Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds
This is the first film from Alex Proyas, the Australian director of “The Crow,” “Dark City,” “I, Robot,” and “Knowing.” It’s not officially available on DVD in the States, but a website called Not Available on DVD had made it available by transferring the VHS image to DVD. (Based on reader feedback, and my own inquiries, it appears the website is no longer in business.) That’s how I’ve been able to finally see it- it was the only film of Proyas’s I hadn’t seen.
From the first minutes alone, I can see why it hasn’t been released yet. Accompanied by the haunting music and sound design of Peter Miller, we see a lone man walking across the Australian Outback. The imagery- full of crosses and nose-first cars in the dirt- gives off the feel of an ambitious music video (and indeed, Proyas worked in music videos before turning to features). It also recalls the work of Tarkovsky in its’ combination of mood and visuals; and throughout his career, Proyas- like Tarkosvky- has always had an affinity for the spiritual side of man, even if his work fits more in the confines of genre than that of the Russian master.
The walking man eventually makes it to the house of a brother and sister, Felix (Michael Lake) and Betty (Melissa Davis). Betty is playing a musical instrument, and doesn’t say a word- it goes without saying that she’s not really in her right mind (years in a post-apocalyptic world will do that to you). The stranger (Smith, played by Norman Boyd) inspired Felix’s idea to fly away. Felix and Smith get to work on a flying contraption that’ll take them away. But is that really the best choice for Felix and Betty?
Dramatically, the film doesn’t really work. There are moments that are too eccentric- like a Gilliam film gone wild- with moments that are intended to be moving in their spirituality. The story itself doesn’t really carry a lot of momentum. Smith just sort of seems to go with the plan, and there’s not really anything we see in Betty that she cares what happens with this plan- she liked things the way they were (although she does have one moment at their father’s grave that is quite moving). It’s Felix’s passion, and his desire drives what narrative there is.
But like all of Proyas’ films, the visuals are what you’ll remember most. The production design (full of crosses- Felix and Betty are pretty religious) is bold and quite lovely in its’ way, and when you combine it with the music and sound design by Miller, the effect can be as rewarding as anything the director has ever done. The Outback is a great landscape for Proyas to work with visually- even in its’ second-generation transfer, the film is as satisfying to just watch as anything he’s done since. And when they do get something that succeeds in flying (if only for a little bit), the result is, well, soaring. One just wishes the story was as compelling as the visuals Proyas creates.
Still, for a student who was trying to find his voice, he had a better head start than some of us do, even if he didn’t hit it out of the park the first time out. All in good time…
