Pathfinder

Hooray finally got to see Pathfinder. Had been lookin forward to is for almost a year. A very loose remake of one of my all time fav films , the mesmerizing 1987 Sami language "Pathfinder", the film is a mixed bag of delights.

It has numerous flaws starting with piss poor acting, atrocious dialog and lack of sufficient characterisation for any character.

However since this review is mainly about the visual aspects of the film and not the inherent content, I will say this. PATHFINDER IS A FUCKING AWESOME FILM. It's been amazingly shot by one of my heroes Daniel Pearl. Pearl is the resident God / Genius of music video and commercial DP's. He eschewed features to make a mark on the short form and what a fucking mark it is.

Over the years he has shot most of my all time fav music videos including "November Rain" , "I Love You" and "Wrapped around your finger". He's done features intermittently but Im crazy bout his music video work and last year he won an honorary Golden Frog at Cameraimage.

This film has some spellbinding action sequences and jaw dropping cinematography throughout in Pearl's trademark pictorial style which is majorly influenced by the legendary "Blade Runner". Shot in a jungle with what seems to be available light most of the time, the film is a visual masterpiece. Lots of people didnt like the desaturated bleach bypass look but I think it's perfect. It gives the savage violence an almost poetic and balletic feel.

If only they had cut out the awful expositional dialog and made the entire film silent it would have an been an cult classic like "Quest for Fire". The visuals are powerful enough to tell the story.

Watch it if only for the Lighting if nothing else. Danny u rock mate !!!!