beauty in darkness

Rating: 8/10 (9 November 2005)

This film draws more upon character build up than it does the story of war itself. If you enjoy identifying with a protagonist then you will enjoy this film. Also, I found it was visually stimulating, many of the shots were absolutely brilliant. At no point did I feel disturbed by some of the grotesque images i was seeing, but in fact could appreciate the cinematography and direction of those shots. Everything was beautiful, even the pain and darkness of the film. Don't walk into the theater expecting an edge-of-your-seat-thriller. I think that many people who do this will be disappointed. Approach it as reality, an accurate reflection of one man's experience, not a glorified view of wars. Also, it is important to really embrace Sam Mendes' style of editing. You will notice that he places a lot of emphasis on the long shot and mise en scene.