Blindness
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
- drama
- mystery
- science fiction
- thriller
The story
When a sudden plague of blindness devastates a city, a small group of the afflicted band together to triumphantly overcome the horrific conditions of their imposed quarantine.
What it’s like
Washed-out, overexposed whites and sickly yellow-grey interiors give this film its look: a bleached, milky world where daylight turns to glare and the camera hangs close on faces in cramped, filthy rooms. Director Fernando Meirelles favours restless handheld movement and abrupt cuts, with the image often going white or dim to put viewers inside the characters' lost sight. Sound does much of the work, with ambient noise, distorted breathing and an unsettling, sparse score filling the silences. The mood is oppressive and anxious, a sun-bleached unease that tightens into claustrophobic dread as the quarantine decays into cruelty. It suits a rainy evening with the lights on, though not as light viewing. Violence is present and often brutal, including sexual assault and killings, shown with restraint rather than gore, and the sexual content is disturbing rather than explicit. The emotional arc follows a small group slowly holding onto dignity and one another. It is for viewers who want bleak, serious drama about human fragility and can stomach harsh scenes.
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