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A reticent prisoner is extracted from confinement and dumped on another planet. His mission is not elaborated far beyond being a ‘hero.’ The new planet is a hazy mess full of desensitized characters and slightly surreal flourishes, and he soon finds that all ‘heroes’ are expected to be publicly shish-kabobbed a la Cannibal Holocaust.
If someone dropped a bomb on Peter Pan’s head, he still wouldn’t be as deadpan as our protagonist. I don’t mind though. He pulls it off well, and it fits with the narrative. He's a misanthropic straight man juxtaposed to interplanetary lunatics, and is the only one to show any defiance from authority. He lets the viewer explore the world without becoming a bother.
This is also extraordinarily heavy on the neon trimmings. It’s almost impossible to pick out a bad frame. I bet Szulkin pisses off his neighbors on Christmas. The advantage that this has over Szulkin’s other flicks is really fun and persistently interesting content to back up the eye candy. The setting never gets old. Each location is varied and unpredictable, accompanied by a nice supply of oddballs. Here, you can vicariously visit a macabre planet and explore along with the lead. It’s what escapism is all about. The dark comedy gives it a fun quality too. Our supporting cast is constantly popping with enthusiasm over severed fingers and public impalements.
There’s a hefty dose of commentary for sure, but the absurd depiction of a future-shock authoritarian planet compliments the comic strangeness of the plotline. (Most) People idolize the criminals, and bureaucracy has skewed society’s logic, creating a bizarre class system with an illusion of freedom. I guess this wasn’t an uncommon theme from Eastern Europe at the time.
The grit and lawlessness give off a western vibe amidst a Kafka-esque society with an especially gruesome sense of humor. I could go on ascribing labels and spotlighting parallels, but this is such an original movie, doing so kind of does a disservice. There isn’t much else similar, so it’s difficult to know what any sort of common consensus would be, but this is my taste represented ladies and gents: Artsy, twisted, absurdist, hilarious, dark, and gorgeous.
Ga, Ga - Chwala bohaterom (1986)
A reticent prisoner is extracted from confinement and dumped on another planet. His mission is not elaborated far beyond being a ‘hero.’ The new planet is a hazy mess full of desensitized characters and slightly surreal flourishes, and he soon finds that all ‘heroes’ are expected to be publicly shish-kabobbed a la Cannibal Holocaust.
If someone dropped a bomb on Peter Pan’s head, he still wouldn’t be as deadpan as our protagonist. I don’t mind though. He pulls it off well, and it fits with the narrative. He's a misanthropic straight man juxtaposed to interplanetary lunatics, and is the only one to show any defiance from authority. He lets the viewer explore the world without becoming a bother.
This is also extraordinarily heavy on the neon trimmings. It’s almost impossible to pick out a bad frame. I bet Szulkin pisses off his neighbors on Christmas. The advantage that this has over Szulkin’s other flicks is really fun and persistently interesting content to back up the eye candy. The setting never gets old. Each location is varied and unpredictable, accompanied by a nice supply of oddballs. Here, you can vicariously visit a macabre planet and explore along with the lead. It’s what escapism is all about. The dark comedy gives it a fun quality too. Our supporting cast is constantly popping with enthusiasm over severed fingers and public impalements.
There’s a hefty dose of commentary for sure, but the absurd depiction of a future-shock authoritarian planet compliments the comic strangeness of the plotline. (Most) People idolize the criminals, and bureaucracy has skewed society’s logic, creating a bizarre class system with an illusion of freedom. I guess this wasn’t an uncommon theme from Eastern Europe at the time.
The grit and lawlessness give off a western vibe amidst a Kafka-esque society with an especially gruesome sense of humor. I could go on ascribing labels and spotlighting parallels, but this is such an original movie, doing so kind of does a disservice. There isn’t much else similar, so it’s difficult to know what any sort of common consensus would be, but this is my taste represented ladies and gents: Artsy, twisted, absurdist, hilarious, dark, and gorgeous.