Blue (1993)

Blue (1993)

Derek Jarman’s last testament in film, a losing battle with AIDS set on an unchanging screen of blue

The Very Best

8.0

Movie

United Kingdom
English
Documentary, Drama
1993
DEREK JARMAN
Derek Jarman, John Quentin, Nigel Terry
79 min

What it's about

Against a plain, unchanging blue screen, a densely interwoven soundtrack of voices, sound effects and music attempt to convey a portrait of Derek Jarman's experiences with AIDS, both literally and allegorically, together with an exploration of the meanings associated with the colour blue.

The take

Part documentary yet part surreal daydream, director Derek Jarman’s final film is one last rallying cry into a blue void. Against an unchanging screen of International Klein Blue, most of the film is Jarman’s voice, drifting through various subjects, from day-to-day complications of AIDS to contemplations about the color blue. Some of his frequent collaborators chime in. Choirs singing about damnation occasionally pop up too. While essentially a radio drama, the combination of voices, foley, and scores all merge together into an ethereal, haunting soundscape, that sticks in your head long after the film ends. Mirroring his partial blindness, Jarman’s last experiment leaves an impression of his own experience. It’s absolutely devastating.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (2024)

A mesmerizing Pixar-like film about pure, utter friendship

8.5

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020)

Actor David Arquette is too unhinged for Hollywood, too Hollywood for pro wrestling

7.5

The Beach Boys (2024)

Though it could benefit from a more complex treatment, the latest documentary about the iconic American band is just as enjoyable and endearing as their music

7.0

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

7.7

Enchanted April (1991)

Four women take a relaxing break in this charming and delightful novel adaptation

7.0

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

After Lucia (2012)

A harrowing, difficult drama on the cruelty of teenage bullying

7.2

Zegen (1987)

A bawdy and irreverent satire of delusional nationalism

7.0

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.