some people are never satisfied, however i was completely satisfied

Rating: 10/10 (24 April 2006)

When i first saw the trailer for Silent Hill, i immediately noticed a short audio sample from the game near the end of the trailer.. Besides the scenes revealed in trailer which got my hopes up... this short audio sample relieved a lot of the worries i had about the Silent Hill movie.
It seemed, at that moment that movie was in good hands. They were being faithful to the games in both visual and maybe even more importantly the audio department. From what i had also seen in the trailer, the film didn't have any of the trademark cheesiness of other video game adaptations seen in movies like street fighter, resident evil, or tomb raider. If i didn't know any better, i wouldn't have known this film was based on anything except an original screenplay. But of course, trailers can be very deceitful sometimes..
Opening day, i was skeptical once again. I heard bad things about the movie from film critics, but i decided to put that aside, along with any positive or negative preconceptions i had about the film. I'm pretty happy to say that, that this film met and exceeded my expectations. The trailer didn't lie, and my months of waiting were not in vain.
I mentioned earlier the music in the movie. it's pretty breath taking.. and it really adds to the whole 'Silent Hill' experience. The films producers and directors really went out of their way to capture the essence of Silent Hill, both in art style and presentation.
The great thing about the music is that all the music are compositions from the game's soundtrack. So for the film, there wasn't necessarily a need for a composer.. Just an arranger. Just the best and most appropriate tracks from the Silent Hill games to integrate into the film. The great thing about the soundtracks for the video games themselves, is that the composer doesn't write generic run of the mill video game music. He writes dark atmospheric trip-hop esquire instrumentals. Using original compositions from video games into its film counterpart is unprecedented. They should be applauded for this as well.
It really adds to the authentic feel of 'Silent Hill'. I never felt once during the film that it was like a 'Hollywood' version of Silent Hill, i felt like it was a genuine Silent Hill experience. From the visuals, the twisted camera angles, the monsters, the characters, the storyline and the dialogue.
Its all extremely true to the game. I remember reading about the movie months ago, and i was pleased to learn that the screenwriter (half of the writing team of pulp fiction) sat down and played all the Silent Hill games before penning the script for the movie. It really shows. The guy has the Silent Hill feel and universe down real tight, and the director captured the essence of the game perfectly. (He even inserts obscure Silent Hill references that only the most attentive will get) I was pleased to see some of the most awesomely gruesome death scenes I've ever seen. and I'm really happy that pyramid head made it in the movie. He's certainly one of the most memorable villains I've ever seen. I hope we'll see more of him in a hopefully inevitable sequel.
Now besides the 100% loyalty the filmmakers had to the game when translating the game's storyline, atmosphere, feel and music.. The movie itself is executed beautifully. You can walk in and not know a single thing about 'Silent Hill' and still appreciate it.
What most people don't realize is that Silent Hill and the games that spawned it.. Is that it was never intended to be a 100% horror. It is also partially a mystery. There are always open ended questions and unanswered questions. You will leave the theater wondering exactly what just happened, you'll think about all the clues, all the bits in the storyline and piece them together to make sense of everything.
Some of the chief complaints of this movie by 'reputable' critics is that they didn't understand it, or that it was too confusing, or that it takes itself too seriously. I applaud the filmmakers FOR taking this seriously, for making a real effort at faithfully adapting a video game to the screen without compromising its essence making a 'Hollywood' version of 'Silent Hill'. It is okay to not have the entire plot and the loose ends explained to the viewer. its okay to leave the theater figuring out the movie.
I heard somewhere that this film was actually 3.5 hours long initially, and they cut it down. I'd love to see the full cut of this film. This is a film that may do even better on DVD because its one that requires repeated viewings to appreciate. Perhaps movie going audiences have been so spoiled by horror movies with contrived plots, or movies that focus exclusively on gore or torture scenes without so much as a thought to the storyline. If you're one of those people, you won't enjoy those movies.
And for the fans of the games that didn't enjoy this film and are complaining. Please stop being so fickle. When a video game movie is typically released it is unfaithful adaptation of the game (Street Fighter Anyone?), and the community raises hell. Now that the video game community has a film that 100% accurate and faithful to the games, they still have the nerve to complain? We are sending mixed signals to Hollywood.
Watch this movie to simply appreciate it for its musical score, or its visual presentation, or its great storyline. Or all of them. Whatever you choose, you'll be satisfied.
Avary/Gans did a wonderful job, thank goodness the film was in such able hands.
Favian fav1an at yahoo dot com