FILM REVIEW
'NODE'
- Directed by Engin Poyraz -
SYNOPSIS
Node is the story of the inhabitans of an island in the middle of a lake, where each day is chaining in a circle of realities and dreams.
OUR VISION
The universe of the individual is composed of little things: his work, his dreams and reflections, the persons he meets, the streets he walks on everyday, the cigarettes he smokes and the moments where he feels the need of lighting one... Node gathers such elements in a very poetic film, depicting the daily life in an accurate, yet sensible manner. The viewer is immersed in a tightly closed environment through an initiatory experience, where every step reveals another layer of familiarity. The deep attention given to details belonging to the ordinary creates an intimacy from which it is hard to recover at the end of the film.
CHARACTERS AND ACTING
We found the way the characters were constructed very interesting; they are static, impassive and irreversibly connected to their island. It is impossible to imagine these characters in a different setting, because they became almost an extension of the places they live in. Silence is a definitory element, characters developing expressivity through simple gestures. We appreciated the genuiness and the naturalness in the actors proved in approaching their characters, making us feel that they understood them very well.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Node is outstanding in terms of cinematography, which is a significant achievment in a film were visuals are responsible for creating an important part of the story. The image is clean and beautiful, with glimpses of light slipping naturally in the picture. Even if at the beggining of the film we were unnsure if the noir picture would cover a palette of symbols complex enough to amplify the meanings of the story, in the end it proved to be an entracing choice, that contributed to the meditative athmosphere of the film.
MUSIC AND SOUND
Node assembles a lot of subtle aspects in order to shape the universe of the individual and the sounds contributed to this in a significant way. Nature resonates with the emotions of the characters and its vibrations- the songs of the birds, the movement of the water- trigger dreams and emotions for them.
Music is beautiful and it deepens the meditative mood developed through the image. Nevertheless, we would have appreciated if the film had an original score, as it would have added a more personal touch to the final result.
CONCLUSIONS
We would call Engin Poyraz’s first film a succes, and it is remarkable that he achieved this result from the position of writer, director and producer in this project. Node is a philosophy of simple things, where human condition is defined by what is familiar, closing the hopes and dreams in the same circle.
© 2016 by Bucharest ShortCut CineFest,
Images provided by Stephen Brace and Jason Hargrove,
have not been altered and are used in compliance with CC License.