Shadowland
“Shadowland” begins as a documentary about a secluded enclave in the French Pyrenees region where believers feel the occult, magic and witchcraft all around them. As we start to meet them, we become drawn into a world of belief that catches us off guard, and also fascinates us. One of the believers is Richard Stanley, a former Hollywood filmmaker whose experience on “The Island of Dr. Moreau” left him uncertain of what his future in Hollywood would bring. As the film unfolds, however, Stanley’s story takes center stage in a way the filmmakers could not have anticipated, and the story begins something very different. Much darker.
The film begins with a quote about a realm known as The Zone. People familiar with world cinema will recognize it as describing The Zone from Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Stalker,” his haunting film about a man who purports to be able to take those worthy to a room at the center of The Zone; once there, they can wish for anything they want. In Otso Tiainen’s film, Stanley uses Tarkovsky’s film to frame what he, and others, find in the Pyrenees, which is an opportunity to reinvent themselves, and have a spiritual experience that is out of Tarkovsky’s metaphysical world. Stanley’s ability to lead people down this path is challenged when multiple women come forward with accusations of brutal domestic violence and abuse against him, forcing those who admire him to confront their own sense of self, and what he preaches.
Let me just say that I believe the accusations against Stanley, and “Shadowland”- to its credit- does not attempt to force us to believe otherwise. An interesting parallel film to watch with this one is HBO’s 2003 documentary, “Capturing the Friedmans,” where a short documentary about birthday clowns turned into a powerful look at a family coming apart after accusations of child abuse. That film allows us to just watch as events happen, without judgement, and Tianinen’s film does the same. What ultimately makes me lean towards the side of the accusers is not just their words- which one of them share onscreen- but Stanley himself, who views it as the work of witches and “dark forces,” and very much comes off with a strong victim complex, and a controlling nature. All the while, we are given striking visuals of this landscape, and rituals these people perform, and we can see that Tianinen’s approach to this story is comparable to Tarkovsky’s film, as well. “Shadowland” asks us to examine what we get out of our lives, who we let in, and why difficult choices exist to be made when we’re asked reflect on our lives. This was a compelling, rich experience to watch.
