Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles’ third feature, after “City of God” and “The Constant Gardener,” attempts something implausible: using a visual medium (with only a few seconds’ darkness in a single scene) to portray a world where a virus causes blindness and quickly reduces civilization to chaos. But another reading, drawing on Meirelles’ own substantial background as a South American who’s helped shape that continent’s film, television and advertising world, would suggest that the blindness is more about a clash between individualism and shared responsibilities of society. The figures dancing on the wall of Plato’s cave are barbaric, seeking victims. Adapted from Nobelist Portuguese novelist Jose Saramago’s novel by Canadian Don McKellar, “Blindness”‘ consistently, insistently displays a perspective not seen in U. S. productions where one hero must save all, who claims the good of all for his own glory. Neither mavericks nor self-described mavericks, the characters that work toward good in “Blindness” worry about the world and what world comes tomorrow. The final shot, seemingly in glaucous white void, tilts down to reveal something optimistic: an emblem of the necessary survival of life on earth. Simple means, as with a few brilliant passages amid the cruelty on show. The indignities may be visualized with inappropriate panache, as may well be claimed of “City of God,” but the underlying sentiment has been obscured by many reviews. With Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Alice Braga, Danny Glover, Sandra Oh, Don McKellar, Gael Garcia Bernal, Maury Chaykin. 120m. (Ray Pride)
Related Stories
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Uncanny Ally: A Review Of M3GAN "M3GAN" sells itself in its first handful of seconds in how it introduces the handiwork of roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams, "Get Out") and her present product, PurrPetual Petz from Funki.
Spawn Sacrifice: A Review Of The Creator "The Creator" is richly detailed, punchy, pulpy, punkish entertainment that still has highly serious subjects in mind, without growing didactic and with substantial heart.
A Drag Getting Old: A Review Of Indiana Jones 5 In the protracted opening couple of reels, a very young, computer-crafted Harrison Ford plays a younger cultural marauder who first encounters the dull MacGuffin of the title.
Fine Line: A Review Of Shortcomings It's a season for the comeuppance of a curmudgeon in Randall Park's smart, biting "Shortcomings," adapted by Adrian Tomine from his graphic novel of the same name.
