TIDELAND

I caught a screening of Tideland at the IFC Center last October. Since then, I’ve heard that the North American releases on DVD have strongly compromised Terry Gilliam’s widescreen images. A shame, because it’s brilliant. Just bloody brilliant. It is true that many people will hate this film or just be too repelled by some of the gruesome imagery within. I think what I'd read about the film beforehand put me in the right open-minded attitude, because I found the film really rewarding and a fascinating depiction of the resilience of children in the face of the most horrible conditions.

The "conditions" are what will be the real deal-breaker for some, as this film often plays as a very insane and Gilliam-esque cross between Night Of The Hunter and Tobe Hooper's Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Or maybe it's actually Alice's Adventures In Wonderland as performed by Leatherface and his family. I’d be hesitant to categorize this film in any genre, as the film is often very much the "poetic horror film" as David Cronenberg described it.

Jodelle Ferland, last seen in Silent Hill, is the most winning aspect of the film. She's a gem and a real discovery by Gilliam, also performing all the voices for the doll-head characters. I'm hoping she'll continue to work in film. The rest of the cast is excellent too, but most giving very extreme performances of rather frightening and/or disgusting people that'll put off many viewers. Jennifer Tilly was a bit too much for me, but I'm pretty sure she was exactly the Courtney Love From Hell that Gilliam intended and she's mercifully out of the film early on.

The sequences in which we fully enter the girl's fantasy world are masterpieces of special effects work, but sadly they are few and far between. Another aspect of the film that helped me through all of the nastiness was the utterly beautiful film score, a lushly romantic work that's reminiscent of Michael Kamen's score for Brazil, championing the saving power of dreams and imagination.

Mr. Gilliam, all is forgiven for Brothers Grimm. It's great to have you back.

All text © 2007 William D'Annucci

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