Blindingly bad
For such an epic film that tries to capture the raw and brutal side of humanity, there is little light to be seen in “Blindness.”
“Blindness” gives a dark glimpse of what the world would be like if almost the entire population was to go suddenly blind. The story focuses around the journey of a doctor (Mark Ruffalo, “Reservation Road”) and his wife (Julianne Moore, “I’m Not There”). After examining the first man to experience this blindness, the doctor quickly becomes blinded as well, while the wife somehow remains unaffected.
When the doctor is shipped off to a quarantine zone, the wife lies about the fact that she is blind as well in order to go and support her husband. In the quarantined facility, the doctor and his wife must deal with inhumane conditions as well as cohabitating with hundreds of others who are now blind.
In one of the darkest films of this decade, director Fernando Meirelles creates a terrifying film that quickly overstays its welcome.
The idea of people turning savage in times of crisis was perfectly exemplified in last year’s horror film “The Mist.” In “Blindness” the situation portrayed onscreen is so raw and disturbing, it sometimes becomes unbearable to watch.
Stylishly filmed, Meirelles brings an undeniable sense of reality to the film. Through blindingly white shots, the viewer is able to experience what the characters onscreen are going through. In short, the headache that comes from these shots makes for an even more unbearable moviegoing experience.
Since everyone is in such a depressed and deprived state, it is hard to pick a standout performance. If there was one, it was Gael Garcia Bernal as the savage leader from ward three of the facility that tries to take advantage of the prison’s vulnerable inhabitants.
With no moral standards to speak of, it is Bernal who brings this movie to its ultimate level of grotesqueness.
In trying to be 2008’s most daring film, “Blindness” basically can be classified as an intriguing story lost in a repugnant mess.
‘Blindness’
Release Date: October 3
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo and Gael Garcia Bernal
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: R for violence including sexual assaults, language and sexuality/nudity
Grade: D+
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on Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 at 12:17 am and is filed under Arts & Entertainment, Film Reviews, Vibe.
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October 10th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Nicely written, Jay. I can tell this one’s not for me.