Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Born of Fire Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 3, 2020

What is it about the flute that has made it such a redolent symbol of seduction, and Divine seduction at that, as evidenced by any number of tales involving deities like Pan, Bacchus/Dionysus and/or Kokopelli, as well as evidently at least some depictions of Krishna (I'm not an expert in this regard, but this was one of the results in an internet search), all of whom are skilled on the instrument (or something like it)? That may be a question that is buried in some unexplored corner of the Collective Unconscious, but it’s a question that may be front and center for some viewers of Born of Fire, a weird but intermittently fascinating film from Jamil Dehlavi which explores the mystical “power” of flute playing, in this case for better or quite possibly worse. Born of Fire was evidently briefly marketed as a horror film at some point during its evidently equally brief theatrical exhibition, but it’s really more of a metaphysical inquiry which is tinged with certain horror aspects. As such, it’s probably not going to appeal to those who want either copious blood and guts, or at least a sense of increasing menace, but because the film is so discursive and just flat out gonzo at times, it frankly may also not appeal that much to inquiring minds seeking some kind of comprehensible message about what it (as in the general state of things) all means.

There may be either too much or too little plot in Born of Fire for some viewers, but there is at least some kind of throughline which permeates the often baffling, mystically inclined visions that Jamil Dehlavi offers. A world class flautist named Paul Bergson* (Peter Firth) ends up involved with a nameless woman (Suzan Crowley) who is an astronomer prone to nightmarish visions, visions which it turns out Paul shares. Paul has a somewhat tortured history, with family lore suggesting his father, a flautist himself, took off on a quest for spiritual knowledge which may have resulted in his demise. There are hints, and in fact outright allusions, to a kind of maleficent deity known as Oh-Tee (Orla Pederson), or alternatively the Master Musician, who may be behind the death of Paul’s father. It’s all very strange, aided and abetted by bizarre framings, detours into whirling dervish territory, a kind of mutant half brother for Paul called The Silent One (Nabil Shaban), and finally a climax that is kind of a combo platter of elements culled from Kafka’s The Metamorphosis (note that the link points to a ballet adaptation) and Rosemary's Baby, which in and of itself should help to describe just how patently weird this film is.

If little things like the lack of a rationally understandable plot don't get in the way, Born of Fire weaves a rather hallucinogenic spell that may appeal to some viewers, and as befits its subtext it also offers some ravishing wind music courtesy of composer Colin Towns, and performed by a pan- oply (sorry) of fantastic players, including James Galway and Kudsi Erguner.

*I'd love to know if this surname is supposed to be a kind of subconscious tip of the beret to French philosopher Henri Bergson, who famously argued that rationality and science were no match for understanding the mystical ways of the world.

Born of Fire Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Born of Fire is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Powerhouse Films' Indicator imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. There's only some pretty standard, generic verbiage included in the insert booklet about this presentation, stating that an HD master for the release was provided by Channel Four, and that the mono audio was remastered at the same time (kind of interestingly, there's a bit more information about Qâf – The Sacred Mountain's restoration). This is a generally solid looking presentation, though it is awfully gritty looking at times, and there are some noticeable rough patches in darker scenes especially, as can be seen in screenshots 17 through 19 in particular, but also in parts of frames captured in other screenshots accompanying this review. The palette is generally very well suffused and looks appropriately warm in the almost desert like scenes in Turkey. Detail levels can be quite good in more brightly lit scenes, but they tend to falter, especially with regard to fine detail, in a number of scenes which take place in caves or other dark environments.

Born of Fire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Born of Fire features an LPCM Mono track which capably supports the film's odd combination of sometimes bizarre dialogue with rather wide ranging musical styles. As with the visuals, there's a kind of quasi-psychedelic feel to the sound mix here, and a stereo track probably would have better opened up the proceedings to provide a little breathing room. That said, fidelity is fine here and I noticed no issues whatsoever with regard to distortion, dropouts or other damage.

Born of Fire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Qâf – The Sacred Mountain (1080p; 27:14) is a 1985 piece by Jamil Dehlavi that is described here as an "art documentary", with tons of footage of a volcano erupting, set to music by Tangerine Dream and Popol Vuh.


• Playing with Fire (1080p; 18:08) is a really appealing interview with Jamil Dehlavi, who gets into some of his hoped for metaphysical or at least mythical goals for the film, and why he doesn't really consider it a horror film. He does get into at least a bit of biographical data, for those who are unfamiliar with his life and work.


• The Silent One Speaks (1080p; 34:39) is a fun interview with Nabil Shaban, who is so memorable in Born of Fire. Perhaps surprisingly, Shaban claims he can't stand to see himself or hear himself on screen.


• Interview with Peter Firth (1080i; 12:24) is another appealing sit down, with Firth talking about kind of stumbling into an acting career when he was still quite a young student, and how his "choosiness" probably kept him from achieving more commercially viable properties.


• In Another World (1080p; 16:52) features composer Colin Townes.


• US Trailer (1080p; 1:28)


• Location Photography (1080p) offers stills culled from the personal collection of Nabil Shaban, and offer some nice looks at locations in and around Cappadocia, Turkey.


• Stills and Posters (1080p)

Indicator also provides another of its very well appointed insert booklets, this one with a number of technical credits (along with cast and crew), and some interesting essays by Ali Nobil Ahmad and Raficq Shaikh Abdulla, along with a personal reminiscence from Nabil Shaban and some reprints of contemporary reviews. There's also a separate essay (by Jeff Billington) and crew data provided on Qâf – The Sacred Mountain.

Born of Fire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Having lived through the eruption of Mount St. Helens a few decades ago, I can state with some authority that any "mystical" proclivities of volcanoes are highly overrated. That's a joke, of course, but the fact this film also includes volcanoes along with several of the other elements listed above is just another clue as to what an astoundingly weird viewing experience Born of Fire can be. It's hard to outright recommend a film this patently bizarre, but for those with a penchant for "something completely different", this will probably fill the bill as well as anything. Video encounters a few rough moments along the way, but audio is fine, and the supplemental package very enjoyable, for those who are considering a purchase.