/filters:quality(75)/rating/M.png)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/coyote-vs-acme-3.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/forgotten-island.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/practical-magic-2.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/insidious-out-of-the-further.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/spa-weekend.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/the-adventures-of-tintin-tv.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/the-end-of-oak-street.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/one-night-only.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/stop-that-train-2.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/minotaur.jpg)
In Islamic theology, the word "Sirāt" refers to the narrow bridge that each soul must cross on the Day of Judgment - a fine line between Paradise and Hell. Oliver Laxe's film literalises this term, a feverish, pulsing path carved not in scripture but in sweat, sand and deafening sound.
I had the pleasure of seeing 'Sirāt' without having seen a single trailer, promotional image or plot summary. While knowing the basic premise of the film won't spoil the experience, it's still best to keep it as brief as possible - a father, Luis (Sergi López, 'The Man Who Killed Don Quixote', 'Pan's Labyrinth'), and son, Esteban (Bruno Núñez Arjona, TV's 'The Messiah'), travel to a distant desert rave in Morrocco to find their missing daughter and sister. Wary yet stoic, the men and the ravers around them appear unaware that World War III has apparently broken out back in town. Despite this initial setup, what sets 'Sirāt' apart from anything else you'll see this year is that it quickly does away with both traditional narrative structure and its setting of the dust-choking rave odyssey; it's more interested in showing what the medium of film can do with just a few stark images.
The film's blissful opening sequences lure the audience into the hypnotism of the desert, the pulse of the bass, the horizon dissolving into lines of dust and heat. Bodies move in an act of pilgrimage and worship, a frantic, unified organism. Even when the search takes Luis, Esteban, and a few stray ravers away from their campsite, the music's energy follows.
And then, the world of 'Sirāt' devastatingly shifts on its axis. The search for closure becomes one of survival. The music simmers out, as does the dreamy haze of the desert; its heat and vastness now pose an immense threat. Not since 'Mad Max: Fury Road' has a journey along a stretch of golden sand been more intense. Even if you think you know where it's going, I promise that you have no idea.
For decades, simple media literacy has taught audiences to look in the corners of the frames for hints of what is to come. However, like the random cruelty of life itself, the tragedies of 'Sirāt' just... happen. Without explanation, without foreshadowing, without some cosmic balancing of the scales. It's unjust, it's upsetting, but it's real. Laxe asks us to sit with that uncomfortable truth, the ambiguity of the narrative refusing to give audiences an easy way out.
like the random cruelty of life itself, the tragedies of 'Sirāt' just... happen. Without explanation, without foreshadowing, without some cosmic balancing of the scales. It's unjust, it's upsetting, but it's real.
From a visual and sonic standpoint, 'Sirāt' is truly arresting. Cinematographer Mauro Herce ('Eureka') frames the Moroccan desert as its own character, ready to swallow anyone foolish enough to think they can master it. This, combined with the wall of techno music – the opening shots are literally of a wall of speakers being erected – shows the ravers just how small they truly are.
Unfortunately, in evading more "traditional" emotional beats, 'Sirāt' may leave some audiences feeling robbed of connection to the characters, as well as its refusal to soothe in its final moments. However, it's in this very denial of what audiences crave that lies the film's power, ensuring it's something you turn over and chew on long after the credits have rolled.
It's delightful to see such an untamed experience as 'Sirāt' receive critical acclaim in a sea of filmmaking that's all too often happy to spoonfeed its audience. It's certainly not an easy watch, but every dust-filled second is truly worth it - even if you come out unsure what the hell to make of it.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/the-history-of-sound.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/call-me-by-your-name-2.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/thelandbeforetime2.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/brokeback-mountain.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/kill-bill-vol-1.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/akira.jpg)