The Zero Years

希腊CULT导演NikosNikolaidis的最后一部作品！<br/>　　1.ametaphoricaltranslationofnowadaystruths<br/>　　First,ImustsaythatthisisnotatypicalHollywoodspoonfeedingormainstreamproduct.TheZeroYearsisacontroversial,extreme,unusual,outrageous,mysterious,absurd,daring,exotic,eroticandpoliticalfilmwhichbelongstoatrilogythedirectorhasnamed&quot;TheShapeoftheComingNightmare&quot;.<br/>　　IhadthepleasureofdiscoveringthisgemattheChicagoInternationalFilmFestival.Itchallengedmanyoftheviewersatthescreeningbutthepresenceofit'sleadactressVickyHarris(she'sAmerican?!!)fortunatelyclarifiedmanyofthequestionsthataroseduringanextendedquestion/answersessionafterthescreening.<br/>　　Thecorrectinterpretationofthedirectorsmessagesseemeddependentofthepreviousfilmsofthetrilogyandevenmoreso,asHarrisexplained,eachoneofhisfilmsisonlyapieceofthegreatercanvasofthisdirectorswork.Unfortunately,onlyoneofhispreviousfilmshasbeenreleasedintheUnitedStates.TherestcanbefoundonDVD,butwithoutsubtitles.<br/>　　Yes,theaudiencehadmixedreactionsbecausethisISaprovocativefilm.Thesetypesoffilmsarenotcreatedtobelovedorhatedandthedirectorobviouslywasnotaimingforsomespecificreaction.Hewasjustpouringouthisverypersonalbeliefswithoutcaringaboutopinion.Opinionsareboringandwehavesomuchofitinourworld,which,bytheway,isfullofcritics.Whatonethinksofamovieisirrelevant!Thequestionshouldbe:Diditreachyoursubconsciousornot.Diditmakeyouthink?andthesequestionsbytheway,cannotreallybeansweredatthetimeyouseeafilmlikethisbecausethereisnowayyoucanhaveaconceptaboutwhatithasdonetoyouyet.Ifyouletthisfilmaffectyou-youwillfinditwillgointoyourdeepest-darkestpart,asitdidours,andTHATisthebeautyofthisfilm.<br/>　　Itfeaturesfourleadfemales.Foura-typicalcharacterswho'sensembleactingissointensethatyoucannotresistentering&quot;theirworld&quot;whichisoneof:off-beatdialog,originalyetambiguousstorylines,surprisingplotresolutionsandbravethemesofsexualandpoliticalnature.Andalthoughthesetypesofmoviesareusuallynotperformancebased,mostoftheperformancesinthismoviewillrockyourmind.Harrishasafilmpresencethatisalmosthypnotic.Herperformanceisuniquelybalancedbetweenintellectualchoicesandtruthfulemotions.Sheeffortlesslytouchesyouthroughandthrough(andherpresenceatthefestivalwasadoubleverificationofhertalent,asonecouldseethatinreallife,sheborenoresemblancetohercharacter).Kitselias&quot;theleader&quot;isfantastic!andmomentscomingfromMarowerestrongtoo.Christinacompletesthegroupyetseemsabittheatricalattimes.Asanensembletheyareallfabulous!<br/>　　FoursterilizedwomenworkinginaState-runbrothel,afterthedeclineofthe&quot;newWorldOrder&quot;(whichthedirectorbelievesisNOTinthefuture-itisNOW).Weallseetheconnectionyetsomecalleditaviolentfilm.Well,violenceisapartineverymans-everydaylife,andonmanylevels.Yetnomatterwhatwesay,themoviescreenisatit'sbloodyestwhenwearetalkingaboutviolationofthemindandsoul.Suchisthecaseofthesecharacters.Livinginasocietyofrepression(&quot;Theytoreoutourwombsandimplantedfear&quot;)...&quot;SterilizedbytheState&quot;...<br/>　　Thisfilmisjustastrongmetaphoricaltranslationofeverydaytruths.Yet,notforeveryonetoaccept.<br/>　　2.Fourwomen,barren,undersurveillanceandcontinuoustoxiccontrol,areservingtheirterminagovernmentrunbrothel<br/>　　BeyondhisnarrativegeniusN.N.'sevolutionturnshiscreationsintosignificant(and)extra-filmevents.Thisisparticularlyevidentin&quot;THEZEROYEARS&quot;–Beyondtheobviousandtheimplied(globaldictatorship,etc.)thereisadiscreetandpenetratingpsychologicalanalysisandobservation.Asweknowattheendof&quot;THEZEROYEARS&quot;weclearlyperceivethatbecauseofthedeadlockandthelackofsolutionsitsheroineschoosehelloverthefreeopenworldwhich(however)hasbeeninvalidated.Itisbothaconsciousandanautomatedchoice.Thewomenareovercomeby&quot;institutionalism&quot;.Hellisfinebecauseweknowitanditisbetterthanasupposedlyfreeworld,which,inanyevent,iswhollycontrolledandtotallynotfree.&quot;Ilovemybondsandmytorment;theyarebetterthantheunknownhorroroftheoutside.&quot;The&quot;noirspoke&quot;tousmanytimesaboutimpassionedheroesandtheirbonds,characterswhoareterrifiedofthefreeopenfields.N.N.goesbeyondthisfilm-noirconventionandreachesfurthertoapproachexistentialphilosophy(particularlythatofCamus).Amicro-prisoninsideanenormousone.WhateverwechoosewearetrappedandwhatwedemandisnottogetOUTbuttofreeeverything,toteardownallthebarbedwire.&quot;THEZEROYEARS&quot;isachronologyoftheendofcivilizationandofurbaninstitutions.Everythingisillusion;everythingisutopiaandatrap.ALEXISDERMETZOGLOU