too boring to finish

Apart from cirular tendencies and a vast sense of self-importance, this is still a nice take on the whole nightmare logic schtick, exploring new ways to illuminate the horrors of war.

A film so remarkably dense I had to pause it in places to simply sort out the director's intent, which I (am reaching to) think is the Problem of God in a world full of Evil. Filled with surreal ellipses, bizarrely conscious dialogue and unsexy images full of blood, shit and lice, I should like this more than I do. It's brave, but feels the slight sting of its own self-ordained self-importance.

With the exception of one other film from what I've seen, I've felt underwhelmed by Zulawski. His debut is far too abstract to engage with - it helps develop the nightmarish world, but Zulawski is unable to keep the viewer engaged within it for many reasons, from its obtuse dialogue to the repetitive nature of scenes of people in hysterics. It also feels like only the building blocks of the director's work; by the end, the film finally slips into the style that would be his trademark.

A truly brave debut, this is a frantic ride that has so many twists and turns, both in terms of camera movement and the very confusing narrative, that it is really hard to follow or make any sense of. Modern expressionist cinema that reflects a fucked up view of a fucked up world, or something like that.

The world as reflected in a nightmare...Through throbbing cinematography and oddly elegant editing, Zulawski express the main character's agony and confusion. He may overwhelm us with an image of a hopeless world, but the thoughtful, poignant - and very artificial - dialogue imply a search for something. This is not a film for those who dislike "theatrical" dialogue and narrative vertigo, but rewarding for fans of roaring existentialism with creative, energetic direction and menacing surrealism.

The simple premise of the film is obfuscated by the over-the-top script, turning it into sort of a bad dream. The only problem with this is it detached me from the story and some things just came off as silly. Still, it's never boring and the visuals are very good.

Slow and (very) confusing, but still strangely hypnotizing. If anything, this film is the closest I've ever seen that genuinly looks like a nightmare, full of characters that were once alive and well, until the war - the Third Part of the Night - began and stripped them away of everything they had, barely leaving their humanity. A bleak, unconventional and surreal war film about guilt, despair and madness, with captivating, grim scenaries full of shattered souls looking for redemption.

It was like a nightmare on film. The directing of the actors was top notch and the camera movements and editing were superb. Really good. Also features arguably the best unibrow in film history.