MY DVD Collection - 09 Feb 2007

Russia 2005
d: Sergej Loban
CP Digital (Region 0 ru)

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Deep philosophical film confounds then astounds in classic style: The first time I watched I rather enjoyed this offbeat arty tale, shot quite competently on video, but I could see where the rambling low-key pace could be of limited appeal. On second viewing I realized this was a masterpiece of subtlety and depth, questioning the nature of identity in a modern consumerist culture and distilling the wish fulfillment paradoxes of classics like "Stalker" (1979) and "Solaris" (1972), only in a lighter contemporary style. The lead character is charming to watch, a perfectly dumpy and sad ordinary loser, hilariously pathetic in his kitten T-shirt, under-responding to the increasingly bizarre situations he finds himself in, like some kind of depressed Woody Allen on a strange complex odyssey. The movie's construction seems connected with a group of artists and musicians who appear in surreal costumes at times throughout the film, most notably in the park and in Alexei's dreams. There are many odd extras on the DVD that rework film segments, so I'm reminded of an off-kilter group project like The Billy Nayer Show's "American Astronaut" (2001), although the slow weird conspiracy is more like Darren Aronofsky's "Pi" (1998). "Dust" also plays on Russian distrust for how much the government may have tried to alter humans for control, so it fits in a tradition of Frankensteinian satirical sci-fi about immoral experiments with surreal side-effects, like the aloof telekinetic children of "Silver Heads" (1998), the genius bears of "Day of Wrath" (1985), and the canine transplanted man's brain in "Heart of a Dog" (1988).
But "Dust" is uniquely metaphysical and existential. The mystery of the experiment is in its ability to break down conscious identity, and Alexei seems to become different people in the chamber before fixating on the body builder that is, as the lead scientist considers, the dumb dream of the dust particle that Alexei truly is. Not that the scientist claims to be anything better, for he admits to having been cruel. He wishes he could be as simple as Alexei to enjoy life again, instead of being tortured by his inventions and discoveries that the deeper we dig into identity, the more we are cosmic nothing. The film even has a kind of theme song which runs fully through the end credits, performed by a singer doing vigorous sign language (one of Alexei's alienated experiences was thinking his body self was among a group of deaf students in the park, and getting silently yelled at for approaching them like a lost pet). Poignant lyrics explain that what we all desire most, what our hearts cry for and our eyes beg for, is Change. We're all waiting for Change. On one level this is a political statement, and revolutionary talk peppers the film to prime this interpretation. While the Russian people are proud and diverse and culturally rich, after decades of communist failures the western capitalist makeover may be a skin deep sham of dissolution, leaving the people worse off and blinded in side-effect fantasies, like poor Alexei projecting and chasing his dream body while really just getting his protons blasted apart. Of course, humanity's suffering isn't just a problem of Russia, or governments, or economic systems; it's a problem going back to the negative ego's (devil's) promises of power, to make us all gods with our technology. It's a miracle we haven't cured poverty and hunger by now. The great experiment is, how long can we go on chasing delusions of individual grandeur before we appreciate that we all have more in common with dumb Alexei than we'd like to admit. Our bodily existences may be non-ideal, but they are collective illusions. It's time to plumb the depths of our beings for a basis of responsible self-knowing and self-acceptance, to act within and for the bodies we have. Otherwise we'll become like Alexei in the end: incorporeal spirits, impactless voyeurs, watching people watching people. Of course, watching a movie like this can help snap you out of it. Awaken humanity to the potentials of being projectors of dreams becoming those dreams!
— MysticalMoveGuide.com