Review of The Wind

The Wind (II) (2018)
3/10
Confusing! Lack of linear and chronological order causes problems.
25 April 2019
This movie had good promise. It's based on a movie from the 1920's but deviates from that film significantly. This movie is created in the vein of "The Witch" (see it !) and perhaps "Hereditary" to compare three recent film examples. The Wind wants you to try and figure out if the antagonists are mentally ill, or if there exists a supernatural force on the prairie where the four homesteaders come to live. The music is nice, and appropriate for the stark landscapes. The cinematography captures the beauty of the mid--west prairie in the early 20th century America.

The problem with this movie is the writing and editing which attempt to achieve mystery and tension by presenting the sequence of events out of linear order. Granted, flashbacks can be effective in storytelling. In "The Wind", it's just too much! There are too many similar shots of wistful looks, confused moments and chronologically disjointed discoveries that confused me and were probably unnecessary.

This is not a movie that needs this technique to this degree. We learn that mental illness, anxiety and depression are present in the isolation of the prairie life. We suspect there are hallucinations and even chloroform -inspired dream sequences.

The writers help us out with tidbits of juxtaposed backstories. But in the end, it's a bit too much. It's a bit too slow and self indulgent to be rated higher. Sometimes it's possible to be too creative. Some movies are worth the energy to try and figure out. "The Wind" is not . . .
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