From the esteemed and award winning writer/director of acclaimed films such as "The Last Emperor" and "Last Tango in Paris" comes Bernardo Bertolucci's latest effort, "Besieged." Best described as a "fill in the blanks" type of film, this ultimately unsatisfying picture is occasionally compelling in a visual sense, but has so many gaping holes in it -- both literally and figuratively -- that it may soon be listed in thesaurus definitions as visual examples of Swiss cheese or colanders.
Essentially a two-person story told with as little effort in providing much in the way of any dialogue or explanation of events, the picture is yet another recent release (the other being "Endurance") that attempts to tell its tale mostly through visuals alone. While that's a somewhat admirable experiment in meeting the pure definition of a screenplay -- a story told with pictures -- it certainly doesn't insure that the end product is going to be any good.
Although the film isn't awful, it's certainly a frustrating experience for all but the most adamant supporters of metaphorical storytelling. As such, there's a bare bones plot that moves the story forward, but we never learn any particulars beyond the obvious and by the end still know next to nothing about the characters appearing within it.
Perhaps Bertolucci is playing off the lesser-used definitions of the picture's title and is attempting to cause distress and worry in his audience or make them besiege him with questions such as "Huh?" "What" and "Am I missing something here?" Whatever the intentions, he certainly has left much to the imagination.
For instance, we never know why the military/police abduct Shandurai's husband or how/why she suddenly ends up in Rome working for Kinsky while also trying to get a medical degree. While it's arguable that some of that information isn't completely necessary in telling the story, the sudden jump in time and locale from some unknown African village to an eventually identified Italian city is quite jarring. It also makes one question whether the editor was snoozing as film unreeled onto the floor during post production or that perhaps the projectionist misplaced the film's second reel and decided to show the movie without it.
The same puzzlement holds true for the film's many jump cuts -- where a few or many seconds appear to be missing within a given scene that consequently causes a sudden "jump" in a character's movement. I've never been a big fan of that cinematic device and it, along with some odd choices of slow motion footage, do nothing but distract the audience from the proceedings.
Of course with so little dialogue present and next to nothing ever developing regarding the plot's progression, the audience will have plenty of time to ponder Bertolucci's odd choices. Then again, they may find more intrigue in trying to ascertain what sort of sticky substance their shoe
has just become adhered to or why theater popcorn always tastes better than what's made at home.
Without a traditional narrative storytelling approach, Bertolucci, who works from writer James Lasdun's ("Sunday") original story, puts the burden on the film's visuals, music and performers to carry the audience from start to finish.
Cinematographer Fabio Cianchetti's camera work does make good use of the large home's lighting and architecture -- including a much visited spiral stairwell -- and prevents the film from being and/or becoming too much of a monotonous experience. The same holds true for the occasionally effective juxtaposition between traditional African village music and the more symphonic melodies passionately belted out on the piano.
Unfortunately, neither Thandie Newton ("Beloved," "Jefferson in Paris") nor David Thewlis ("Seven Years in Tibet," "The Island of Dr. Moreau") can do much with their underwritten roles and that causes the film to unravel rather quickly. The biggest problem is that Bertolucci has given them next to nothing with which to work, and without much story or dialogue, the two are consequently left floundering while trying to make something out of practically nothing.
Since we know nothing about them -- which similarly holds true for them about each other -- we never really care about their characters and/or predicaments. One can obviously see where the film is headed regarding a budding romance between the two, but since it's so telegraphed and then presented with no passion, guilt, or any other emotion for that matter -- other than frustration on the part of the audience -- we have no vested interested in the obvious outcome.
If your idea of a good time at the movies is watching a film that generates far more questions than it ever answers and essentially consists of a woman cleaning house for an assumed eccentric who spends all day playing the piano, then this film is right up your alley.
For everyone else, it might be best to avoid this picture whose "forbidden" romance is unnecessarily grounded, passionless and certainly far too slow in developing to be of much interest. Neither as steamy as "Last Tango in Paris" and certainly nowhere as grand as "The Last Emperor," this clearly isn't one of Bertolucci's better films. As such, we give "Besieged" just a 3 out of 10.