Let's start off by stating the obvious: if you like films with snappy editing and lots of action, this isn't the film for you. However, it has to be said with due consideration that the directorial style here lends itself VERY well to the subject at hand. The purpose of the film is to examine our roles in society, and in this case, the role of police officer. The film is not interested in character development or in trying to get us to empathize with the characters; it portrays the characters as tiny cogs in a massive machine, that do their job, serve their purpose, and who each play their part in the macro scheme of society as a whole. It's the examination of the free will of a machine in motion, a body let's say, where if one of its components ceases to fulfill it's designated role, then the rest comes crashing down. The film very effectively paints this type of picture in what can probably best be described as being a little bit like a documentarian approach to fiction.
Personally I generally don't mind a film that's very minimalist and slow paced. I like taking in the ambience; I like observing a moment in time captured on camera and reflecting upon the ebb and flow of the mundane. If like me, you're someone who's mind tends to wander, you probably like this style of directing too. That being said, in this film it definitely is a little TOO much. You really could do without the 5 minute roaming shots that lead into almost EVERY major scene. To me, there just aren't enough focal points in the plot progression, and not enough delivery for all the buildup. The film has specifically chosen to not allow us to empathize with the characters, and with that, there's so much less for the viewer to hang onto.
The entire film essentially is one single drawn out buildup to the climax, which is the confrontation between the protagonist and his superior, an authoritarian type who clearly enjoys making power plays, having others submit to his will, and talking down to them as if they're children, while the protagonist slowly finds his reason, his morality, and his distaste of a situation that he does not feel is right, picked apart until he barely knows who he is anymore. This is essentially my favorite type of scene in movies, long drawn out verbal exchanges over a point of conflict. This one, like the rest of the film, while effective, still comes across as a little bland to me.
In the end, it's not a bad film, and I say that largely because I can see what they were trying to show, and I understand the reasoning behind it. THAT'S not necessarily great film-making, communicating a single abstract message to the viewer, and little else. I really wish the film put some major focus on the family who was ultimately going to be affected by what may or may not be viewed as a mishandling of justice. As the viewer, we really do need something a little more to wet our appetites here, and I think exploring the human condition from different focal points is not an unreasonable way to add value. Ultimately this is just not as good as say, a film by the Dardenne brothers, or a Bruno Dumont film, though still, I would consider watching it again. That being said, I would really really have to be in the right mood.
Personally I generally don't mind a film that's very minimalist and slow paced. I like taking in the ambience; I like observing a moment in time captured on camera and reflecting upon the ebb and flow of the mundane. If like me, you're someone who's mind tends to wander, you probably like this style of directing too. That being said, in this film it definitely is a little TOO much. You really could do without the 5 minute roaming shots that lead into almost EVERY major scene. To me, there just aren't enough focal points in the plot progression, and not enough delivery for all the buildup. The film has specifically chosen to not allow us to empathize with the characters, and with that, there's so much less for the viewer to hang onto.
The entire film essentially is one single drawn out buildup to the climax, which is the confrontation between the protagonist and his superior, an authoritarian type who clearly enjoys making power plays, having others submit to his will, and talking down to them as if they're children, while the protagonist slowly finds his reason, his morality, and his distaste of a situation that he does not feel is right, picked apart until he barely knows who he is anymore. This is essentially my favorite type of scene in movies, long drawn out verbal exchanges over a point of conflict. This one, like the rest of the film, while effective, still comes across as a little bland to me.
In the end, it's not a bad film, and I say that largely because I can see what they were trying to show, and I understand the reasoning behind it. THAT'S not necessarily great film-making, communicating a single abstract message to the viewer, and little else. I really wish the film put some major focus on the family who was ultimately going to be affected by what may or may not be viewed as a mishandling of justice. As the viewer, we really do need something a little more to wet our appetites here, and I think exploring the human condition from different focal points is not an unreasonable way to add value. Ultimately this is just not as good as say, a film by the Dardenne brothers, or a Bruno Dumont film, though still, I would consider watching it again. That being said, I would really really have to be in the right mood.