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O-Bi, O-Ba – The End of Civilization (1985)
An opening narration from a bitter soldier establishes an uneasy alliance between militaristic authority and lowly apocalyptic survivors. The movie is entirely set in a crumbling underground haven. As you can imagine, living conditions are less than ideal. Within the first five minutes, a tracking shot through the shelter shows us that 4th wall breaking residents don’t take kindly to a camera invading their restroom privacy.
Inside the confined dungeon, tenants only sense of hope comes from their zealous belief in a fabled Ark that will yield them a comfortable afterlife. Of course, the tyrannical military figures suppress any Ark-related discourse, incessantly spout propaganda through megaphones, and promote xenophobic sentiments against unseen enemies of the state. The mostly unsavory characters within the shelter consist of woeful eccentrics, nickel and dime traders, and some dismal stand-ins to make the place look grim. This pretty predictable post-apocalyptic cast is led by a mostly impassive lead. I think he’s supposed to be a sort of mundane Mad Max-esque anti-hero, but as an overweight middle aged man with an 8 year old’s haircut, it doesn’t really work too well.
Our protagonist ladies and gentlemen.
Similar to Golem (1980), the movie isn’t impeded by art house clichés or sluggish pacing. It does seem to regard excitement as much as intellectual value. It’s citizens vs. authority message is pretty cut and dry, but it doesn’t get hung up on it. Beyond that, it does have an interesting Life of Brian-esque moral about people gullibly clinging to a hastily manufactured faith as their only means of respite. Eventually, we end up with an oppressive vs. deluded spectrum, with the main character being the only outcast.
“…... I can explain.”
Almost every shot is dominated by a glowy blue tinge. In Golem, Piotr Szulkin showed his knack for the one color hue style, but the otherworldly feel in this is transcendental. It has the neon flare of Blade Runner without the accompanying budget. This is done by cramming the setting with more fluorescent lightbulbs than a Japanese Deathmatch. Honestly, it’s one of the most drearily picturesque movies I’ve seen. The stylized sets are pretty astonishing and arguably surpass the movie’s own inspirations. It’s mostly eye candy, but that can amply compensate for the occasionally drudging plot with a lackluster lead.
An opening narration from a bitter soldier establishes an uneasy alliance between militaristic authority and lowly apocalyptic survivors. The movie is entirely set in a crumbling underground haven. As you can imagine, living conditions are less than ideal. Within the first five minutes, a tracking shot through the shelter shows us that 4th wall breaking residents don’t take kindly to a camera invading their restroom privacy.
Inside the confined dungeon, tenants only sense of hope comes from their zealous belief in a fabled Ark that will yield them a comfortable afterlife. Of course, the tyrannical military figures suppress any Ark-related discourse, incessantly spout propaganda through megaphones, and promote xenophobic sentiments against unseen enemies of the state. The mostly unsavory characters within the shelter consist of woeful eccentrics, nickel and dime traders, and some dismal stand-ins to make the place look grim. This pretty predictable post-apocalyptic cast is led by a mostly impassive lead. I think he’s supposed to be a sort of mundane Mad Max-esque anti-hero, but as an overweight middle aged man with an 8 year old’s haircut, it doesn’t really work too well.
Our protagonist ladies and gentlemen.
Similar to Golem (1980), the movie isn’t impeded by art house clichés or sluggish pacing. It does seem to regard excitement as much as intellectual value. It’s citizens vs. authority message is pretty cut and dry, but it doesn’t get hung up on it. Beyond that, it does have an interesting Life of Brian-esque moral about people gullibly clinging to a hastily manufactured faith as their only means of respite. Eventually, we end up with an oppressive vs. deluded spectrum, with the main character being the only outcast.
“…... I can explain.”
Almost every shot is dominated by a glowy blue tinge. In Golem, Piotr Szulkin showed his knack for the one color hue style, but the otherworldly feel in this is transcendental. It has the neon flare of Blade Runner without the accompanying budget. This is done by cramming the setting with more fluorescent lightbulbs than a Japanese Deathmatch. Honestly, it’s one of the most drearily picturesque movies I’ve seen. The stylized sets are pretty astonishing and arguably surpass the movie’s own inspirations. It’s mostly eye candy, but that can amply compensate for the occasionally drudging plot with a lackluster lead.