Review of Martin (1978) by Blake R — 17 Aug 2007
Very different to George Romero's zombie quadrilogy, this is a sensitive, small-scale tale about a young, alienated teenage boy who is a vampire, minus the cloak and fangs trappings of classic lore.
Martin is really more of a study of alienation and psychological disturbance, although the film is not without some gory and frightening moments. It's interesting seeing Romero focusing on domestic relatonships, in contrast with the broad social satire of the zombie films.
The ending is really sad and depressing, particularly as any false hope or salvation offered is cruelly taken away. The post-industrial small town setting makes for an interesting setting which adds to the character's sense of dislocation as he struggles to adapt in this environment, which comes across as unfriendly and threatening.
The pace of the film is quite slow but worth perservering, and interspersed with ambiguous flashbacks/dreams and moments of sudden violence.
This review of Martin (1978) was written by Blake R on 17 Aug 2007.
Martin has generally received positive reviews.
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