Norte, the End of History

The lead is easily one of the more culpable, vile, and evil protagonists in cinema history and every one of Diaz’ signature long takes - or, the longer the camera sits and stares bleakly on the people - gets us closer to seeing their true character. Which is both Lav Diaz’ signature theme, and the power of cinema and its horror in general.

sometimes i feel the urge to write my review virtually like for this film.

Beautiful. The connections to Dostoevsky are evident, but Diaz' willingness to stretch beyond the confines of that story and make this something else is a good impulse, executed exceedingly well. I love the tensions inherent in each of the three "stories," the way life and death are at play in prisons, in poverty, and in independence. When evil comes, there is still grace and life, as well as a judgment of sorts.

Lav Diazs "Norte, The End of History" hat eine lange Reise hinter sich, vom Certain Regard des Filmfestivals in Cannes rund um den Globus, bis er nun hier in der Videothek der Filmkunstbar Fitzcarraldo angekommen ist. Die Kritiker der Welt beschrieben den Film routinemässig als Meisterwerk von atemberaubender Grösse... die ganze Rezension gibts auf cinegeek.de

It's clear that Lav Diaz has a lot of smart things to say and knows all the arthouse tricks to say them. Sadly I failed to connect emotionally to it.

diaz' four hour dostoevskian fuck you to fascism, nihilism, historical revisionism, capitalism, institutional inadequacy; an allegorical trek through a cyclic history, confronting a nation's traumas while delineating the state of being which births them. sounds dry, but it unfolds organically aside from the occasional mis-step. there's a refreshing diversity to diaz's slownema filmmaking and real poetic purpose, drawing out emotional/spiritual/existential dimensions alongside the sociopolitical.