Blindness

How would you describe yourself? White, Black, Man, Woman, Thin, Fat, Tall, Short... ok now how would you describe WHO you are? Not visuals or physical attributes, just as a person. The characters in Blindness were forced to find out who they were when the population of the world goes blind. Vision creates barriers in our world, yet also opens doors and when we can no longer see all that’s left are your characteristics, actions and the way you convey your love for others. This epidemic left the world not in darkness, but in white.

The plot was extremely unique and yet with disturbing moments resembling zombie films. The characters had to survive in any way they could and so there are scenes of brutality, murder, uncompromising guilt and shame, and instances of extreme fear. This film had a rollercoaster of emotions and captured each moment uniquely through interesting compositions, off kilter and divided frames. There was a mixture of low and high angle shots, and slanted and out of focus camera work, giving the audience a feeling of confusion and going blind.

Blindness really portrays the fear of disease and panic by successfully taking aspects from other survival and epidemic films such as Schindler's List, Day After Tomorrow, Outbreak and Shaun of the Dead and rolled them into one heart-pounding, uneasy film. Although the film used aspects of other films in its genre there were scenes of disturbing pandemonium, which I have never experienced in film before. There were parts, which the action escalated and with the excitement, fear and chaos emerged a score that consisted of dissonant noises including a high pitch squeaking that sounded as if air was being released from a balloon. This score really helped to heighten the tension in the most extreme moments.

Blindness had original subject matter set in situations that had not yet been portrayed on film, however it is not for a pleasant night at the movies. This film is disgusting, disturbing, and sometimes shameful in while portraying the behaviors of desperate human beings, but it was exciting from beginning to end. In technical aspects of film, it was well made. So if you are up to it, forget the popcorn... just see it.