6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
In the year 2016, with the earth devastated by solar radiation and essential resources of food and water depleted, scattered remnants of humanity struggle to survive.
Starring: Hannah Herzsprung, Lars Eidinger, Stipe Erceg, Lisa Vicari, Lilo BaurHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 30% |
Foreign | Insignificant |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English, English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
"Hell" is the German word for "bright", and Hell is a Swiss-German film about a world ravaged by excess sunlight. No one know exactly what's gone wrong, but it's more than just global warming. The film joins a host of dystopian thrillers that includes the Mad Max films (especially the second two), The Book of Eli, The Road and Time of the Wolf, but its strength lies in its modest scale. The story follows a small group of people who are thoroughly ordinary, and neither the film nor its characters try to articulate big ideas about humanity or civilization. It just shows individuals trying to survive using skills that aren't well-suited to their current situation. As far as I have been able to determine, Hell was released to theaters in Germany, where it also won various awards at film festivals. In the U.S., it skipped theaters and is being released directly to video by ARC Entertainment, with both an original language track (subtitled) and an English dub track.
Hell bears the unmistakable stamp of digital photography. (IMDb says Red One, which seems to be the site's default listing for any digitally acquired film, but Hell's credits didn't include the usual "Shot on Red" logo.) The film's subject matter is ideally suited to the harsh, desaturated look that comes naturally to digital footage. Here, that look has been exaggerated even further in post-production to simulate a world where the sun is so bright that people can burn to death in a matter of hours without protective clothing. Care has been taken, however, so that the deliberately overcranked contrast doesn't blow out essential detail in areas of the frame where it's important that we see what is happening. The same kind of care is evident in night and indoor scenes, which establish a strong contrast with the overlit daytime exteriors. It is critical that the blacks in these scenes not be crushed, so that fine gradations are preserved to render detail; and indeed, at no point does the action or the detail of the actors' performance in these scenes become indistinct. (If it does, then I suggest checking your display's calibration.) Still images do not fully capture the quality of these scenes, but in motion they're impressive. With digital acquisition and post-production, there was presumably no analog phase in the transition to Blu-ray. I certainly saw no indications of artificial sharpening or high frequency filtering. Compression artifacts were non-existent, nor would I expect any on an 89-minute film with only a few trailers for extras.
The film's original German (and occasionally French) track is presented in DTS-HD MA 5.1, and it's a terrific mix with small sounds of the unnatural, arid environment routinely popping up around you. It starts right at the outset, when rubble from the car wreck in the opening scene rattles downhill to your left and behind you. After that, there are weird sounds inside the moving car, at Bäurin's farm, in the seared forests and in various locales that should (but may not) be deserted. Dry, dusty winds are a common presence. My German is good enough to know that the dialogue is being delivered clearly. The musical score by Lorenz Dangel (The Robber) is atmospheric, suspenseful and beautifully delivered. (Note: On my player, the English subtitles were not switched on by default. Be sure to check your settings before hitting "play".)
I thought the post-apocalyptic road movie had worn out its welcome, but I found Hell a surprisingly effective thriller, because Fehlbaum went back to basics, even more so than John Hillcoat in The Road. The story of a world stripped of all our familiar comforts works best when it's spare and elemental. For the moment, I think Fehlbaum holds the prize for minimalism. Highly recommended.
End of the World / Survival
1962
2018
2016
2018
2016
1977
70th Anniversary
1953
2007
2002
2007
Collector's Edition
2013
Collector's Edition
1985
1977
2007
1982
2016
2007
2018
Unrated
2011
1971