best. adaptation. ever...

Rating: 7/10 (11 July 2006)

I'm sticking my neck out here... This is the best computer game movie so far. This is, however, not hard considering the competition comes primarily from Uwe Boll and Paul WS Anderson, two men so incompetent I would judge them unqualified to direct a wedding video.
Fortunately director Christopher Gans realised that the survival horror element, rather than the video game element, was the most important aspect (unlike "Resident Evil" which, while fairly entertaining bore no resemblance to the game) and for the most part succeed. Now let me clarify here, I haven't played any of the games and so the fact that the plot seemed to border on incoherent may be due to my ignorance, but to me the script seemed to have no third act.
To begin with everything was fine, the dreamlike smoky decay of Silent Hill exuding woe and tragedy whereas the dark alternate world, complete with ash foetuses, contortionist nurses and armless zombies had a real spine tingling menace to it that caused a delightful feeling of panic for the protagonist when the mine siren sounds. Also excellent was the opening in which the protagonist's creepy clairvoyant daughter seemingly stood on the brink of hell itself looking down into a fiery abyss. The films great strengths are its cinematography, beautifully eerie recalling in parts "The Shining" and "Don't Look Now" as she searches for her lost child, and in particular sound which is sharp and startling (even a car driving through a puddle seems deafening) and really adds to the film's ambiance, as does a melancholic haunting score.
However, much was unexplained to an unenlightened audience. Pyramid Head, a fan-favourite I'm told, seemed inappropriate and even comedic in such a dark film, who he was, what his motives were or why he had a pyramid for a head unexplained. Also, interesting subplots involving a suicide at the mines, a location I would have liked to have seen more of, were dispensed with to make way for a Crucible-esquire witch hunting subplot which seemed totally contradictory against the grimy industrial feel of the town. Had the film been set 100 years ago it would have seemed more plausible but otherwise seemed stupid, as though the scriptwriters just decided to pinch the ending from the "Wicker Man".
The notion of alternate dimensions of Silent Hill are interesting as are the twisted renderings of many stereotypical small town locales such as the school, hotel, church and hospital but the rapid movement between these, following clues and retrieving items along the way, is obviously taken directly from the game and instead of creating a feeling of faithfulness gives a rather passive, bored feeling of watching someone else playing the game.
Performance, crucial for creating a convincing horror tale is also lacking as, while Radha Mitchell is quite convincing as the desperate mother, Laurie Holden as a tough by-the-book cop aiding her positively creaks. Similarly, Alice Krieg as witch-hunter Christabel hams it up terribly, making Vincent Price in "Witchfinder General" seem understated.
In conclusion, the film looks terrific and has some classic horror moments but lacks a strong coherent narrative meaning that it is not as satisfying as it promises. Having said that, the director's ambition and skill should be commended and the film stands head and shoulders above any other video game adaptation.
3.8/5