VISITORS
Directed by Godfrey Reggio
With Gravity taking its final bows at multiplexes after an extended run, Visitors arrives at the local art house and delivers an equally compelling argument for why cinema belongs on the big screen. Marking the first film from Godfrey Reggio ? the acclaimed Qatsi trilogys mastermind ? since 2002, it may be somewhat experimental in form but its results are immediate, leaving you enraptured by larger-than-life images that demand your undivided attention.
With its 87-minute running time consisting of only 74 shots, Reggios monochromatic odyssey takes us to the moon, Louisiana bayous, trash dumps and amusement parks while functioning as something of an extended Rorschach test. Its left with the viewer to truly engage with each of its striking compositions, assign significance to the seemingly banal and interpret these sequences as they see fit. The fact that the human face features so prominently in the film also creates a remarkable intimacy, calling on viewers to maintain eye contact when our society has become increasingly averse to such courtesies.
For those who allow themselves to establish such a connection, Visitors proves not just accessible but immersive. Much like a hypnotists incantation, Philip Glass spiralling score employs tone, rhythm and repetition to induce a trance-like state. Admittedly, the spell is broken on occasion: one segment treads perilously close to a cologne advert, while the images of children sometimes feel like pandering. That said, Visitors ultimately succeeds in its aim of accentuating the uncanny qualities of everyday objects and individuals, thus encouraging us to reexamine the real world we inhabit. Oddly enough, thats a lesson that only the silver screen can impart.
Screens at the Vancity Theatre on Feb. 28 and Mar. 1, 3, 5, 11, 13
