esrosedotblog

It takes awhile to register that we are on several planes in today's film.

Cemetery of Splendour (2016)

A visitor and volunteer at a veteran's hospital is assigned to a ward where all the patients sleep continuously.

The first clue that we are in a kind of scientific fiction are long light tubes which light while the patients are on respirators. The lights alert the staff, and us, to the current state of the patient's dreamworld.

As the woman is assigned to one patient she watches and waits. In the meantime as she sits, she reflects on her own life.

Somewhere in this process, level two opens up when she gives an offering at a temple and later one of the temple goddesses shows up and talks to her. Becomes a companion.

Are you still with me?

Don't try to follow this.

The rest is dream like but one of those dreams where you are awake or think you are. Quite convincing. Very good.

There are, at times, long quiet spots of reflection. Chickens walk by. A "herd" of baby chicks following a hen. Then there are people walking in what seem to be random patterns until slowly we realize this is not random. There is a distinct choreography.

I would like to see this again so I can watch all this stuff which rates this film a rare 5 out of Netflix5.

Labels: best films, films