A slow psychological tidal wave of art

Rating: 10/10 (24 July 2005)

This movie affected me on a very deep level. I agree with one of the other comments that in order to appreciate its message, you need to watch it several times with long breaks in between. For me, it was about the fluidity, fragility and powerlessness of life against the concept of death. It asks the unanswerable : who or what is directing our individual fate. It also implicitly discusses the superficial qualities of life : the different masks we all like to wear to impress. Death seems to come, only to wear a mask and study other masks, forcing the characters to see behind each other. In the end, death is forced to take off his own mask and suffer the experience of loss. It becomes more moving the more times you watch it. It is a slow-moving, psychological tidal wave of quality art. However, for those who don't wish to have their thoughts provoked about the mystery of life and death, it may be tiresome and a bit boring.