The Wind Will Carry Us

My first impressions from the film The Wind Will Carry Us, was that the film style was very raw and gritty. Instead of trying to make the film driven by plot devices or the dialogue, it proceeds at its own pace, focusing on scenery and the people more than drama or action. It is because of this style that this movie is more real than any other film we have watched. At times, I personally wished that my life was edited to get only to the interesting parts, but this is not the case.

The amount of realism lends itself to creating a surrealistic environment, mainly because it seems so different than what is normal. I will have to say though, that this movie took me a little bit out of my comfort zone, mainly because I found it to be too slow. The slower pace and focus on the metaphorical rather than the literal, lends itself to being a critical masterpiece, but not so much a popular choice among audiences. We want a film that keeps us entertain and is understandable, instead of always having to think and interpret different messages.

Just like my English professor pointed out, it is the difference between a Harry Potter and Dante's Divine Comedy. Harry Potter gives a more instantaneous satisfaction as something is happening at almost all points in the book, while the Divine Comedy is more slowly paced and focuses on visual aspects (especially when discussing Hell). Personally, I prefer the Divine Comedy, but The Wind Will Carry Us was not nearly as enjoyable in a sense as the Divine Comedy. At least Dante wrote in fantastical elements of angels, demons, and contemporary figures and keep the book interesting.

I will agree that this movie was not for me, but I can see why some would enjoy it.

-Julian