Review of Sleep Furiously (2008) by John R — 02 Nov 2009
This is a film with no actors but full of characters, no script but a timeless story, no particular action but an urgent, vital message. By avoiding almost all the usual techniques of the modern documentary and also, crucially, being a member of the community he's chronicling, film maker Gideon Koppel becomes the ultimate embedded journalist.
With a landscape painter's eye for composition, Koppel captures a tableau then leaves the camera running for so much longer than we're accustomed to. Such longeurs slow us down and allow time for thoughts and feelings to swell.
As we experience rural life at its own pace we become closer to the people we meet. Their concerns become ours and the emotional power of the film develops a searing momentum. Koppel's film has been hailed as a lyrical masterpiece by many of the most eminent film makers and critics.
Perhaps its lasting achievement will be to stop us allowing an entire way of life to die silently and unnoticed.
This review of Sleep Furiously (2008) was written by John R on 02 Nov 2009.
Sleep Furiously has generally received positive reviews.
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