A Spell to Ward off the Darkness

A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness, released in 2013, is an intriguing blend of documentary and fiction, starring Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe in the lead. Encompassing an eclectic range of costars, such as Hunter Hunt-Hendrix and Weasel Walter, the movie is firmly rooted in aesthetic exploration and philosophic pondering. Created with a thoughtful and avant-garde approach, this movie is a work of post-structuralism directors, Ben Rivers and Ben Russell.

The film presents an experiential journey through three seemingly disconnected landscapes — a commune in Estonia, a secluded wilderness hermitage and a black metal concert. It is a meditative inquiry into the paradoxical pursuit of both human connectivity and solitude, exploring the profound human need to be part of a community while expressing oneself singularly.

Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe’s character provides the unifying thread that ties these distinguishable segments together. He does not deliver a performance, rather he exists within the film, allowing the viewer to experience the environments he navigates as if they were there themselves. Guiding the audience through his immersive journey, Lowe encapsulates the raw human expression of existence and self-discovery.

The first segment of the film centers around an Estonian commune. The scene captures the essence of an idyllic co-existence of an artistic community entrenched in a rural lifestyle. Carefully captured meals, discussions on alternative living, bouts of individual and collective creativity - all of this and more embody the intended communal ethos. The film captures the sense of shared responsibility and collective decision making that characterizes such communities, without romanticizing or criticizing this lifestyle.

The narrative then shifts to the wilderness where Lowe evolves into a solitary figure, having distanced himself from the communal living setup. Through his character's silent contemplation, the audience gets exposed to the profound beauty and solace of isolation. The nuanced portrayal of the protagonist transports the viewer from the chatter of the commune into a realm of personal spirituality and awakening. This segment beautifully illuminates the harmonious yet uneasy relationship between man and nature.

The final episode stages Lowe as fronting a black metal band in Norway. This sequence is in stark contrast to the earlier tranquil solitude, as the primal intensity of the music and the raw energy of the concert offer an entirely different experience. It powerfully encapsulates the shared ecstasy, as well as the emotional release, that can be seen as a form of communal catharsis. The bold, chaotic, and even hypnotic score here, created by Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, is the prime voice of this segment, filling the narrative space with its pulsating rhythms and adding multiple layers of meaning.

Both the directors, Ben Rivers and Ben Russell, are renowned for their unique crafting of cinema that manipulates borders between fiction and documentary. In A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness, they exhibit their uncanny ability to weave together disparate landscapes into a cohesive narrative journey. Through this film, they invite the audience to pause, to gaze upon the world as it unfolds, and to grapple with philosophical questions about self, society, and existence.

This film is also a revealing exploration into the nuances of sound design. The directors have employed an experimental sound palette to convey both narrative and emotional transitions. From the naturalistic sounds of the commune and wilderness, to the cacophonous metal music in the third act, the sonic landscape is integral to the movie's structure and emotional resonance.

In its entirety, A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness is not a movie that tells a story. It is an immersive, contemplative experience that invites introspection. It underscores the contradictory human desires for communion and solitude, questioning conventional notions of happiness and fulfilment. Through a cascading journey of contrasting landscapes, it invites viewers to contemplate the deeper essence of human existence.

Overall, described as a trance film in the best sense, A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness transcends ordinary movie watching, weaving together sounds, images, and ideas into a hypnotic filmic tapestry that is as intellectually challenging as it is emotionally resonant.