In the sumptuous landscapes of Lithuania, Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper tell us a tragic future for humanity trapped in a ruthless nature but which retains its magnificence for those who know how to grasp it. This is the case of the young Vesper having known only this sinister and complex world. Reminiscent of Miyazaki 's great ecological frescoes and Cronenberg's biological horror, Vesper Chronicles surprises with its technical mastery and fine writing. Aware of its low budget, ambition arose from elsewhere. It sprinkles a film with evocative power and the profusion of plastic and scenic ideas that leaves amazed and captive to an abundant universe. Co-produced by France, Belgium and Lithuania, Vesper Chronicles ' low budget and creative vehemence teach a lesson to an industry that is increasingly unwilling to shine with its courage and inventiveness despite colossal sums. Analysis.
Vesper Chronicles : a unique atmosphere
Vesper Chronicles, Natrix Natrix, Rumble Fish Productions / 2022 CONDOR[/© caption] What is surprising about Vesper is his ability to convey and work on an atmosphere, here representing the entire heart of the film, limiting artifices to humbly cling to details to create a unique atmosphere. It was only natural for the film crew to apply drastic savings, the key to giving birth to European science fiction. However, Vesper Chronicles is not a film affected by its independent label and remains attached to the popularity of its genre. Gleaning his references from every corner of his medium, from the contemplative sap of a Tarkovsky to the artistic direction of a Brian Froud. Nor is he crushed by pretensions and references too great for him that his script would struggle to justify, like many European films before him. One thinks of Romain Quirot's first feature film The Last Journey , whose writing failed to support a generosity that was harmless.
A self-conscious film
Vesper Chronicles, Natrix Natrix, Rumble Fish Productions / 2022 CONDOR[/© caption] Lithuanian Kristina Buožytė and Frenchman Bruno Samper have done an admirable job in creating their universe. Aware of their low budget, the two filmmakers, also co-signing an original script, have developed its richness while modesty and clairvoyance. By sculpting a total immersion, this allows this wonderful and initiatory tale to be supported by the craftsmanship of its artistic direction, of a surprising plasticity. Herself borrowing from a whole imagination without ever being limited and devoid of her own qualities. In reality, Vesper Chronicles, whose singular cast is already an indicator of its sagacity, shines by its diversity and its ability to tame its means. From a retro-futuristic drone sporting a smiley face that could have been the muse of neat merchandising to a household inhabiting the expression of feelings around a children's book, the footage will never cease to be protean. A way to seize the opportunity of narrative and aesthetic freedom that the independence of such a project allows. In this, Vesper Chronicles is a jewel of the genre but above all a strong and bold proposal. A film that we no longer hoped for on our soil and that restores faith in a free and admirable European cinema. To see in theaters.
