Product: Idaho Transfer (1973)
Rating: 1.0
Brilliant
The 1 star is for the DVD which is appalling. It appears little more than video quality transposed to DVD which defeats the point. Surely someone can find the negative or a 35 or 16m print somewhere?The film itself is of it's time, but probably brilliant. It's environmental warning is as pertinent as ever and it shows that there was plenty of early scepticism amongst the forever young/free love generation. The film is populated by barely clothed, nubile, erotic dollybirds (Isa's protruding tongue and peeling of a banana got me all of a quiver) and strapping young men. I thought there might be some other agenda behind the hiring of these unknowns but it's right for the story. The young scientists are emotionally immature and easily distracted (Karen with her ring) and their free love idealism soon receives a painful rebuke. Their lack of foresight over the possibilities of lingering contamination, especially in the light of their 'discovery', is puzzling. Idaho Transfer is a strangely serene and relaxing experience, a spell that even the introduction of aggression and inevitable tragedy cannot dissipate. It's disturbing ending, described in a review I read as 'ridiculous', is actually to my liking, brilliantly banal in the way life tends to be. The pessimistic metaphor is the skimming rock earlier in the film. We can only go so far in the natural order is the message. Subtly directed, this Paradise Lost set in the future is well worth investigating, but a better print is sorely needed.