Dante 01

DVD review (region 2)
Directed by Marc Caro
Starring Linh Dan Pham, Lambert Wilson, Dominique Pinon
Release date 15 September 2008

There are two mysterious new arrivals on a cross-shaped space station for the criminally insane: Saint Georges (Wilson), a man with strange Christ-like abilities, and sexy scientist Elisa (Pham), who perceives the prisoners as lab rats to be experimented on…

French sci-fi seems to be the niche genre of choice over the last year, and after Chrysalis and Eden Log it’s now Dante 01’s turn. Heavy with Biblical overtones and allusions to the Divine Comedy, it’s a fitting introduction to the genre for anyone who missed Delicatessen (which Caro co-directed with Jean-Pierre Jeunet).

While there is some fun interaction between the inmates and crew (including the odd hostage scene), Saint George’s identity and past is left deliberately vague. The use of a confined space station creates an impressively claustrophobic feel, and Caro frequently lets us see through Saint George’s eyes to literally share how he sees the universe - even if it has the result of making us feel rather motion sick.

This is a movie full of intriguing ideas and it’s beautifully shot, but the story is rather confusing and the Biblical allegory is laid on a little thickly at times. Lesley Smith