Review of Ulzhan (2007) by Halley M — 23 Dec 2010
It took me a little while to get into this film. The first minutes pass by like the first minutes of a great journey - without you realising what lies ahead of you and without knowing what destination you are really trying to reach. By the end I wanted for more and yet nothing more could be added or, indeed, taken away. If you choose to watch this film, do so alone or with friends who are not in a rush to get to point B. Take a pinch of this winter's cold and let yourself drown in this film slowly as a suicide in a bathtub, his wrists cut.
The cinematography and imagery are superb and although a lot of it is due to the simple natural beauty of the Central Asian steppe, it takes a master to really draw it out and juxtapose those Buddha carvings with dust storms, nuclear testing grounds and mountains that seem to touch the sky. The acting is true and sharp and, if you can watch this without subtitles, by all means do so. The language is clear and simple like cold mountain air.
Buy every word you can: saudade, dharma,... Ulzhan. Buy them all and you will walk away rich and a little sturdier on your weary feet.
This review of Ulzhan (2007) was written by Halley M on 23 Dec 2010.
Ulzhan has generally received positive reviews.
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