Excellent Film! Avery and Gans Deserve Oscars

Rating: 10/10 (21 April 2006)

First off, this is the first true video game-to-movie adaptation that deserves the term 'film'. Christophe Gans and Roger Avery have crafted an articulate piece of art that is at once disarming, intelligent, and frightening. This film demands repeat viewings if only to fully understand the multi-layered narratives at work throughout the dialogue and action. I've seen this movie twice in a day and, to be completely honest, I was unimpressed upon the first viewing. After several hours of thought I saw the film again and it was a totally different experience. From Dahlia's dialogues early in the film to the melancholic ending reminiscent of the Japanese film 'Kairo' and the Toni Morrison novel 'Beloved', Avery and Gans show that they are not afraid of subverting the audiences's expectations and delivering a startlingly original finale. Many nay-sayers will claim that the film does not follow the continuity of the game (Dahlia as blameless bystander, inclusion of Cristabella, changing the doctrine of the cult) but the game's narrative of Samael and the rebirth of 'God' could be read into the underlying subtext of the film. It is quite possible that 'Dark Alessa/The Reaper' is in fact Samael, or the part of Alessa that, like in the game, embraces the feelings of depression, abandonment, and loss. Special attention should be paid to Jodelle Ferland's performance. Although flat and (dare-I-say) stereotypical within the initial fifteen minutes of the film, she shines with radiant malevolence as Dark Alessa. Radha Mitchell and Lurie Holden are also deserving of praise for bringing a sense of reality to a thoroughly alien landscape. In closing, this is a film that demands a certain amount of thought from the audience. This is a film that exists on many metaphysical layers of meaning which is not quite standard fare for the typical moviegoer. Kudos to the cast and crew, hopefully there will be a sequel in the near future (the story of Christopher going to Silent Hill in search of Rose?).