Through the imagination of a deep and distant poet named Oliverio we experience a world that exists between fantasy and reality. On a quest for 'true' love Oliverio rejects women 'who cannot fly', sending them into the abyss through a trap door in his bed. Disheartened women look up through the dark rectangular hole at the man who is god of their hearts peering down on them with contempt and pity for death.
He later finds love in a prostitute named Ana as their souls converge and fly in unison, but she will never give in completely. Oliverio continues to fight with himself and Death (La Muerta) who both plead the poet on several occasions to seek a practical and conventional life. To Oliverio, giving up his quest for love would amount to death, and he continues to suffer by choice. He seems to find inspiration in the unrealized passion burning within his soul.
It soon becomes difficult to distinguish fantasy from reality. In a powerful scene he and Ana meet at a pier overlooking the ocean where they profess beautiful poetry to each other over passionate love music. A wide angel lens captures the vast ocean. A heavy door is kicked down next, and a long slow motion love scene ensues ending with them flying in poetic perfection to beautiful slow instrumental music. A $100 bill engulfs in flames (her fee of course) and she kisses his exposed heart with love and passion as she holds it gently in her hands. Death stands at the door in disarray as they float and bask in the joys of life. She then kicks him out to screw another client. Is it business only? Was this fantasy, or reality? Later she finds him again. They make love (for free) and fly over Buenos Aires. Then she releases a trap door in the bed and drops him into the dark abyss abruptly as he did to so many women. Death was right. Love failed as it always does. In the end she broke his heart, which ironically gave it life, leaving Oliverio rich with inspiration. This passionate feeling could only be achieved through true heartbreak. In the end it was self-destruction that kept him alive through passion and inspiration. Without this he would be doomed to watching the toy train circle endlessly (a metaphor for lack of purpose and direction).
This movie to me simply portrays a man seeking to experience life to its fullest. It begins as art and ends as a poetic masterpiece that transcends the boundaries of the human soul.
As an interesting twist, the movie ends with death asking to use the phone. Seeking a lost love perhaps? Though slow paced, this was one of the best and most nakedly powerful films I have seen in some time, a true testament of the human soul.
Highly recommended.
He later finds love in a prostitute named Ana as their souls converge and fly in unison, but she will never give in completely. Oliverio continues to fight with himself and Death (La Muerta) who both plead the poet on several occasions to seek a practical and conventional life. To Oliverio, giving up his quest for love would amount to death, and he continues to suffer by choice. He seems to find inspiration in the unrealized passion burning within his soul.
It soon becomes difficult to distinguish fantasy from reality. In a powerful scene he and Ana meet at a pier overlooking the ocean where they profess beautiful poetry to each other over passionate love music. A wide angel lens captures the vast ocean. A heavy door is kicked down next, and a long slow motion love scene ensues ending with them flying in poetic perfection to beautiful slow instrumental music. A $100 bill engulfs in flames (her fee of course) and she kisses his exposed heart with love and passion as she holds it gently in her hands. Death stands at the door in disarray as they float and bask in the joys of life. She then kicks him out to screw another client. Is it business only? Was this fantasy, or reality? Later she finds him again. They make love (for free) and fly over Buenos Aires. Then she releases a trap door in the bed and drops him into the dark abyss abruptly as he did to so many women. Death was right. Love failed as it always does. In the end she broke his heart, which ironically gave it life, leaving Oliverio rich with inspiration. This passionate feeling could only be achieved through true heartbreak. In the end it was self-destruction that kept him alive through passion and inspiration. Without this he would be doomed to watching the toy train circle endlessly (a metaphor for lack of purpose and direction).
This movie to me simply portrays a man seeking to experience life to its fullest. It begins as art and ends as a poetic masterpiece that transcends the boundaries of the human soul.
As an interesting twist, the movie ends with death asking to use the phone. Seeking a lost love perhaps? Though slow paced, this was one of the best and most nakedly powerful films I have seen in some time, a true testament of the human soul.
Highly recommended.