christopher-underwood Review of Litan

Litan (1982)

absolutely nothing, from beginning to end, seemed to make any sense whatsoever

[6/10 · 3 April 2013]

I have watched a film in a language I do not understand, without subtitles and still managed to follow it and I have dropped off for a section of film and still managed to make sense of it and I have watched films that only partly made sense but this is the first film in which absolutely nothing, from beginning to end, seemed to make any sense whatsoever. The captivating look, complete with masked villagers, a hillside village with tottering buildings and underground caves, is visually entrancing and the constant chasing, being chased, attacks, killings and survival help maintain a level of interest even if we know not why. There are hints and pointers toward dream and the afterlife and of the uselessness of the bureaucratic administrations, the hospital looks more like a prison and the inspector believes nothing and nobody. I notice that the director plays the hero, if that is what he is, at least he is still standing at the end.