FILM REVIEW – OKJA (2017)

Review written by Raul De Leon

Okja (2017)

The story of a giant hog and its loving owner. Okja is certainly a piggish movie; it’s intelligent but it rolls in the mud and lives off of slops.

Okja is the name of the giant “superpig” that is raised by her best friend Mija; an adolescent girl from rural South Korea. Mija’s grandfather, Hee Bong, obtained Okja from the Mirando Corporation ten years prior when Mirando sent out twenty-six superpigs to different locations across the globe for a competition. Whichever pig is most impressive in ten years, will be declared the winner and praised in a parade in the heart of New York City. Mirando spokesperson Dr. Wilcox names Okja the best superpig and grandpa Bong agrees to Mirando taking Okja away, but Mija flies to New York and follows Mirando in an attempt to get her one and only friend back.

Okja is an adventure film with a loud moral voice on the meat packing industry. The Mirando Corporation stands as an unbeatable super-industry characterized by heartless charades and an iron boot. Mija is an eager force who stands strong as she tumbles through constant danger and mischief through the streets of New York. She, for better or for worse, gets mixed up with the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), who attempts to aid her and expose Mirando for the wicked industry that it is. Everything comes together in a wild frenzy of morality, corruption, abuse, and depression.

I usually applaud filmmakers for not playing by the rules, but in this case, it hurts. Joon-ho Bong goes bonkers with his script, his actors, and his direction, compiling Okja into a sloppy mess. Gyllenhaal is like a deranged ADHD schoolboy trying to play the part of an adult and Swinton is ultra-weird. The over-the-top acting rides along with a ludicrous script and an adrenalized camera. Almost all emotional moments are negated by inappropriate camera choices and offbeat scenes.

Watching Okja is like watching a live-action cartoon. A movie made like this could only be marketed toward children, but there is some strong violence and a good number of f-bombs dropped. It suffers from an identity crisis; it’s either a cheesy movie for adults or an inappropriate movie for children. The film fails to muster up a demographic due to a lack of discipline.

It’s not all bad though, there are a few redeeming qualities. The themes of the film are contemporary and important. Bong’s relentlessness pays off late in the film, when we are exposed to the Mirando meat factories. Witnessing these facilities is like walking through Banksy’s nightmare theme park. Through bleak images of a pig holocaust, the hard truth of modern animal cruelty is forced right down your throat, leaving us meat-eaters to digest a pound of shame and guilt.

Just like Bong’s Snowpiercer, Okja is a lame execution of an otherwise intelligent idea. By the end of the film you’ll be wondering if you should give up meat, but also wondering who you think will win the Razzie award between Jake Gyllenhaal and Tilda Swinton. A shame; with some ease and control from the filmmaker, Okja would of made for fine swine.

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If you liked Okja, you might also like: Snowpiercer (2013), What the Health (2017).

Check out the rest of my reviews on my website: cerebralfilmreviews.com.

FILM REVIEW – MACHINES (2017)

Review written by Raul De Leon

Machines (2017)

Every once in a while, there is a documentary with content that you have to see to believe. This is one of those documentaries.

Machines starts by showing Indian factory workers operating all kinds of different machinery. Then we get shot after shot of the machines running alone, without anybody behind them. At first it seems like a documentary about the machines themselves but then we get footage of people operating solo, with or without machinery, performing the same movements again, and again, and again, and again…

Here is a documentary that makes its point hard and fast without having to shove it in your face. All that needed to happen was to film the conditions of the workplace. No need for experts, analysts, numbers, or science. Just cold-hard footage.

How long do these people have to work like machines for? Twelve hours. Everyone in the factory works a twelve hour shift. Hard work and tedious work mostly. A lot of the employees go shirtless because they’re surely going to be flinging sweat. The workers don’t look clean or well fed. Their limbs don’t stop moving, and it doesn’t look like they even have time for a thought.

The documentary really hits when one worker reveals how much they get paid. How much? One-hundred and ninety-six rupees – the equivalent to three US dollars. That’s not per hour, that’s per twelve hour shift. After hearing this, you will be eager to hear what they have to say and see how they live.

Most of the film is straightforward footage of the men and teenage boys work, but your eyes are glued because it’s unbelievable from first-world eyes. We get some interviews with the workers, mostly consisting of them talking negatively about their working conditions and the lifestyle they have. A couple of times we get the bosses’ perspectives. One boss unreasonably defends the situations, bitterly stating that the workers didn’t care about the companies when their stomachs were empty and now that they can afford to fill their stomachs, they all complain. It’s a cynical twist of contemporary wisdom from enlightened guru Jaggi Vasudev.

Jahin first exposes us to the bosses after setting our position on the workers’ side. The first time we see the bosses is about thirty minutes into the film. Wearing button-up shirts and gold watches, they shuffle through a table full of clothing (the factory product), discussing the price of the merchandise. As you can imagine, it’s a high price. Another time we see some bosses, similarly dressed, counting and collecting payouts. On the contrary we watch a teenage worker, no older than sixteen, nodding off for several minutes as he tediously aligns limitless cloth on a conveyor belt. Others pass out right under the factory roof. Another scene shows three workers sitting on the factory floor bathing with a single garden hose.

In town, the farmers that work in the factory due to a drought, gather in a circle around the camera and tell Jahin that it’s always the same story; every now and then someone comes along to investigate the situation, and then they leave. Every last one of the farmers is ready to follow a leader out of the trenches but it never happens. Jahin can’t solve their problems, but at the very least he can help spread awareness, and no problem can be solved without awareness first.

Machines achieves its impact with pure simplicity. There are more creative, more beautiful, and more intelligent documentaries out there. Machines succeeds with a little bit of each facet. But most of all it succeeds at what it sets out to do – show you something that you didn’t know, and the unnecessary suffering of our fellow humans beings.

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If you liked Machines (2017), you might also like: Burma VJ (2008), Stealing Africa (2012).

Check out the rest of my reviews on my website: cerebralfilmreviews.com.

FILM REVIEW – TANNA (2016)

Review written by Raul De Leon

Tanna (2016)

Who would have thought that a film shot by a two-man crew would be nominated for an Oscar? Martin Butler and Bentley Dean went down to Tanna (a small island of Vanuatu, east of Australia), took a camera and a microphone with them, and created one of the most beautiful and humane films of the year using real indigenous locals. Nobody in the Yakel tribe had ever acted in a film before, let alone even seen one. Their first experience would showcase their spiritual, primeval livelihood and recount an important story from their history that impacts their living today.

In Tanna, arranged marriage between two neighboring kastom tribes, the Yakel and the Imedin, is a strongly upheld tradition in order to keep the peace between the two. But Wawa and Dain are villagers of the same tribe (Yakel), in love, and they refuse to leave each other’s arms. The Yakel chief promises the bachelorette, Wawa, to the Imedin tribe so she can wed one of their young bachelors. Yakel and Imedin have a history of violence and this bridal offering is the only way to avoid war. So it’s bad news for everyone when Wawa runs away with Dain. Both tribes search the island; Imedin to kill Dain and bring Wawa back, and Yakel to bring Wawa back with no harm.

It’s a Romeo and Juliet story but it sets itself so far apart from the other love stories by providing such a true, soulful display of a rare homegrown culture. Tanna doesn’t spend its time playing on your emotions like most romances do. Instead, there is a honing in on lifestyle and beauty. Butler and Dean clearly have a real respect for the native way of life. There is a substantial amount of time spent on the ways of communication, the perspective of the people, the role of arts and crafts, the look and feel of the environment, the handling of politics, the importance of spirit and nature, and the cohesive longing for harmony.

In effect, Tanna effortlessly institutes itself as a documentary in disguise. There is so much to be learned from the way in which all of our ancestors lived at some point. The natives are students of life, just as we are. The incidents taking place within the film must be dealt with properly in order for the natives to continue living in peace. Replace buildings with trees, concrete with dirt, modern homes with huts and it becomes clear that their lives are no different from ours. Planting all aspects around a love-story allows this non-barrier to be evident.

I found my spirit relishing in the wondrous shots of nature. The island of Tanna makes for some of the Earth’s most breathtaking locations and the filmmakers take full advantage of that. When Wawa feels empty, she sits alone atop a tree branch, staring into the peaceful flow of a natural waterfall. The volcano, Mount Yasur, plays an important role to the people. It’s not just hot lava, it’s an entity of self-exploration where the Spirit Mother speaks to the very being of those who look for it. Rightly, the filmmakers let us mesmerize at the passionate red flames that pierce the night’s natural blackness.

Butler and Dean’s decision to emphasize feel and nature, enables authentic performances from the non-actors. There is no need for charades; the people of Tanna are allowed to just be themselves, so no experience is necessary. This approach mostly cancels the possibility of a Streep or a De Niro, but it works. I found Marie Wawa to be the one to excel beyond the realm of non-acting. Maybe she can be an indigenous Hollywood actor?!

At the least, Tanna is impressive and inspirational. Being nominated for an Oscar with with a micro-crew and zero-experience actors is unforeseeable. It’s difficult enough just to make a movie. Butler and Dean give us not just a movie but a gift; a genuine glimpse into a quality of humanity and the planet that goes much too unseen and unexplored.

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If you liked Tanna, you might also like: Embrace of the Serpent (2015), Tsotsi (2005), Dances With Wolves (1990).

Check out the rest of my reviews on my website: cerebralfilmreviews.com.

FILM REVIEW – BADLANDS (1973)

Review written by Raul De Leon

Badlands (1973)

Turn Bonnie and Clyde into two laid-back folk from 1950’s South Dakota, and you’ll get Badlands. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) is a well known American classic. Badlands; not nearly as recognized but just as entertaining.

Lead characters, Kit and Holly, are loosely based off of real life spree killer Charles Starkweather and his teenage accomplice, Caril Ann Fugate. The two run off together after the first murder they commit in their hometown. From then on, these two nonchalant killers live life apart from society, fleeing authorities, and jumping from home to home.

Being the first feature film by Terence Malick (The Thin Red Line, Days of Heaven), Badlands really sets the tone for his films to come. If you’re familiar with his work, you know that he expresses a love for nature, animals, and the overall spirit of life. Yeah, ironically. It’s this irony that makes Badlands what it is. Murder isn’t dramatized in the slightest. No rousing music, no tears shed, no screaming or shouting, nothing. Life just goes on as is. In one scene, Kit shoots a man and then opens the door for him so he can spend his final breaths in his home. And while he’s dying, Holly politely asks the guy, “Are you okay?”.

Kit and Holly possess a different kind of psychoticism than we’re used to. Aside from all the killing, they actually come off as pleasant people. While in custody, Kit shakes hands with the officers. They don’t hate humanity or the world or anything. They’re just apathetic about life. After having sex for the first time Holly asks “Is that all there is to it?”. “Yeah” responds Kit. “Gosh, what was everybody talking about?”. “Don’t ask me”. Not even the big nasty does it for them. So how do you make something of this ho-hum life? Well, murder apparently.

Killing is thrilling. They’re unconscious of their addiction, but it’s all they’ve got. Surviving and avoiding handcuffs is one reason to kill, but a lot of their trigger pulling is totally unnecessary. It’s not just murder they get off from, but escaping, robbing, and squatting too. Kit resembles James Dean and says he’s always wanted to be a criminal. You can call him a rebel without a cause, but I think the cause is boredom.

There is no real excitement for the viewer either. Malick likes to kick up his feet and keep a mellow mood with calm characters, beautiful views of nature, and light melodic music. Holly’s innocent Texas-born voice-over softly carries us through their journey and expresses zero concern for all the insanity that is taking place. The intermix of all these elements amounts to an ironically light-hearted journey across the Midwest.

Credit Malick for being able to accomplish something that few filmmakers can. He puts you in touch with something unnameable. After the film, you’ll say you enjoyed it but wonder why. There isn’t any particular scene that stands out. Malick leaves an impression on you with his movie as a whole.

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If you liked Badlands you might also like; Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Midnight Cowboy (1969), Easy Rider (1969), Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and other films by Terence Malick.

Check out the rest of my reviews on my website: cerebralfilmreviews.com.

FILM REVIEW – TASTE OF CHERRY (1997)

Review written by Raul De Leon

Taste of Cherry (1997)

For some reason, we rarely get films about suicide, and very rarely is it this good. Taste of Cherry is an honest, clear-sighted view on deep self-suffering that fully captures that terrible emotion and its components. With austerity, writer, director Abbas Kiarostami will unforcefully bring you closer to the realization of life as a beautiful miracle.

Low spirited, Mr. Badii drives round and round boundless, barren terrain in search for someone who is willing to bury him after he commits suicide. Even though he offers people a large sum of money for the job, most people refuse out of their respect for life. Badii’s Range Rover winds and winds for a good portion of the ninety-five movie minutes. With all the rejection and emphatic lectures from his offerees, a peaceful suicide proves to be no easy undertaking. If Badii is going to leave this world behind, the world is going to have one final say before it happens.

This single day journey stands for the journey of life itself, with the constant search for relinquishment, in a repetitious cycle that miraculously never really loses its wonder. Each individual that Badii interacts with offers another facet of life and death to the viewer. Over time, a humble lesson on living seeps into your pores, leaving your body at ease with its adverse past experiences.

With just one location, the monotonous earth becomes its own character; a land undoubtedly perceived from the eyes of a suicidal individual. Although lifeless, it is where Badii wants his body to remain. In the midst of his suicidal voyage, Badii takes some time to daze at the moving lumps of soil from the work trucks. Is this where life ends? Largely metaphorical, this landscape will stick in the viewer’s mind, more than any other aspect of the film.

Kiarostami keeps a bland tone to reflect the current state of Badii’s soul. The cinematography is so drab, the film almost looks like it was shot in sepia tone, and it remains so in an appropriate way. The all-around art direction goes unchanged from scene to scene. Life is full of color and variety. But, Badii’s life is over.

What makes Cherry work is that it delivers its contemplation in moderation. Kiarostami is not interested in drama, or grabbing you by the eyes and ears. He would much rather put you to sleep. Depression is that way; it’s weak and unexciting. Badii rides with a passenger and pleads for their burial assistance, then another passenger, and another, and another. Badii doesn’t get upset with their replies, or happy, or anything. He just remains as is like everything else in the film. Everything fits into the emotion of depression, with the possible exception of a rather abnormal ending that I may or may not understand.

What will you take from Taste of Cherry? Hopefully you don’t fall asleep because it does have a rather insipid tenor. Personally, I couldn’t even blink my eyes. The content and emotion is too real. The atmosphere sat me in Badii’s seat. Although character’s speak their part in full on the conditions of taking one’s life, the film never lectures. Instead we get an honest display of raw, unmoving emotion.

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If you liked Taste of Cherry, you might also like: No Man’s Land (2001), Paris, Texas (1984), The Bicycle Thief (1948) and other films by Abbas Kiarostami.

Check out the rest of my reviews on my website: cerebralfilmreviews.com.

FILM REVIEW – PRINCESS MONONOKE (1997)

Review written by Raul De Leon

Princess Mononoke (1997)

Princess Mononoke is an earthly, spiritual, vibrant, and virtuous tale for all ages. Stepping away from the film’s finish, you can’t help but be inspired by the great life lessons and become transfigured on what animated film can be. Miyazaki pushes artistic ingenuity to its limits with ever-changing visuals and ideas.

The young and brave Ashitaka leaves his village in search for a cure for a demon curse that has taken over his arm. Soon the curse will take over his entire body, turn him into a demon, and kill him. Along his journey, Ashitaka finds himself as a mediator of a war between earth-exploiting humans and a bitter animal kingdom.

The human mining colony (reminiscent of western civilization) are blind to their Gaian roots, corrupted by power and wealth. The animal kingdom (mainly wolves and boars here) become charged with hate in response. Only Ashitaka is aware that the hate, regardless of which side, will only give rise to the demons and cause everybody’s demise. In order for any chance of healing, Ashitaka must protect the great Forest Spirit that embodies the very life of the forest – a forest that is teetering on the edge of extinction.

Miyazaki’s story carries just the right amount of complexity, keeping every moment fresh and unpredictable, while maintaining steady coherence. All plot points are integrated with meaning, allowing the eco-message to carry through every character, conflict, and situation. San (Princess Mononoke) is princess to the wolf gods, hell-bent on erasing human presence in the forest. The wolves and boars carry a common goal but disagree on approach. Lady Eboshi leads the mining colony who may have more of a conflict of interest with her than they realize. Mononoke becomes more than just a hero story; all gods, beasts, and men play a part in the shifts of righteousness and soullessness. Who is really profiting from this battle? The story thrives within this all-inclusive conscious hysteria.

The action couldn’t be more entertaining because it is so soaked with significance and novel visuals. When Ashitaka kills, his manic arm pulsates, inflates, and wreaks perfect devastation to its opponents. Gods who fall victim to hate become pervaded with wicked worm-like strings that devour their entire being and extinguish them of any light that may remain. Tiny spirits of the forest fade in and out of visibility and rattle when called upon. There is no end to Miyazaki’s genius.

Princess Mononoke gives us a rare glimpse into the beautiful mind of a spirited artist. Miyazaki fills his picture with passion and love. It’s a real treat when kids and adults alike can be educated by such a fun fairy-tale adventure.

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If you liked Princess Mononoke, you might also like; Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Akira (1988), other films by Hayao Miyazaki.

Check out the rest of my reviews on my website: cerebralfilmreviews.com.

FILM REVIEW – DOCTOR STRANGE (2016)

Review written by Raul De Leon

Doctor Strange (2016)

A comic book movie about mystical arts and black magic?! A superhero who gains his power through spiritual practice?! This one’s bound to be different from the rest! Nope. Same old ****.

All style, no substance. Doctor Strange has potential to be something deep, meaningful, and insightful – An egotistical neurologist must learn a new way of ‘knowing’ and learn to heal the world in order to heal himself. The world that he thought he knew is shattered before him in an intense visionary outer-body-experience, and he comes to see that the real great dangers of the world are sourced from practitioners of evil sorcery. – But no, the film only uses these esoteric arts as a distant background, in order to play out yet another bland tale of good vs evil.

Doctor Strange hits the gas on all of the interesting stuff in order to make way for cool visuals and combat. When Dr. Strange visits Kamar-Taj, he learns a new way of viewing the world and a new way of life. And within half an hour (movie time), he is standing his ground, fighting the film’s main antagonist. There’s no spiritual struggle, minimal martial discipline, and no insight to his learnings or mental development. It’s all implied, although we don’t see much of a change in character anyway. Really, the film should have ran thirty more minutes to get the proper development.

All of the characters are simplistic cardboard cut-outs. The Ancient One is the first sage that I’ve seen whose demeanor and actions lack wisdom. The same goes for Mordo and Wong; protectors of the earth with no individualistic depth. They look diverse, but they’re all the same. Kaecilius is the primary villain; a traitor misled by evil to strive for eternal life. Nothing new here either.

Abstract visuals are emphasized but in the same Hollywood kinda way. The sorcerers manipulate the world around them; rooms, buildings, and cities twist, pull, bend, emerge, and reassemble with ease. Characters dodge and duck reversed environments as time rewinds around them. Dr. Strange’s cape sentiently takes control of situations. Strange himself, produces weapons out of thin air, and all mystics form portals at will. My personal favorite was the cheesy fist-fight in the astral realm.

Cheap tricks and cheap laughs banally pump out of the screen. How else do you please a wide audience? At the end of the day, the filmmakers got the ‘Marvel Comics’ name, their ritz and glitz visual effects, and their theaters are still popping popcorn. The result? Tickets ripped, money in the bank.

In order for Strange to have been a true success and set itself apart from the rest of the seemingly infinite comic book movies that are being made, it needed to be different. With all of the miraculous mystical components, Strange had all the potential to do so, but it chose to take the road routinely traveled. Leaving us with something more mind-numbing than mind-expanding.

But wait! What about the children?! This is a PG-13 comic book movie after all! They’ll like it right? Let’s see… O.B.E.s, transforming, multi-colored visions, contorting environments, astral travel, time-manipulation… Yeah, sure. Kids will be in awe. How could they not be? The visuals are wild. Adults, on the other hand… Well if adults are still wonderstruck by this fluff, then we’re in trouble.

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If you liked Doctor Strange, you might also like: all the other comic book movies.

Check out the rest of my reviews on my new website: cerebralfilmreviews.com.

FILM REVIEW – ALTERED STATES (1980)

Altered States (1980)

Altered States (1980) is an intellectual film surrounding the mysteries of human consciousness. The film does not ease the audience into the complex subject matter, but rather hurls you into the scientists’ sphere as if you are one of them. Not being hip to the game of cognition will leave you in the dust, astray from the film’s most thought-provoking elements, where the film truly shines.

Scientists Eddie Jessup (William Hurt) and Arthur Rosenberg (Bob Balaban) plunge deep into the vast ocean of the human psyche through their experiments with a sensory deprivation tank. As Eddie isolates himself in the tank, he experiences vivid hallucinations, that he and Arthur have a hard time making sense of. Halfway through the film Eddie, Arthur, and Mason (Charles Haid) are on the verge of a scientific breakthrough, when Eddie’s hallucinogenic experiences begin to possibly be externalized into the physical world. Finally the film, initiates a question for the audience to ponder – only to be swiftly hushed to a silence with an unnecessarily lengthy scene that answers the question. The remainder of the film may still grip the viewer on just how far the bizarre experiment can go and whether or not Eddie is going to continue allowing himself to be dragged down a wretched psychological spiral.

The mad scientist clutches beers and continually rants about the mind, no matter where he is or who he’s with. Eddie’s wife, Emily (Blair Brown), struggles to put a stop to his self-destruction, time and time again. The love-story attempt is lazy but the drama of Eddie’s psychological turmoil flourishes. Eddie’s descent into the rabbit hole feels one-hundred percent authentic due to his relentless and immovable curiosity. The heavy use of some primitive computer-generated images may hinder the movie-goer’s natural suspension of disbelief, but the effects are always appropriately applied to the emotion of the character and situation.

Dialogue is sometimes inaudible, with characters talking over each other or speaking with mouths full of food. Apparently, director Ken Russell, purposely did this to lighten up the script that he considered pretentious. The result of this is emotional tension among the characters, which the film does need, in order to portray mental anguish and struggling love. These emotional situations save the film from being a mere thesis paper.

Altered States is as a provocative, intellectual, pondering, that will please thinkers, psychonauts, and psychoanalysts alike, but will undoubtedly fail for the majority of those solely in search for a gripping drama. By the time the film does succeed as a drama, the film will have lost half its audience. Credit Russell for intentionally disregarding the much-to-sought-after consumer audience and conducting a rare picture strictly for the curious mind.

If you liked Altered States (1980), you may also like: Videodrome (1983), Jacob’s Ladder (1990), Pi (1998), Eraserhead (1977), Primer (2004), Santa Sangre (1989).

Film Review – Embrace of the Serpent (2015)

Embrace of the Serpent (2015)

Embrace of the Serpent (2015) won the C.I.C.A.E. Award at Cannes 2015, was recently nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards 2016, and has earned many other wins and nominations across the globe. And rightfully so, Embrace of the Serpent is a stimulating portrait that encapsulates the spirit of indigenous culture with earnest execution. Writer, director; Ciro Guerra loosely based his film on the journals of anthropologists, Richard Evans Schultes and Theodor Koch-Grunberg, that document their field-work in the Amazon rain forest.

Operating in two separate, intercutting timelines, the two anthropologists, Theo (Jan Bijvoet) and Evan (Brionne Davis), are guided by Amazonian native, Karamakate (Nilbio Torres (young) – Antonio Bolivar (old)), in search for the sacred and endangered Yakruna plant. Along the journey, the Anglo-saxon scientists clash with the demanding extremes of the jungle. A foreign place where magic, dreams, flora, and fauna are the authoritarian class, the anthropologists must learn to flow with the demand of mother earth.

Few aboriginal cultures remain after the rubber boom at the turn of the 19th-20th century. Of the few survivors, they are eradicated from their roots and forced to dwell under strict Christian rule. The jungle is wounded by imperialism, slavery, greed, and blood. The white-man’s search for a plant remedy is the unconscious attempt to heal that wound.

The Yakruna plant is a fictional plant that is more than likely representative of the Chacruna plant. A shrub that is notably used by Amazonian shamans in combination with the Banisteriopsis caapi vine to produce the powerful entheogenic brew, ayahuasca (aka yage). Shamans use ayahuasca as a way to communicate with the spirit realm. In the western world it is slowly becoming increasingly known as a psycho-spiritual medicine. The “spirit vine” calls Theo and Evan in order to exorcise their “crazy” minds. The same type of mind that caused the destruction of the Amazon in the first place.

Although Guerra’s message is certainly a call for westerners to embrace Gaia and indigenous thought, Embrace of the Serpent is not a simple one-sided attack on western civilization. Duality is the foremost protruding theme carrying the film. Karamakate holds racist views, an ill-temper, and stubborn actions, while Theo and Evan often show positive intention and attitude. It is not so much pointing fingers of blame, as it is a cry for compromise. However, the hostility remains large, due to the malicious history between the two worlds.

This polarity is brilliantly alluded to throughout the film with various filmmaking and storytelling devices. The most impressive being a Tarkovsky-eque scene, in which Karamakate drugs a Christian mission that worships a self-proclaimed messiah. The cult enters a delusional frenzy and begins chewing the messiah’s flesh. A bizarre metaphor that condones the jungle’s point of view of Christianity, while simultaneously showcasing Karamakate’s dark side.

The film’s content produces a foggy mural that forces the viewer to become a participant in the experience. As the anthropologists dwell in the mystery and unfamiliarity of the jungle, so does the audience. To comprehend and travel the curious territory with ease, one may have to drop their preconceived world-view, open their barriers, and “listen to world”, as Karamakate would say.

A beautifully shot tango of contradictory morals, ideals, and truths, Embrace of the Serpent is a brilliant accomplishment in modern art-house cinema that is sure to, at the very least, go down as one of the best films of the decade.

If you liked Embrace of the Serpent, you might also like: Samsara (2011), Andrei Rublev (1966), Ayahuasca: Vine of the Soul (2010), Dances With Wolves (1990).

Film Review – Ghost in the Shell (1995)

By: Raul De Leon

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Ghost in the Shell (1995) is a an anime film based on Masamune Shirow’s popular Japanese manga. In the U.S., the manga is known by the same name, but in Japan it is originally known as Mobile Armored Riot Police. There are multiple television shows, films, and video games based on the series. A live-action Hollywood remake of this 1995 film, starring Scarlett Johansson, is currently in production and scheduled for release next year. Over the years, Ghost in the Shell has stirred up quite an international following.

Motoko Kusanagi(Atsuko Tanaka) is a cyborg from counter-terrorist group – Public Security Section 9, who, with the help of her partner Batou (Akio Otsuka), tracks down a stealthy and powerful computer-hacker, nicknamed, the Puppet Master. As Section 9 tries to find the Puppet Master and understand his motives, they also battle the secrecy of the surveillance and reconnaissance unit – Section 6, and the possibility of political intervention. While battling the cyber-warfare and the mystery of the Puppet Master, the characters contemplate the nature of their unusual, half-breed existence.

In this near future of advanced robotics, it is normal practice for human flesh and organs to be replaced and integrated with robotic technology. A person may have brain cells, but the rest of their body can be completely artificial. The society is not so much concerned with reserving the shell (body) but the ghost (consciousness). And in this era of cybernetics, the task is as simple as switching the ghost over to a new host body.

The technology goes beyond just artificial human parts. Weapons are advanced, with characters using high velocity ammo that can rip automobiles to shreds. Our main character as well as a couple of others, use thermo-optic camouflage, that can visually cloak the naked body. One of the most interesting technologies, is the cyborgs’ ability to plug into a virtual field, where they can speak to each other “telepathically” and engage in a gps-like map, among other things. An ingenious idea that clearly influenced the Matrix films.

The innovative world of high technology that Shirow created, unfolds a sharp ambiance and makes for sleek action sequences. Major Kusanagi kicking butt and blasting bullets in the inner city, while utilizing her thermo-optics, delivers enthralling razor-edged combat. And none of it is senseless. Every action scene is appropriately restrained and relevant to the plot, making the few that there are, a significant anticipation for the viewer.

Ghost in the Shell is complex. The story is a hasty puzzle that consistently moves pieces around. In addition, there is plenty of philosophical, psychological, and scientific dialogue, that is bound to be foreign to your ears, considering this technology doesn’t exist in the real world. Ghost in the Shell can be hard to follow on a first viewing, especially if you are not familiar with the series. I would recommend watching the film more than once to better understand it and get the full experience.

When you do understand the film, it is greatly rewarding. This is the most well thought out and detailed account of artificial intelligence that I know of. Other works tend to dwell in the emotional state of A.I., but here the intellectual argument that is presented can stand on its two feet alone. With the ease of mind-hacking, body-configuring, and the assimilation of consciousness and virtual data, many questions are raised regarding life, being, and cognizance.

Further, the manner in which these intellectual ideas are presented, is artistically brilliant. At one point the Puppet Master, who is referred to as a “he”, speaks from the artificial shell of a half-body female, that was mysteriously found wandering the streets naked. A brilliant metaphor of muddled identity, that so perfectly reflects the philosophical themes that the Puppet Master voices himself.

I consider this film to be a true accomplishment in futurology, intellectualism, and art; and I look forward to the many other works of the series. Being the first composition of Ghost in the Shell that I have been exposed to; the series can add one more person to its fan base.

If you liked Ghost in the Shell, you might also like: Blade Runner (1982), Akira (1988), Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001).