Jiska Rickels: 4 Elements
Normally you say that something must be wrong if you leave the cinema to say that the cinematography was excellent, but the rest of the film… You do say so with this ambitious film but it is justified because it also has an idea and does not only tell about air, water, earth and fire, but link the elements to people, who work in hard and harsh conditions. Reminds you of Glawogger’s film ”Working Man’s Death” but has its own distant approach to the characters and is a visual formidable interpretation of a forest being cleaned, a fishing boat in high sea, a mine deeep down and an astronaut training venue.
The montage keeps you watching this our world, fascinating and scary at the same time, no eco-preaching, see for yourself, reflect, an essay maybe, some overall (biblical?) texts linking the chapters one after the other, and the sound design second to none.
What a pleasure to watch a film that insists on the image.
Holland, 2006, 85 mins.
http://www.fuworks.com/4elements/
http://www.idfa.nl/en/programme/festival-2007/film.aspx?id=34046
