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Ghostland (2018)
High-quality melancholic horror with a unique aesthetic
"Ghostland" is not a high-end movie, demanding the viewer intellectually. This is not a movie containing deep philosophy and aesthetics, such as "Martyrs", "Dogville", " Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom". This is rather another high-quality work by Pascal Laugier in the horror genre, professionally and realistically exploring the animal side of human nature. Perhaps surprisingly, the film reminded me of Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory" - an oppressive atmosphere of hopelessness along with reflections on the animal nature of man.
The film is not so much frightening as repulsive with its cruelty, forcing the viewer to experience a range of negative emotions - from helplessness to disgust. The hand of master Pascal Laugier is traced - we see the animal side of people, their helplessness before a terrible ordeal.
What is typical for the works of Loge, from the very beginning the film envelops the viewer in an atmosphere of tension and anxiety. The director masterfully builds the composition of the frame, using gloomy tones, sharp contrasts of light and shadow, creating a sense of inevitability and enhancing the emotions of the heroines as the plot progresses.
I would like to note that visually the film was shot flawlessly and is pleasant from the point of view of professionalism. The camerawork deserves special praise: close-ups with well-chosen lighting emphasize details and create a unique aesthetic. Laugier is a master at combining feelings and emotions in combination with camera shooting, reminiscent of Lars von Trier.
The opening phrase "They did not come for the house, but for what is inside us" is the main motive of the film. The horror is not in the outside world, but in our inner demons. This phrase is the key to understanding that the real horror is not in an external threat, but in how we react to it. For the first half, the film seems to lure the viewer into a trap, pumping up the atmosphere and slowly developing the plot. As the oppressive beginning began, it felt like the film was overgrown with questions by the middle and looked weak, but at one point everything changed dramatically. Laugier masterfully draws the line between reality and illusion, making you doubt what is happening on the screen and start to perceive the picture anew, intensifying emotions from an unexpected turn. We see phenotypically precisely matched maniacs who are disgusted by images and makeup. The girls faces are covered with bruises and abrasions, their eyes are extinguished - they look helpless.
It is at this moment that the contrasting characters of the two sisters come to the fore. One sister succumbs to panic and despair, while the other seeks salvation in illusions. The director shows that in an extreme situation, the human psyche can work together in different ways: someone creative chooses to escape into an illusion, and who is not capable of this, is ready to fight the threat by animal hysteria, succumbing to their primary instincts - this adds sensual realism and intellectual depth.
The finale of the film leaves the viewer in a state of uncertainty. Despite the external resolution of the conflict, there is a feeling that the nightmare is not over. Destinies are crippled, and nothing can fix it - catharsis does not come.
On the downside, I can't say that the film is scary, it's more a feeling of thoughtfulness mixed with melancholy, but that doesn't mean that it's not scary at all. Feelings of tension, along with emotion and pity, remain until the last second, although I have to note that the film does not look as much in the horror genre as "Martyrs", and also that the emotional and intellectual message of these paintings differs significantly.
To sum up: "Ghostland" is not "Martyrs 2", but rather a perfectly shot horror film with a unique aesthetic that takes not intelligence, but emotions, forcing the viewer to feel the horror of the situation, while leaving room for reflection on the shaky, philistine concept of "humanity" and fate.