Illumination

Jinsie

A film chronicling an empiricist's search for the spiritual; indeed, Zanussi questions if the distinction even exists.

JM M----

A Coen Bros film without all the deadpan and absurdist humor. The endless unknowable way in which we stumble through this life looking for meaning in its hay stack.

E AP

Science, like life, is messy stuff.

mpho3

"How long is a man still a man?" Perhaps not the central question of the film but maybe the most succinct expression of Retman's devotion to rationality in the face of tragedy and the duel in his life between the rigors of science vs the emotional rigors of deepening adulthood. I liked many moments in this film but also wanted to hear someone say "Wipe that smirk of your face, fellow!" 3.5 stars

Bilouaustria

Science in film again but what stuns me the most is the ability of Zanussi to make a fresh new start by almost every film he made. Compare it to slow-pace black and white "The structure of crystals" or the long takes of "Family life", it is still him but with a complete different form. He risked himself into complex editing this time and the result is fantastic. Documentary disguised in fiction is also at stake here.

dionysus67

Usually termed cerebral, this impressionist compendium of life, death, art, religion, science, technology, love, anger, desire, committment, politics, society, nature, reason, mysticism, soul, body and so many other dualisms and monisms, cuts deep into the riddle of existence and resurfaces triumphantly as the illumination of togetherness and freedom. A rare masterpiece, riveting in every scene and shot!

josé neves

PC, rewatched. An intricate composition of images and sounds, materially consecutory, from theoretical concepts more on the geometric science of life than on a philosophy of life - life as matter and the life of matter. After so much fatigue in relation to recent films that demonstrate a total lack of sound's conception, mixing it with unbearable music, it feels good this eruptive conception of the sound.

Wee Hunk

We are a bit limited by culture. There are so many thing that we take for granted that we don't realize there's a choice.