Arcane Sorcerer

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

L'arcano Incantatore was mentioned by Guillermo del Toro in an interview on my new Cronos bluray. I thought I'd check it out, I haven't seen much (relatively) recent Italian films and this one came with good endorsement.

Being a slow burn kind of film it took a while to get into but by the end it surprised me at how effective it was, conveying this creepy atmosphere of the unknown with nothing but good film technique, no cheap tricks or effects.

The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. The majority of the film is lit by dim candlelight, moonlight or out in the beautiful countryside at twilight. Everything has an autumnal golden glow, which suits the period nicely as well.

Unfortunately the story and characters don't really go anywhere much which makes he resulting film an exercise purely of style and atmosphere without a strong substance to back it up. It's an interesting film and successful in many ways but left me wanting a bit more.