Siberia

Another personal film from Abel Ferrara, looking back at his past with real life wife and son in the film playing some characters--here as a Russian girl and his son, respectively (as in his earlier "Tommaso".) Siberia is a meta-film with hallucinations that resemble a horror film (which it definitely is not) with 5 huskies pulling his sled in snow in one sequence and accompanying him to a hot Sahelian desert oasis in another. Clint (Willem Dafoe) is once again Ferrara's alter ego searching for philosophical answers to his own life thus far from his family and practitioners of the "dark arts." The answer he gets from one of them is that he lacks compassion, and that he should forego reason. A fish that he ate to the bone the previous night outside his burnt abode in the snow becomes alive the next morning in the same pan. Ferrara seems to accept a larger force that defies reason. One of his best films so far for me.

Went into this film blind and when it was over it left me wanting more. What a hidden gem of a film. Such a unique way to shoot some of the scenes. From where it starts to where it takes you is a disturbing and chilling ride which challenges your own humanity.

And so are stretches of the cinematography. But that's not enough to drag out to 90 mintes. Utter, incoherent, flamboyantly-self-important hogwash. Dear, dear Mr Dafoe needs to learn to say "No" sometimes. Also: there is a comment here somewhere which credits the truly magnificent, thinking man's horror movie "The Lighthouse" to the egregiously overrated Abel Ferrara. Nope! "The Lighthouse" was directed by Robert Eggers.

What the hell did I just watch?! William Defoe carries this multi layered story. One could argue that this film may refer to him being in an inner hell or purgatory... This poses so many questions that the writers do not spoon feed you the answers. That may be frustrating for some viewers that wants definitive answers but I suppose this is an art-y film. It is like the light house on drugs. Some will despise that but hey that is the only way I can accurately describe this film.

"Time will pass and you'll continue to be lost." Dafoe's character, living as a dead man, seems lost. We watch as he searches for the unknown, for nothing perhaps, or simply just the end of the road. He aimlessly navigates through his memories, through various terrains, digging up a history of traumatic confusion which amasses into nothing in particular. Wait, I'm lost as well, what was I trying to say? It's like I'm Thinking of Ending Things if it were made from the emotive part of the brain and not the logical one.

I am utterly tired of the hordes of mindless drones constantly spewing the same hermetic cliched phrase over and over and over again... Its too artsy, its too artsy, its too artsy. Well guess what buddy? Its called the seventh art! Calling it too artsy is like calling an orange to orangy. You want brainless entertainment that doesn't challenge the mind in any way? Go to Six Flags and ride a roller-coaster pudding brain! Try opening your mind up to different and/or new things a little. You might actually learn to enjoy it without having to watch billions of dollars being thrown at a screen just to see the same recipes recycled over and over again. So this movie is metaphorical. If that bothers you, just turn around and go away. There's no point in trying to denigrate something just because it isn't within your grasp. As for the movie, did I like it? Not that much but it did make me think and reflect which I always appreciate from a movie and I admire those who dare to trie something different and more personal regardless of all the cowardly trolls hiding behind their smartphones and computers this new era rains down on everyone. The movie was spectacularly photographed and yes, it was weird. And if weird was bad. Then everyone would be in big trouble because guess what else? Unless you aren't human, YOU ARE WEIRD! So I'm giving this a 10 to counter all the undeserving negative reviews from the basements wannabe critics which, even dough I also am. I am at least decent enough to be aware of it and trie to have some humility when judging other people's art. But I'm not above judging those who judges. And I like art which is why I like that there are movies like this and I wish to encourage that.

I saw Siberia at the Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival) and man, let me put it like this - it definately was an experience. Dafoe once again does a great job and there are some beautiful shots of the landscape but what striked me the most was Ferrara's symbolism. Tho it's not at the level of Jodorowsky it leaves enough space for interpretation which makes this movie great to talk about afterwards. Personally I liked the second half of the movie better, maybe because it took some time to establish the mood or maybe it is because there barely are any dialogues in the first 20 minutes. I liked the film, it was an interesting (tho at times disturbing) watch. And yeah, the fish kills it.

Love to have been at the meeting where Ferrara pitched this film and someone told him 'Go make it.' I love to say something about 'Siberia's' story but there isn't one. Well acted and I'd love to give it props for production but as far as I can tell it's just a lot of weirdness posing as something profound.

And appropriately I fell asleep halfway through. I did wake up eventually and watch it all but only with a few cups of coffee to keep me going. I usually love Ferrara and thought I could watch Dafoe in anything. This tested that theory to destruction. Oh there are some excellent scenes but on the whole it's just so soporific. Maybe it's all that snow..............................