[BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW
screens Thursday August 2nd at 5:30 pm and Friday August 3 rd at 9:30
pm at the Cleveland Cinematheque.]
Review
by Bob Ignizio
If only for its sterile
retro-futuristic set design, abrasive cinematography, Tangerine Dream
meets John Carpenter synthesizer score, and some arresting bad acid
trip visuals, BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW
would be a film worthy of attention. That it uses these elements to
create a compelling atmosphere is without question. Whether there's
really enough here aside from that to warrant a feature length film
is not so certain; BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW
feels like a good idea for a 20 or 30 minute short that has been
stretched to the breaking point at nearly 2 hours.
The main action is
set in 1983, but first we're given the set-up via an infomercial for
the mysterious Arboria Institute narrated by its founder, Mercurio
Arboria (Scott Hylands). He informs us that the goal of the Institute
is to help people achieve happiness and inner peace. The institute,
he assures us, “[is] at the forefront of neuropsychology and new
therapeutic technologies.” At the end of the tape, the attentive
viewer will notice a copyright date of 1966, meaning Arboria has had
almost two decades to work towards their goals. What we see of the
institute in its early eighties present doesn't look particularly
happy, though.
A mute woman named
Elena (Eva Allen) is confined to her room, evidently a prisoner.
She's forced to undergo some of those “new therapeutic
technologies”, administered by the wig-wearing Dr. Barry Nyle
(Michael Rogers). Elsewhere in the institute there's some kind of
weird glowing pyramid that seems to have some connection to Elena,
although exactly what it does is unclear. As the film goes along, the
secrets of the institute are slowly parceled out, but to say that
everything is explained or that the answers given are completely
satisfying would be untrue.
The
influence of early David Cronenberg films on writer/director Panos
Cosmatos is undeniable; one can easily imagine the Arboria Institute
being just down the road from THE BROOD's
Somafree Institute, and the psychic powers Elena possesses aren't
dissimilar from those displayed by the central characters in
SCANNERS. The imprint
of other, even more avant-garde filmmakers like David Lynch and
Kenneth Anger is apparent as well.
Cosmatos
clearly has a particular vision in mind and the talent to pull it
off, but it's hard to figure out what his point is beyond an exercise
in style. It feels as if the film has something to say, but it's
vague to the point of incomprehensibility in the way it says it.
There are some interesting scenes and ideas, but also long stretches
that are tedious and frustrating. Despite all its issues, this writer
still found BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW
enjoyable. That most viewers will share that assessment seems
unlikely, but for those who have read this review and still find
themselves intrigued, it may be worth taking a chance. 2 1/2 out of 4
stars.
As published on Examiner.com
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