Halls of the Dark Muse

I just watched the movie Buried last night, and I found it to be a very innovative, unique movies. It is one of those movies which goes against the convention, and refuses to give the viewer what they really want, which is clear conclusions and an unrealistic but ideal ending. It is one of those wonderfully frustrating movies that leaves behind more questions, I think than it answers, and ends without really ending, and doesn't let you walk away with a warm and fuzzy feeling, and a sense of everything being all wrapped up nice and tight. Also I love that it was a movie which I imagine must have been quite low budget to make, but still extremely effective. It had some great camera angles, and editing.

One of the most brilliant things about this movie which when I first started watching I was at first skeptical of and certainly quite curious to see how they would mange it, is that the entire movie takes place within a coffin buried underground. So to entire hour and half of the movie is just this man whom has been buried alive inside a coffin. At first I thought it would have been a near impossible task to film the entire movie from that point of view and keep it interesting, I had waited (and almost cringed in expectation) for them to use a flash back technique, in which the individual would now and than pass into memories of what led him up into the position her had found himself, but the movie never took you out of that space. And the whole while it was an intense and gripping experience.

It was one of those things in which on the one hand you want to know more of what is happening, you want to discover what is going on, and you want to root for some miraculous rescue, but on the other hand you are afraid that if you do see what is on the other side, if the coffin lid is broken open it will be like breaking the enhancement of it. The unknown is always much more compelling than the known, and you are held in suspense for so long, you know whatever you do discover will only prove to be a disappointment and thus run the risk of spoiling the whole atmosphere of the movie.

More often than not, seeing what is on the other side, is never so interesting as the anticipation of what is on the other side.