Godland (2022)
It is a common saying for films with great cinematography that every frame could stand on its own as a beautiful picture. I haven’t seen anything else before, that comes as close to being literally true than here. Everything is shot on film with appealing film grain and all, but also in a 1.33:1 ratio with rounded corners resembling old photographs. Which underlines the plot where the main character is a priest traveling to Iceland along with his his massive camera in the late 19th century.
What is on screen here, I can really best describe as poetry on film. Gorgeous pictures of the Icelandic landscape, but without the widescreen - the focus is in a different place. There is almost always someone in the center of the frame, it becomes very much a personal story. The Danish priest comes to Iceland sort of arrogant and weirdly full of resentment, and during the hardships of his travels finds himself almost overpowered by the wild nature. The second part of the film, where he arrives at the small village where he gets a church built for him to become a priest in, it is not the Icelandic nature that alienates him, but the people there. Especially the language barrier plays a pivotal role.
The priest is a weird and impenetrable character that I never fully understood. While the film is about him, it is also about his interactions with the people around and their effect on him. Most interesting is his relationship with Ragnar, the elder Icelandic man who leads the travel party through the landscape and oversees the construction of the church. They share a strange resentment for eachother and a destructive rivalry develops.
There is really so many impressions from this film that is hard to put into words. The cinematography alone makes it one of the best films I have seen this year. Sounds silly, but water, grass, moss and stones have never looked so good before. Ragnar has a monologue scene that left me breathless. I don’t think it is a film that should be analyzed or unpacked in detail, merely felt and experienced. Sure to invoke thoughts on nature, faith, culture, heritage, nationality, life and death. My only regret is not catching this in theaters.
Rating: 5