‘The Invisible Fight Review: The Strangest Estonian Black Metal Kung Fu Movie Youll See This Year, Guaranteed
In the Estonian comedy Invisible War, a deranged Russian border guard somehow survives a surprise attack by three powerful Chinese minifigures - gravity-defying kung fu fighters who appear out of nowhere. And belt out Black Sabbath in their bright red box. - So he does what anyone in his position would do: He decides to become an Orthodox monk. not true? "I guess God has other plans for you," hisses a less fortunate hunk under his breath, inventing one of the strangest stories audiences will find in the art house scene this year. .
After garnering international attention in 2017 with "November," a hyper-stylized black-and-white folk horror novel starring pagan monsters known as "arks," writer-director Rainer Sarnett turns the color-saturated extremes into martial arts satire. mixed the genres. Set in the highly repressive mid-'70s Soviet Union, The Invisible War was shot like an old-school drive-in movie (with dramatic zooms, optical titles, and virtual drag). " and "Gymkata", but with better production values... and Orthodox Monks.
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It's an odd and often absurd mix of elements that don't quite fit together, and yet the absurd shock of seeing such unconventional elements forced together is usually enough to make you laugh. Imagine the image of a heavy metal fan with long hair and a black box flying in the wind confronting an incredulous KGB officer.
Sarnett's story focuses on Raphael (a mad Nicolas Cage and Ursel Tilk look) and his personal quest for spiritual enlightenment — except in this case Raphael's reason for joining an Orthodox monastery is not religious at all. In the film's centuries-old parallel reality, orthodox monks guard the secrets of black metal kung fu, meaning Raphael's only hope of learning the technique is by committing to the faith. That might be true of a Shaw Brothers film set in a Shaolin temple, but it seems odd to see Russian stars singing in a church, let alone how a misguided hothead like Raphael fits into their relatively austere enclave.
"Anything cool is banned in the Soviet Union," growls Rafael, who grows his hair out and takes a job as an auto mechanic after surviving the silly showdown at the beginning of the film. This fateful encounter with three wuxia assassins fascinates Raphael, but doesn't immediately inspire him to learn self-defense. Instead, his big transformation comes later, after he punches Rafael in the face for dancing with the beautiful fiancee of a tough local guy. The woman Rita (Ester Kuntu) is said to embody a certain Russian ideal: a plump young woman with thick lipstick and a permanent frown. Raphael finds her irresistible but unattainable - and so he commits himself to the monastic life.
Sarnet doesn't always know what's on his idiotic hero's mind, which is ironic given that after just a few weeks of training, Raphael can literally read other people's minds. Among these and other religious miracles, Raphael was clearly destined to become a disciple. At least, that's what veteran Nafanail (Indrek Sammul) and his humble boss Irenei (Karel Pogga) think, trying to sabotage the newcomer's progress. Hear one of the funniest fights in the movie: a raw dumpling food fight.
As the film's title suggests, The Invisible War pits Rafael against spiritual clarity on the one hand, and his rebellious punk personality and Rita's greater physical appeal on the other. While the film juggles these seemingly contradictory elements, there's at least quite a bit going for it. For example, how does Raphael's search for inner peace fit in with his violent kung fu training? And where is his hot-headed romantic ambition supposed to be in the picture?
Monastery claims to be serious about the business, but the project's stylish color palette and enticing gameplay suggest a lively Saturday morning cartoon, complete with goofy sound effects (exaggerated wink over Tweety the bird's ear-splitting noise). Whatever statement Sarnet attempts to make about Raphael's religious vocation is drowned out by surrealism. It's weird enough to satisfy those looking for a good gonzo time, even if the weirdness isn't very important.
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