Leviathan has been nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Oscars, and if you found yourself thinking that maybe this crop of films has been particularly downbeat, then your opinion will only solidify further after viewing this film.
It’s not that these performances aren’t good – they’re great – it’s just that the script is so damn determined to have everything go to shit. There was a moment, about three quarters of the way through, when I realised that things couldn’t get any better, and that Leviathan was a tragedy of sorts. It’s a fable, of that much I’m certain, but whether it’s about the failure of institutions, à la ‘The Wire’, or about man’s inhumanity to man, or simply an indictment of religion, I’m not sure. The one thing I am certain of is that Leviathan turns the Depression Dial up to 11 (most only go to 10, see?) The characters spend a lot of time drinking vodka by the bottle and weeping.
The cinematography is beautiful, and the landscape is stunning. The film opens with a harsh yet awe-inspiring landscape, accompanied by a piece of music that isn’t miles away from Philip Glass’ work on Powaqqatsi or Candyman. Alas, that’s all the soundtrack we get until the end credits, as the narrative doesn’t want any music to distract from its formula: bleak x despair x 1000 = movie.