Dante 01 (2008)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Simply A Masterpiece

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

A non-verbal prisoner, Saint Georges is brought to a psychological research station called Dante 01 because it is in orbit around a planet called Dante. The prisoner was found in all alone in a deep space transport. It is hoped that the facility and its clearance for new treatments will unlock Saint Georges' secrets.This is a science fiction film that mixes science horror and religion into a visually stunning treat. In all honesty I'm not sure what the film means, or is suppose to mean but I think the film somehow works on some level. I think the films success is mostly as a grand mystery that carries the viewer along to the end because it spins out enough questions we want to know the answers to. Is it successful, not entirely. Certainly the religious allegory (one need only look at the names to see it St Georges, Moloch, Perséphone, Buddha, Charon) is painfully obvious and over worked which makes an ending that is both clear and unclear. The film also seems to be keeping a little bit too much to itself and I wasn't always certain what was what. But at the same time I really like this movie. It wasn't completely the same old thing, or perhaps even if it was the film looked stunning enough that I really didn't mind.Personally I think the film is worth trying. It may not float your boat but at the same time I think there will be enough inside it to make you feel you didn't waste the money for a rental or your time.

So, there is this space prison filled with bald criminals...heard this one before? Corporate scientist Elisa (Linh Dan Pham) arrives on a prison ship with plans of using the felons as guinea pigs for a new DNA altering serum. Also arriving on the shuttle is new prisoner St. Georges (Lambert Wilson). Quickly thrown into the tiny populace, the prisoners notice something is not right with the new inmate when he begins miraculously healing other inmates.Marc Caro - co-director of the DELICATESSEN and THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN - makes his long awaited return to feature film-making but, unfortunately, this seems a step back. The film is visually stunning but the religious allegory heavy plot doesn't do it any favors as Caro seems to be mimicking 2001 and SOLARIS. This moves along at a pretty deliberate pace until an ending pops up that will make you scramble for the DVD menu, thinking you've inadvertently skipped a chapter. It literally comes out of nowhere and you can almost hear the money men pulling out of the project (reportedly last minute financial woes forced Caro to change his original ending). Interestingly, the US DVD has a 30-minute "making of" extra and co-writer Pierre Bordage mentions this was a project originally developed for Alejandro Jodorowsky. There is a great cast including DELICATESSEN lead Dominique Pinon and DELLAMORTE co-star François Hadji-Lazaro.

The whole story is set in a space shuttle which is being used as a medical research centre, far from the earth with a psychiatrist and a few guardians in charge of 7 convicts. Some of them are murderers some of them are psychopaths. As the story progresses a genetic engineer woman comes to the space shuttle with a secret experiment.A strange, mysterious new convict is delivered to the space shuttle who is very sick, dumb, bald and has no identity....One of the convicts begins believing that this sick, unknown man is the Messiah sent from God; and he gives him a name of a Saint. The convicts fall apart into 2 confronting sides and once things start breaking down the film becomes very enjoyable.I love strong character films. Only trouble is that it is slightly confusing when the genetic engineer woman injects the immortality virus into some of the convicts' bodies. just before she is going to watch their change and our strange mute guy shows up and takes the immortality virus out of their bodies by eating it.... creepyI felt this was a really enjoyable film but if you don't like Pseudo Religious meanings in a film this is not the one for you- I felt like there was going to be a monster but there wasn't so if you try not to expect some big monster reveal or aliens you'll enjoy it more! Enjoyable overall though and great acting and characterisation.

I really enjoyed this film. The cast, acting, cinematography, sets, script all top-notch. Many of critical of the Christian symbolism etc, I really didn't find any of that over-the-top at all. What's in a name? Not a helleva lot. The film itself has moments of utter psychological distress which I couldn't help to feel personally. Emotionally I was really drawn to this film. Sure it's not perfect but for a different take on the sci-fi genre (the French always do things differently) it has its place amongst others than are original and don't follow a distinct formula. The end had such an intense visual climax it was like a massive, visceral, abstract, surreal overload. The sort of thing I'm always looking for in electronic music - hard to find but nothing feels quite like it when you do. Don't be put off by all of the negative comments, I think this film deserves your support. And keep an open mind. Having an appreciation of the abstract helps. This film shouldn't be taken too literally.