Journey
Into Bliss (****)
review by Jon
Waterman
Normally, this would be where I quickly summarize the plot
of the movie within a short paragraph. I don’t know if
I can really do that here. There is no real plot to this movie.
If I were to describe it, I suppose I could say, “King
Knuffi wants Eva. Eva is Gustav’s wife. Eva is held prisoner
and Gustav must get her back with the help of his ship’s
crew – a bunch of animals.” However, that doesn’t
do the film much justice and of course more happens than that.
The purpose of it all isn’t exactly always known.
Where do I start? Writer/director Wenzel Storch has definitely
made a name for himself as one of the most outrageous directors,
not only in Germany but also in the world. This is the ultimate
in contemporary surrealist storytelling. It doesn’t start
off that way. In fact, it lures you into the world of the absurd
by opening the film with an animation sequence leading into
a live-action storybook to provide the backstory. It’s
immediately funny and the dialogue is such that you don’t
quite know what you’re getting yourself into. While the
dialogue stays crazy, the visual element catches up.
Like I mentioned, live animals run Gustav’s ship. A
bear is the first mate (and my favorite character). They all
talk and are all understood by humans and other species of
animals. The sets, costumes, props and everything are elaborately
created. It’s visually stunning and overwhelming. What
do you look at? What do you focus on? Just try to soak it all
in, from the snail boat to the regal palace. The fish-eye lens
that’s consistently used warps the whole thing even more.
The movie looks rushed together in that it makes little sense
and the props are so randomly constructed. However, there is
a lot of care and time invested in this madness. The camerawork
is very nice (although sometimes lacks a smooth flow) and not
only shows off the brilliant, eye-popping set pieces but also
the landscape surrounding them. There are some beautiful shots
of the adjacent forest.
Since it is so bizarre, not everything will make total sense
or seem incredibly motivated. For instance, a lot of people
pee on things and other people. It’s actually surprisingly
funny, even though it is also lame. The sound effects and dubbed
dialogue work the same way. It’s easy to tolerate all
the wacky stuff like exploding people and a rabbit assimilating
with inanimate objects it has sex with to become a time machine
(one of a couple sequences that remind me of “Meet the
Feebles”), because it doesn’t take itself seriously.
The narrator has a fantastic voice and attitude and keeps the
atmosphere light.
If you know that surrealism isn’t your thing, then obviously
skip this movie. If you’re into trying new things or
want a good, trippy flick I don’t think you can do much
better than this. It’s not for everyone, but it’s
a lot of fun and entertaining and I loved it.
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