The Aerial

Many people are giving this 5 stars, but fortunately, I am down-to-earth enough to resist this attack on the vanity of the art viewer. The Aerial is a peculiar film that works with the motif of an authoritarian and manipulated society, built on the monopoly of information controlled by Mr. "Television," a magnate who controls the monopolistic television company. It is a vision of a totalitarian state like that of the 20s or 30s, fulfilling the dream of state propaganda that has a monopoly on the truth. Moreover, in one scene, a Nazi swastika clearly appears. Many other elements, such as uniforms or generally military elements, correspond to the reality of dictatorships in Argentina or Brazil during Hitler's era, where local leaders imitated their totalitarian European model. This is, of course, an interesting topic, but the director also wanted to play with high art and processed The Aerial as a silent expressionist film in the style of Metropolis. Whether it is the costumes, scenery, or camera work, it has a distinct stylization in which the theme and story get lost. Of course, anyone who agrees to this game and considers it captivating in and of itself can be very satisfied, but I only see it as a self-serving matter. Cinema has come a long way since the 1920s, and when I want a silent film with naive scenery, I reach for the proven classics. My two stars are for the atmosphere of long-lost silent film glory, but otherwise, the film didn't do anything for me emotionally. Overall impression: 40%. (29/09/2011)