After the Apocalypse (2004)

Thanks for the memories!

A Masterpiece!

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

The very idea of a movie that has no dialogue intrigued me from the start, and 'After the Apocalyse' does not disappoint. It is an innovative, beautiful tale of people trying to connect with each other after a devastating war--without the ability to speak. Yasuaki Nakajima does not shy away from the crasser aspects of post- apocalyptic living, yet he poignantly shows how people must depend on one another in order to survive. The actors demonstrate a terrific range of emotion and somehow, without voices, reveal their characters' distinct personalities. The use of sound is brilliant and Nakajima has a poetic eye. He proves that a lot can be said through very little.

The film follows the simple day-to-day existence of a character who has found three other people after seeming to have thought he was alone. While never explained, there is an assumption that our characters are the ragtag remaining few after some sort of devastating event or disease. The production avoids the cliché of a stark-devastated landscape in favor of one simply devoid of other people. The beauty of this piece lies in the fact that we find ourselves caring deeply about all the characters, despite their actions. A scene of one of our main character finding an old abandoned bathtub and taking a bath is both beautiful and sad at the same time. The most astonishing aspect of this film is that it manages to capture both the subtleties and personalities of a small cast without ever saying a word. There are no huge scenes and no hokey miming. Yet, we worry for the characters. I admit to being something of an easy mark but this film really touched me. I screened it for a film festival and have proceeded to tell people about it for months. It has managed to stay with me in a way that most of the recent mainstream releases (even when I enjoyed them) have not.

Pretty nothing really happens in the movie. The interaction b/w the actors is very basic due to the context but their acting is basic too. The idea behind the movie related to the director's experience in Australia, where he spent some time as a total stranger trying to discover a world he didn't know and of which he didn't speak the language. But that's it, an interesting idea. Every scene is just stretched to its maximum. The directing was pushed to the limit of wondering if it is done in a pretentious arty way or if the director is just not good. On top of this, another good idea was the sound and music composed for the movie. All sounds were recorded afterward and added on. Another artifact if well directed could have been great, but again it feels pretentious, as the result is not very good.

It is mesmerizing to watch the interaction of the post apocalyptic survivors. With no dialogue, and reminiscent to the stylings of Jean-Jacques Annaud, we witness the stragglers of humanity and their will to survive. Through body language and primitive drawings we watch the story unfold and relationships form. One woman among four men evolves into tension and jealousy. We also witness love, loyalty and feasting. In spite of the horror that the world has become, the absolute need for companionship is paramount. The results give us hope for mankinds continued existence. A gritty, realistic portrayal of humanity in a new dawn. Great story telling set to a great score.