正在同步电影信息
IndependentfilmandexperimentalcinemaareromantictermsthatgetthrownaroundwithdistressingimpunitybutOttoBuj's16mmmind-fuck,TheEternalPresent,isanadmirableexampleofboth.It'salsodoubtlesslytheweirdestmovietoevercomeoutofWindsor,acitynotknownforitsthrivingavant-gardehipstersubculture.ButthenneitherisMissoula,MontanaanditproducedDavidLynch.<br/> <br/> ThatisnottosuggestthatBuj'sdebutisonparwithEraserhead,buttherearesomeinterestingsimilarities.Notonlyisitentirelyself-financedandpopulatedwithnon-professionalactorsbutthestrikingblackandwhitephotography,jumpyeditingrhythmsanddefiantlyellipticalstorytellinghintsatLynch'sapproach.ButBuj'sprotagonistisdecidedlylessiconicthanthefright-quiffedHenrySpencer.He'sanondescriptyoungwriternamedTim(CraigGloster)hiredtoprocessobituariesforasmallnewspaper.Tim'sunremarkableappearanceanddemeanourcodehimasafamiliarsortofwhite-collarwageslave,butTheEternalPresentisn'tinvestedindepictingtwentysomethingrestlessnessorworkplaceennui.Instead,itinsinuatesthatTimmightactuallybeplayingamajorroleinthelivesofthestrangerswhosedeathshecatalogues:thathemaybeunwittinglycausingthemtodie.<br/> <br/> Fromthisintriguingpostulationonward,thefilmslowlyandhesitantlyassumestheshapeofathriller.It'savaguethriller,sure:there'sno"gotcha!"momenttobottletheends,nogreatrevelationtouniteeachinstanceofstylisticornarrativediscontinuity.Inotherwords,it'sthesortofmoviethat'sboundtofrustratesomeviewersandtantalizeothers.Consideringthelengthstowhichmostmainstreamfilmmakersgotoavoidthissortofpolarization,Bujshouldbecongratulatedfor--andnotinspiteof--hismagnumopus'wilfulobscurity.