On P List of Movie Reviews
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The Passion of Darkly Noon (1995)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
6/25
6/25:
The Passion of Darkly Noon is a strange, surrealistic cult flick.
The cast looks impressive on paper: Brendan Fraser, Ashley Judd, and Viggo Mortensen. I'm sure the film was
totally passed over by the public because they weren't yet well known. Looking back, I can say now the first
two gave top-notch performances of their careers. I didn't see anything negative or outlandish in what
they did.
What got my attention is the cinematography. It's quite unusual for 1995; director Philip Ridley made a
calculated risk of using a strong yellow light in the center of almost every scene. The only film I can recall
doing something similar is Reflections in a Golden Eye. As a
result, it pays off dividends, turning the whole show into a metaphor.
Angelic-looking, Callie is the temptation, but Darkly Noon can't have her. Therefore, he uses excuses from the
Bible to point out her sinful ways. Over time, it becomes apparent he's a deeply disturbed, brainwashed
individual, believing literally anything what the book or people, especially his parents and Roxy, say. To prove
he's special, Darkly Noon wraps himself around with a barbed wire and does the Lord's work to punish the
transgressors as if it's Apocalypse Now.
All in all, after liking what I saw in The Passion of Darkly Noon, I plan to check out Philip Ridley's
other film (he made just three in total): The Reflecting Skin.