Back To Index Tales from the Gimli Hospital
 Barnes & Noble Puppet shows take the place of anesthesia during surgery at the eponymous clinic in Tales from the Gimli Hospital, the 1988 feature-film debut of Canadian director Guy Maddin. Set in a surreal New Iceland at some unspecified time in the past, Tales from the Gimli Hospital tells the story of Einar the Lonely (Kyle McCulloch), who falls ill and is quarantined during a deadly epidemic, subsequently striking up an unusual friendship with a fellow patient named Gunnar (Michael Gottli). Beautiful black-and-white cinematography combines with highly expressionistic lighting and Vaseline-smeared lenses to re-create the visual style of the early talkies of the 30s, an illusion thats completed by the hissing and popping on the soundtrack. The acting, too, is deliberately stylized, with the performers relying on the exaggerated gestures and facial expressions typical of the early days of cinema and speaking strangely poetic dialogue thats shot through with Maddins ultra-dry sense of humor. Strange, sometimes grotesque, symbolism pervades the film, with the hospital itself seeming like something out of a nightmare. The result is a haunting, visually mesmerizing film that is part F. W. Murnau, part Luis Buñuel, and part David Lynch -- a deft blend as bizarre as it is brilliant. The Kino DVD includes directors commentary and two Maddin-directed shorts. Gregory Baird Interested in the song lyrics? - Check out themostlyrics.com! Looking For A DVD? - Check out dvd-a-rama.com! |
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