First, I want to acknowledge that Dreams is one of the most beautifully filmed movies I've ever seen. It also contains several very haunting visual images, including the woman in "The Blizzard" and the soldiers in "The Tunnel."
That having been said, the pace of the movie is awfully ponderous for my tastes. Shots that need last just a few seconds go on, literally, for minutes. While this does give the viewer a chance to drink in the imagery, I think it tends to undercut the theme of the movie. I remember my own dreams as fleeting glimpses of another world. But these "Dreams" seem like never-ending clinical stares. For me, the movie would have been just as effective if it was an hour shorter.
Next, it was irritating that several of the dreams, such as the first one, started to tell stories and then abruptly stopped. I felt teased. Either tell a story or don't.
The movie is further weakened by the fact that the worst segments come near the end. The political theme that these attempt to develop is not particularly original. And the explicit message is not particularly characteristic of the mystery and enigma I associate with dreams.
Before you dismiss me as uncultured, I do like many experimental and art-house flicks. I just feel that this one has little to recommend it other than the visual style.
That having been said, the pace of the movie is awfully ponderous for my tastes. Shots that need last just a few seconds go on, literally, for minutes. While this does give the viewer a chance to drink in the imagery, I think it tends to undercut the theme of the movie. I remember my own dreams as fleeting glimpses of another world. But these "Dreams" seem like never-ending clinical stares. For me, the movie would have been just as effective if it was an hour shorter.
Next, it was irritating that several of the dreams, such as the first one, started to tell stories and then abruptly stopped. I felt teased. Either tell a story or don't.
The movie is further weakened by the fact that the worst segments come near the end. The political theme that these attempt to develop is not particularly original. And the explicit message is not particularly characteristic of the mystery and enigma I associate with dreams.
Before you dismiss me as uncultured, I do like many experimental and art-house flicks. I just feel that this one has little to recommend it other than the visual style.