Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Lux Æterna Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 13, 2022

Gaspar Noe is a director with an addiction to making provocative films (“Irreversible,” “Into the Void”). Some have suggested he hates his audience, looking to punish them with impossibly bleak material and hostile visuals, aiming to create tortuous viewing experiences strictly out to satisfy his malicious intent. His moviemaking modus operandi is up for debate, but Noe isn’t the most consistent storyteller, and his last endeavor, 2018’s “Climax,” played like a parody of his previous efforts, identifying a defined limit to his corrosive mischief. For 2019’s “Lux Aeterna,” the helmer gets back on track with what’s basically a short film about a production disaster, exploring explosive personalities and technical mishaps, keeping his cameras on the move as they capture the disintegration of what was meant to be a simple day of creative collaboration. “Lux Aeterna” is Noe’s version of a valentine to cinematic experimentation and philosophy, and while he eventually drives it into the ground with tributes to the avant-garde highlights of his early education, he manages to have some fun for a change, toying with the fragility of personalities involved in the creation of art.

Inside a movie studio, work is about to commence on a scene for an upcoming film. The director is Beatrice (Beatrice Dalle), and she’s fed-up with the process, dealing with a producer looking to fire her, while cinematographer Max (Maxime Ruiz) is trying to maintain artistic control of the situation, preparing for an important scene involving the burning of high fashion witches. Charlotte (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is the lead, remaining friendly with Beatrice while managing the hectic nature of the shoot, which has co-star Abbey (Abbey Lee) struggling with language barriers, while Karl (Karl Glusman) is spending the day roaming around the set, trying to secure talent for his directorial debut. Attempting to bring order to chaos, the scene quickly spirals out of Beatrice’s control, putting the actresses in a challenging position as a technical mishap turns a scene of stylish death into a torture chamber of strobing light and ear-splitting sound.

“Lux Aeterna” doesn’t have major dramatic goals. As Noe admits in the Blu-ray supplements, the production was put together two months before its Cannes Film Festival debut, using sets built for another movie and ideas hastily slapped together, forcing the director to piece together the endeavor as he went. The slapdash nature of the picture is evident during the viewing experience, but such casualness works here, with the effort opening on a lengthy conversation between Beatrice and Charlotte, who trade war stories concerning acting and men, with Noe using split-screen imagery because…he wants to.

The dueling frame approach returns throughout “Lux Aeterna,” which wades into the raging waters of film production, examining various personalities all trying to survive the afternoon. There’s Max, who’s attempting to make greatness while dealing with his director, urging the producer to fire her. Karl is trying to capture cast and crew attention for his own project, committing a major industry no-no. Abbey is lost, unable to communicate with Beatrice, attempting to find her way through the day. And Charlotte is gradually undone by a phone call from her young daughter, who may have been inappropriately touched at school. There’s the natural commotion of filmmaking as well, creating a tornado of activity Noe enjoys observing, playing up the difficulties of production and the behind-the-scenes power plays that both feed and starve creative opportunities.

Lux Æterna Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.41:1 aspect ratio) presentation largely employs split-screen editing to tell the tale of "Lux Aeterna," with clarity quite good. Detail emerges with the chaos of the moment, exploring fibrous costuming, weary facial particulars, and tours of wood tunnels as cameras explore studio space. Textures are appreciable, and dimension remains intact. Color is pronounced throughout, offering bright primaries on color strobing, and the hellish hues of digital fire are distinct. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory.

Lux Æterna Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix largely remains a frontal listening event, capturing clear dialogue exchanges with plenty of overlapping conversations. It takes some work from the viewer to follow individual thoughts, but clarity is there. Music is limited but supports with authority, delivering a full orchestral sound. Surrounds provide some separation effects and musical moods. Low-end gets in some power. Sound effects are defined, including the piercing beeping that accompanies the final 15 minutes of the movie.

Lux Æterna Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (58 pages) contains essays by Mitch Horowitz, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, and Anna Bogutskaya.

Disc 1

• Commentary features director Gaspar Noe and actress Beatrice Dalle.

• "Intro: Gaspar Noe at Metrograph" (11:02, HD) features an appearance by the filmmaker at a screening of "Lux Aeterna," where he discusses the origin story of the project (describing it as something that "started almost as a joke"), which was conceived and completed mere months before its debut at the Cannes Film Festival. The speed of sudden moviemaking is recalled, with Noe sprinting to put something together before his deadline. Noe also recalls challenges while making his previous picture, "Climax."

• "Lux in Praticus" (10:31, HD) is an interview with actor Karl Glusman, who recalls his initial hiring for "Lux Aeterna," finding out his part after arriving for the shoot. A discussion of character is included, along with style, due to the film's financier, Saint Laurent. Glusman explores the shoot, identifying the strobe effect, which was produced on-set, and he details cinematographic choices. He closes with a celebration of Gaspar Noe's method, vision, and philosophy.

• "Split-Screen Stories" (7:38, HD) is an educational featurette (created by Chris O'Neill) on the editorial technique, which is utilized throughout "Lux Aeterna."

• "Lux in Tenebris" (6:04) is a dramatic photo gallery of BTS snaps, created by Tom Kan.

• Teaser Trailer #1 (:56, HD), Teaser Trailer #2 (:53, HD), and a Theatrical Trailer (1:26, HD) are included.

Disc 2

• Short Films (HD) connect Gaspar Noe to his influences, showcasing a collection of artful endeavors meant to enliven and, in some cases, break viewer spirit.

• "La Ricotta" (36:00) is a 1963 film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, co-starring Orson Welles.

• "The Flicker" is a 1966 film by Tony Conrad. This includes nothing but strobe effects, and should be avoided by those sensitive to such a punishing effect.

• "Ray Gun Virus" (14:25) is a 1966 film directed by Paul Shartis. It consists entirely of strobing colors and a loud flicker sound.

• "Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome" (38:29) is 1954 film directed by Kenneth Anger.

Lux Æterna Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The bedlam of the shoot reaches its peak when cameras roll, putting Charlotte in front of a digital fire to portray a witch being burned alive. Technical issues arrive, allowing Noe to return to his directorial habits, with the final movement of "Lux Aeterna" left to strobe lighting and an ear-splitting beeping noise, pounding viewers with a growing sense of stress that threatens to destroy Charlotte. Of course, if you have any visual or aural sensitivity, this is not the movie for you. Actually, it may not be for anyone but Noe, who peppers the endeavor with quotes from famous directors, while "Lux Aeterna" itself is a riff on short films (included on this Blu-ray release) that helped to inspire him. Still, there's humor here and a vivid sense of color and noise, and the limited run time keeps Noe on task, creating a boundary to work within as he serves up his usual brew of pandemonium with slightly refreshed enthusiasm.