the hell do you think you are? Dennis the Menace?

Looks like someone's catching the vapors.

I'd like to make an announcement. I'm OLD!

Run Anton! Run!

What a shithole.

The sad drowning of Noodle Boy.

The saddest bathhouse in the world.

The sequel to A Boy and his Dog. A Girl and her Goldfish.

Sometimes when we touch, the honesty's too much.

And they lived happily ever after. The End.

REVIEW: Luna Papa

Luna Papa
Director: Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov
Year 1999

Luna Papa is a marvelous modern day fable set against the backdrop of the beautiful expansive landscapes of Tadshikistan. Directed by Tadshikistan native Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov and written by both Irakli Kvirikadze and the aforementioned director, Luna Papa tells the story of a young innocent girl named Mamlakat, played to perfection by the beautiful and extremely talented Chulpan Khamatova, as she struggles with family problems and the fact that she has recently become pregnant by an unknown stranger.

What makes this film so unique, is the fact that it is all being told from the perspective of the unborn child. With this creative method, the film is able to really stretch within a child like frame of mind, allowing for a more fantastical representation of the world that we've come to know. Along with the fairy tale element of viewing the world from a child's eye view, the film also follows similar cues found within shakespearean tales, providing a comedy that's filled with tragedy, unique characters, and plenty of poetically charged visuals.

 My god, I'm talking to a pile of rocks!

What really makes Luna Papa such a glorious success is the flawless performance by young Chulpan Khamatova. I had only recently become aware of her screen presence earlier this year when I stumbled across a Russian super hero film called The Sword Bearer that I reviewed in April.  Watching her subtle performance in that film had me hooked and I had to hunt down the rest of her more universally acclaimed roles. After seeing her portray the troubled Mamlakat in Luna Papa, I've made it my film loving duty to obtain the rest of her films. I've recently viewed Goodbye Lenin where she doesn't exactly have that much screen time, but in the scenes that she does appear she steals the show. She's an expert actress and the performance that she gives in Luna Papa is beyond words and simply original in every and all aspects.

 I pledge allegiance to the flag....

The rest of the cast does an equally superb job with bringing their vibrant characters to life. Moritz Bleibtreu of such stellar films as Run Lola Run, Das Experiment, Munich, and The Baader Meinhof Complex, gives an interesting and sympathetic turn as Mamlakat's estranged and confused brother Nasreddin. Suffering from shell shock and constantly getting into trouble, Moritz conveys Nasreddin as a gentle yet highly troubled young man who, in previous events not seen in the film, is dealing with a lot of demons from warring as a soldier. His antics of racing around the town knocking things over, mimicking an endless battle with evil, gives his character a frayed yet harmless quality that allows us to sympathize with his plight and all that's going on within the film's story. It was actually surprising for me to see him in a role like this, because I'm used to always seeing him representing a more controlled character. With Nasreddin, Moritz is able to step outside of the norm and play a more obscure role, one that definitely progresses the story-line but through none traditional ways.

 And the winner is Pops in his red speedster!

The directional efforts of Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov is just astounding and it really breaths life into the world of Luna Papa. The camera swoops along with the action and gracefully soars from one scene to the next. I'm often caught off guard on how amazing the entire film flows and how set we are as the audience in this world. It almost feels like were part of the adventure, getting to know the subtle nature of these characters and sharing in on the madness of it all. Nothing is taken at face value and grounded in the world of the ordinary.

Everything is epically overblown and dramatic in flare. There's many outstanding uses of a propeller airplane that, as the story progress, we come to find means a great deal to the overall story arch. There's just some very masterful shots in this film that will have you really appreciating the great efforts that the director and crew must have gone through to get the timing of some of these said scenes that perfect, yet make it look so effortless in the process.

 So what, I like standing on cars. No big whoop.

To watch this film, is two experience the lives of this tight knit family that we follow throughout its length. There are some scenes in the movie that really show a great deal of heart and soul. Little moments that if placed in other filmmaker's hands would have been normal and uneventful, but within the world of Luna Papa, these moments come off as a stupendous endeavor that has a life of its own.  Much like how a musical relates the feelings of the actors through expressive songs, giving a great deal more weight and impactful nature to their sung words, the director uses this same technique but with sweaping camera movements while acquiring a delicate focus on the wimsical nature of his characters and fantasy infused world that they inhabit. The recipe results in something entirely watchable and extremely enjoyable to experience.

 Mamlakat is pissed that she missed Top Cruise, and who wouldn't be.

The world of Luna Papa is an eyepopping one, with never a dull moment or frame to be seen. The colors pop across the desert landscapes and the nighttime locations are infused with such a fragile and beautifully placed lighting scheme, that it does wonders to bring us into each new beautiful location. The visuals that Tadshikistan provides are ones that really can't be placed anywhere else in the world. It really is a wonderful location filled with such diverse landscape and colorful places, that I can't imagine this spectacular story being told anywhere else. Tadshikistan is Luna Papa and both film and place blend admirably together.

 Prepare for takeoff.

The comedy within this film is picture perfect for the characters and world that they've set up. Nothing ever feels out of place or simply put in to get a cheap laugh. Most of the humorous scenes that really work have to do with how the character is dealing with a given situation. One of the most memorable moments that had me cracking up, was when Mamlakat sneaks out to visit a doctor to get an abortion, which in the end never comes to fruition because of extenuating circumstances. After telling the doctor her sob story, he finally conceeds to the operation and tells her to lie on the table. Mamlakat, seeing the leg sturrups and never being in this situation before, mistakes them for arm sturrups and lays flat on her belly with arms straight out, looking like she's about to take off like some kind of airplane.

Now you'd think that the situation of getting an abortion wouldn't be a funny one in the least, but through the niavity of Mamlakat and the expert timing of actress Chulpan Khamatova, combined with the horrible situation that she is in, the director is able to slip in a comedic moment that doesn't feel thrown out of left field. It's natural in its execution and normal for a woman as young and inexperienced as she is in this story to be confused yet to go about it in the most oblivious way. It's also interesting that the shape of an airplane and also stylistic cues come up again and again throughout the film, but that's another one of those everlasting charms that the film throws out to you after repeat viewings.

 Why the hell can't I grow tomatoes for shit?

Not only is there some great comedic moments in this film, but there's also some heart felt drama that tends to creep up from time to time. Sometimes these dramatic moments are intersected with comedic touches that have you feeling multiple emotions at once. One of the best examples of this is when Mamlakat's father, played by Ato Mukhamedzhanov, is pleading at his wife's grave asking when it is his time to join her. He's fed up with all that life has thrown at him after her passing and he wants nothing more then to be with her again. He frustratingly begins clawing at the ground digging a small hole just big enough to place his head in and then proceeds to bury his head under the sand.

The scene starts out heartbreaking and then suddenly dips into comedic flavor as he basically gives up on any kind of dignity and kneels there with his head buried firmly in the ground. The scene is also a great play of how fathers deal with finding that their daughter has become pregnant while still in their care. They figuratively bury their head in the sand and pretend that it's not true. The visual metaphor is brilliant and you'll find constant instances like this throughout the film.

 What a beautiful time for a ferry ride.

Luna Papa is just plain fun. It's an adventure movie with a comic twist, created from the mind of an innocent unborn child who views the world from a sort of fairy-tale storybook perspective. The adventures that Mamlakat and her family get into as they search far and wide for the father of her baby, is so sprawling and unpredictable that you can't help but be swept up by the unbridled ambitiousness of the story. The characters that they meet along the way are equally matched by the boldness of the narrative. You will literally not know what is going to happen next. The film has such a random nature to it, but at the heart of it, it has so much stability and coherency that you won't consciously notice the mad cap nature of it all. You just fall in line with the characters and go along for the ride. In my opinion that's the epitome of masterful story telling. If you can lose the audience into the world that you've created then you've done your job to the fullest.

 The whole worlds come undone, Mamlakat's got a gun!

Now this wouldn't be a very thorough review if I didn't mention the glorious music that accompanies this impressive film. Daler Nazarov provides some jovial and uplifting themes along with a slew of haunting and melodramatic melodies that add another layer of mastery to the overall movie. One of my favorite pieces entitled Loneliness, crops up from time to time and when it does it perfectly captures the feeling of desperation and seclusion that Mamlakat is going through trying to deal with living in a society that frowns upon unmarried pregnant women and dealing with the fact that any happiness that she finds seems to die a quick and painful death. The score for this film by Nazarov is one that provides the perfect visual sound needed to catapult this story into legendary and story book status. The mythical allegory that the film lays out for its audience is perfectly represented with the melding of characters, locations, visuals, and music.

Probably the coolest and strangest birthday card to give someone.

Luna Papa is a type of film that you will likely never again see in your lifetime. It's originality will be hard pressed to match and the execution of the film is something that seems to be only possible in that moment of time when it was filmed. To be truthful, this is not a film that is visually seen, but emotionally experienced. It's a ride through someone else's life, yet through the eyes of a child. Such a confusing conundrum seems destined only to end in a muddy mess of incoherent patch-worked scenes, but from this madness emerges a film that truly reveals itself to be something of a lost gem.

The lively story, combined with the wonder of each characters impact on the overall narrative, gives birth to a film like no other. One with heart, soul, and a compelling nature that never seems to dim as the story expands into the absurd. Luna Papa is a film that you must see for yourself to gauge its worth. Some might get lost in the frantic nature of the story, but if you're willing to cling on and open your mind to a film that breaks the mold of storytelling, you might be pleasantly surprised that you come out the other end of this surreal bombshell with a film that you've absolutely fell in love with. I can't recommend this movie enough to any and all cinema lovers.

5 out of 5 stars      A Fantastic Experience Like No Other!

REVIEW: The Sword Bearer

The Sword Bearer (Mechenosets)
Director: Filipp Yankovsky
Year 2006

The Sword Bearer is a unique and beautifully shot Russian fantasy film about a man with super powers who uses them in a very human way. This is not the over the top type of super hero film where the good guy fights the obvious bad guy in black as they try to take over the world. Instead it's a more personal piece, focusing in on what it is like to be different in a world where being such is not appreciated and often persecuted. I was very lucky to stumble upon Hans' blog over at Quiet Cool where he gives a poetic review of this film, making me instantly hunt for the DVD and view it for myself.  And boy am I glad I did. This is a very special film with an elegant pace that rewards the viewer with an intimate look into an overwrought mind.

Our troubled hero as he bandages his hand.

The story starts out with a crime scene that is beyond comprehension. A logger truck has been decimated and its timber has been slashed in two with some kind of powerful blade. The truck driver is delirious and we are left with quite a mystery on what actually happened at the scene prior to us and the police arriving there. We are then transported to an open ocean with a boat passing across the horizon and we are then introduced to our main character named Sasha, played by an Adrian Brody double with a cool demeanor named Artyom Tkachenko. He is wrapping his hand up with a cloth and we are in the dark as to what has happened to his hand. There are a lot of mysterious elements throughout this film where you're not sure on what is really going on and what people's intentions are, but I think that this is half of the appeal of this film. You are left to figure it out on your own and in the process you grow with this character as he finds himself. 

A stunningly symmetric composition

with amazing contrasting visuals.

Throughout the beginning of the film we are presented with some rather intense moments that show us the raw personality of Sasha. He is accosted by a group of men for talking to the man's girlfriend. Sasha is beaten and left feeling slighted, so he proceeds to enact his revenge on the group of pricks. Viciously, Sasha meets up with the group of men and unleashes a furious set of blows with a metal pole that send the thugs to the hospital and a one way ticket to life supportville. This counter attack by Sasha is so brutal and a bit over board for what they had done to him, but this just lets us know that Sasha is someone who is a bit of a loose cannon of sorts. We'll find out just how short a fuse he has in later segments.

In all its brutality, there is a certain poetic nature to the film. It's beautifully rendered by Tkachenko and each frame is blasted with a heavenly color palette that projects a warm glow that sets the story in a fantastically vivid world.

Sasha just chilling with his pigeon friend.

Each encounter that he has ends in dire consequences. You almost get the sense that there is something mentally wrong with Sasha. He seems to lash out at anything that moves, but deep within the hidden narrative of the film, there are hints to his madness and concrete reasonings on why he is committing these heinous acts of violence. He attacks those men because he was attacked. The first altercation is quite straightforward and reasonable, but the next couple of incidences are rather tricky and need looked into with a closer eye to the details.

There is a sequence on where he visits his estranged father and delivers a swift payback for years of abuse given to him and his mother. We are not given any information on why he has waited so long to take revenge, but we are just led to believe that this was the right place and time to bring on his punishment. Perhaps Sasha felt it was time because he was reminiscing on those horrible memories when he was a child, much like how he remembered the time as a boy when he tried to lop off his wrist by placing his hand on a train track as a locomotive proceeded to barrel towards him. This vivid memory sparked him to try to accomplish that same sick goal as he tries to chop his hand off again, but in present time. We are shown him hacking away at something, but in the next scene we are shown that he is fully intact with both hands. It's all rather curious and leaves many mysteries lingering in the rain saturated air. Is this all being played out in his head? Is he truly a disturbed person that is mentally damaged? At this point we have no clue, but the struggle that Sasha is going through is quite moving and allows us to suspend our curiosity and just wait to see things pan out.

An obscure shot of a rain soaked city.

Sasha's life seems an endless cycle of botched meetings and awkward interactions that always leave him battling to keep control of his violent emotions, that is until the day he meets a woman by the name of Katya, played by a stunningly flawless Chulpan Khamatova. The two meet in a stairwell of an apartment building and instantly hit it off. I mean instantly, like they are in her apartment in two seconds flat and are bumping ugly if you know what I mean. Now this seems shallow on the surface and quite out of place for the doom and gloom film that we have been following for a good portion of this film, but after viewing the whole piece in its entirety I've come to think of this first meeting as a resurrection of sorts for Sasha's soul and inner peace. He has found the first person in this whole movie that accepts him instantly and trusts him without question.

I'll admit that it's an over the top moment, but one that I think the director purposely set it up to be. He threw all of those powerful feelings of falling in love for the first time and bottled it all into one inspiring moment where the two spend their first night together. The entire sequence is filmed so beautifully and every interaction between both Sasha and Katya are so magical that their chemistry really shines through in their performances and you can't help feel happy for the two that they've found each other.

The moment Sasha meets Katya. Love is

in the air and there's a whole lot of sex too.

It's at these moments that the film finally finds its center and it builds a foundation between the two characters that propels the film into a different category, giving it purpose and direction. The bond that Sasha and Katya form in such a short time is rather sweet in its simplicity and gives the film much needed heart. I love obscure films like these that have no other agenda then to showcase love in its purest and simplest form and the director conveys these feelings in such an exquisite way that it truly is breathtaking in parts. You can feel the change in Sasha as he turns from an out of control time bomb, to a calm and loving man who is devoted to a woman he has just met.

A gorgeously shot scene where we

get to see the gentle side of Sasha.

These tender moments are later disrupted by forces that continue to try to bring Sasha to justice for the wrong doings he's done in the past, both through a karma like sense and through actual people that he has effected attempting to take his life. One of these instances is when Katya's boyfriend catches both Sasha and Katya together in bed. He is furious and grabs his gun, but Sasha knocks him out by smashing a chair over his head. They tie him up and leave him as they take his car to another town. It's not really clear on the relationship status of Katya and this jealous boyfriend, but from the way he reacts with the gun and his upcoming actions towards the two, we are given the impression that he is not such a nice guy.

The enraged boyfriend catches up with Sasha and Katya and he brings a burly friend along to deal some sweet revenge. He traps Katya in the car as Sasha is out getting a few drinks for the two to share. He forces himself onto Katya and demands she kiss him like she kissed Sasha. Noticing the tussle in the car, Sasha jumps into action and man does he go crazy. In less then a second, the big man is down and the boyfriend is pulled from the car and launched onto the hood. Sasha then proceeds to bash the man's head in, cracking the windshield with the force of the blows. Then suddenly a blade comes jutting out from Sasha's wrist and he drives it hard into the man's skull, letting the blade poke through the glass, sending a sickening crunch to reverberate inside the car. The impact of the blow leaves a thick pool of blood that cakes the glass in its gory residue. These graphic images of Sasha defending Katya are visceral in appearance and we see the old Sasha, yet it is different because he is doing it out of love. He only unleashed his anger when it was able to save someone he cares about and this is the difference between his selfish attempts at fulfilling his personal vendettas against the people that wronged him in his life.

A graphic display of chivalry by Sasha.

At this point the young lovers are at a crossroad. Will Katya run away after now seeing Sasha's darker side and his unique ability or will she still accept him for what he is? This choice determines whether Sasha will slip into his old ways by being shunned once again from society or it will continue to change him for the better making him feel like he belongs. The concept of a person balancing you out is an interesting one and one I think that resembles the embedded meaning of the concept of soul mates. This idea that two halves come together to make one whole is in theory an amazing thing and it's proven by how different the two of them are when they are apart compared to when they are together. Without each other Sasha is lost and disconnected from the rest of the world, while Katya is in a seemingly abusive and loveless relationship, also lost in the world. Together they become new people, yet they are destined to fail because of their past lives where they were led astray. This whole film lays out a plot like a greek tragedy where the main characters are doomed to fail, even when Katya decides to continue to be with Sasha to the bitter end.

Cars fly by Sasha and Katya's secret hideout.

One of the boldest choices by the director is to down play the whole super power of Sasha's by focusing more on the human story that is unfolding between both Sasha and Katya. The fact that Sasha can produce a steel blade out of his right wrist is put on the back burner so we can carry the story on through their relationship. Even when Sasha's blade is out, we are only given quick glimpses of the thing, and we are never fully aware of how or why he has this strange ability. I for one commend the choice of centering the story around the characters then centering it around a specific power of one of them. This actually breaks the film out of the mold of a super hero type film and pushes it out into more dramatic territory as we are drawn into the intimate relations of the two characters. Sasha never accepts his special gift and revels in the fact that this is a burden that he has to bare. I find that a hell of a lot more interesting then a kid swinging from rooftops saving no names, like with Spiderman, or a three-bladed beast man running around acting all pissed off, like in Wolverine, where I believe a little bit of inspiration was taken by The Sword Bearer. In my opinion, I think they went in the right direction by focusing on the inner struggle of the character then relying on a plot device that has been done to death by hollywood.

The couple peacefully hold each other as a Toyota

Highlander accelerates out of control in the background.

Damn you Toyota!

This inner struggle that the director has opted for, brings a visual style that keeps the story close to the heart and in the minds of the characters. We are given personal shots of the characters as they are shown thinking about each other later on in the film, when they are taken apart by yet another strike from destinies cruel hands. After a horrendous car accident, the two are split apart with Sasha being taken into police custody and Katya being taken to a mental institution. The time that they are apart is excruciating for the two and each remember back on the good times and wonder if the other is alive. These sequences are beautifully shot and well acted as we are treated to a montage of sorts with Sasha and Katya given intertwining scenes of dialogue between their captors.

A heavenly shot of Katya locked in

her room at the mental institution.

There is another scene that really stands out in my mind and it's when Sasha is transported to his prison cell, but is greeted by a group of thugs that have been ordered to make his life a living hell. They circle him and then hold him down while the main thug prepares to beat the living crap out of him. We then cut to a shot of the prison guards playing a game of cards only to hear blood curdling sounds of men screaming at the top of their lungs. The sounds that they make just chills your bones and we follow the guards down to the cell where Sasha is and we're presented with a shot of a bloody Sasha standing at the door, otherwise untouched.

This scene is just amazing and resembles the prison scene from Zack Snyder's 2009 super hero film, Watchmen. In that film, the character Rorschach is sent to prison where he is put in a cell with a bunch of thugs that he's done wrong to earlier in his life. Rorschach says to the thugs that, "None of you understand. I'm not locked up in here with you; you're locked up in here with me." After saying this line he proceeds to beat the holy hell out of everyone inside. Whether the director got this idea from the graphic novel that Watchmen was based on or if he created this scene from his own mind, I rather enjoyed The Sword Bearers offerings more because of the silent aspect of Sasha's character and how he doesn't threaten and just does what is needed. It's more compelling and fits with the overall tone of the film. Sasha is a bad-ass, but he doesn't advertise it, in fact he's rather covert about it and to me that is far more intriguing.

The aftermath of Sasha's prison brawl.

Sasha 1, Inmates 0

If I had to choose one thing about this film that I enjoyed the most it would have to be the visuals. They are just so stunning and wonderfully shot, that not one frame is unattractive. Each detailed composition is accompanied by such visual mastery that it's a pleasure to behold and it accents the world that the director has created with a view that really leaves an impact. The eye candy is stupendous and it allows you to get lost in the world and believe the unbelievable as it's presented in this colorful medium.

A hauntingly surreal shot of Katya lost in a dream.

The music is also very effective in conveying the dreamlike quality of these two lover's worlds. The moving classical piece that is continued and adapted as the film progresses is a captivating score that reflects the struggles of both characters as they look for love, find love, and ultimately fall to heartbreak as their destinies are played out. It's a tragic story accompanied by an equally sorrow filled composition that rounds out the overall package that you get with this fantastic film.

The score really comes into its own as Sasha breaks free from his captors as they are transporting him from the prison in an armored car and he approaches a cliff along the side of the ocean. He reaches the great precipice and shouts Katya's name hoping that she can hear it wherever she is. The music reflects the futile gesture perfectly and it carries an overbearing sense of doubt that they will ever find each other again. It's a sad and desperate moment that hits home for anyone that has lost a love, not knowing if it will ever come back into their life.

Sasha reaches the edge of the cliff with blade drawn.

As I said before, this film resembles a greek tragedy with our character's pursuing a life that can never be. We watch as they struggle to sustain this dream, only to know that it will come crashing down at any moment. We are hinted at this unspoken demise, as Katya cries in her bed while Sasha tries to repent his sins to a priest. In a way, they both know the ending to this tale, but they still want to see it through to the end. Both characters view their time spent together as precious and they're not willing to let go even in these waning and fleeting hours.

A tender moment between the two fugitives.

As the film approaches its grim conclusion, the colors of the composition begin to warm to an almost 'setting of the sun' type of look. We are given orange and yellow hues as if the story was coming to an end much like how the sun closes the day with its brilliant last ditch effort of radiant light. This subtle detail that the director infuses into the film, packs an emotional punch and you really feel the closing chapter of this epic love story as it anticipates the coming of dusk. Never is this more apparent then in this desperately sorrowful ending scene as Sasha uses his last remaining strength to keep Katya safe from harm. It's a commendable effort and one that really solidifies his character as a decent and loving person, far from his revenge driven mindset that we were introduced to in the beginning of this film. We are given a really special character driven journey in The Sword Bearer, and one that witnesses the inspiring rebirth of our main character in his love for another.

A ravishing climax to a compelling film about love and destiny.

The Sword Bearer is a splendid surprise and one that delivers a story filled with fantastic moments and spectacular chemistry between the two main characters of Sasha and Katya. The relationship that grows on screen is really something to behold and the journey that our characters take as they desperately try to escape their fate is a stupendous diversion of a story that we've seen hundreds of times. This modern day greek tragedy is created with such love by its filmmakers that all their efforts are paid in full by all the hard work and passion that the actors threw into their roles to play the doomed lovers. This film is highly recommended to anyone that enjoys a spiritual ride through life and love that always seems at the brink of collapsing. Not from the lovers lack of commitment, but by fate itself as it clings to their sides and pulls them to their ultimate and final destination. This film is an undiscovered gem that needs to be viewed and experienced by far more people.

4 out of 5 stars       A Compelling Tragedy About Love and Love Lost.