Australian director Lawrence Johnston has always been keen to push the traditional boundaries of filmmaking and his latest documentary is no exception. It meditates on that mysterious and wondrous time we all encounter everyday, but give little thought to"¦ Night"¦
Starting with the notion of 'going home", the film covers everything from going out and socialising, to crimes and fears associated with the night.
Shot beautifully by Laurie McInnes, Night is a series of moving images of places we inhabit after the sun goes down. Johnston combines these with interviews with people from all walks of life, who share their own feelings about the nocturnal.
Personally, I would have liked these people identified as I enjoyed their observations. They served to trigger my own memories and thoughts about the night.
Lawrence has endeavoured to give the audience an epic visual and aural experience. Scored by renowned Polish-born Australian composer, Cezary Skubiszewski, the 82-minute film has wall to wall orchestral music; which serves to drive the narrative as well the emotional intensity of the piece.
Whilst 'Night" is beautiful and unique, and I applaud Johnston and his talented team for what they have attempted, I personally found this ambitious project difficult to fully appreciate. It really challenged my attention.
As a piece of entertainment, Night will only appeal to a select few. 3 stars.
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