Like 2001 and Bladerunner, It's a Confusing Classic

Rating: 10/10 (27 September 2013)

First of all, this was totally ignored by "The Oscars" in 2012. It lost tons of money-over $75 Million and is one of the most ambitious attempts to bring an epic novel to the screen, in recent years. Not for everyone, as it shows everything from whippings to graphic and bloody tribal warfare to electrocution. Oh, there is some highly sexual content and nudity as well. If I haven't completely scared you away from watching this, then also be aware that the futuristic segments rival both the best StarTrek and Bladerunner-type movies that you have ever seen. The story is impossible to fully relate and would take several pages. It spans a timeline from 1849 to 2346. It's a revolving story with 6 distinct parts that repeat like a M*A*S*H movie, both for emphasis and clarity. It takes a while to get used to this, but eventually you see how everything ties in together, especially at the end. Five main actors play several roles each, both as men and women. (Yes, Halle Berry as a man!) Also stars Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, and Susan Sarandon and many others; who you will not always recognize due to the terrific make-up. Hugo Weaving as "Nurse Noakes" is the exception. He looks like a man "in drag" but I believe that was intentional, as that is the only humorous sequence. It's all about predestination, reincarnation, and Man's search for truth and freedom. Tom Hanks plays "Zachry" the storyteller that both opens and closes the movie. He is haunted by a "green goblin" that only he can see or that may be the author's representation of the terrible evil and prejudice in Mankind. That is the only character I don't quite understand. Parts of the movie will remind you of "Roots", "Bladerunner", "Logan's Run", "Soilent Green" and even "The China Syndrome", but it is done in such a way that is fresh in the re-telling. The ending is amazing as the "Brave New World" exists in a post-apocalyptic Hawaii that is both incredibly primitive and ultra-futuristic. Both Tom Hanks and Halle Berry deserved Ocsars for their performances. As long as "The 10 Commandments" at 171 minutes; best viewed in parts, to fully comprehend it. This will eventually "make money" thru Blu-Ray DVD release but will never be shown on "free" TV without several drastic cuts due to its content. Quotable lines: "I believe that Death is only a door. When it closes, another one opens. From womb to tomb, our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we both have a future."