The Enchanted - 1984

 Ya put on 1984's The Enchanted and it immediately seems a little otherworldly.  This is the unquantifiable aspect that some things have, and something that I may try to identify just a little bit.

In this film it is medium easy to identify which is why I will try here.  Number one, I truly do think its hard to identify without the right soundtrack, or minimally soundtrack aspects.  Wandering, wondering, electronic, strange soundtracks speak volumes.  Think of Blade Runner.  Free jazz, strange synths, offbeat beatless undefined meanderings.  Alien, in other words.  Makes your imagination spark and your place of safety removed.  "This sounds strange and unsettling.  If this is true what else is true."

Next I have to call out cinematography.  Strange, detached, and seemingly with its own agenda, the cinematography is always important in any movie.  A visual media, we cannot pretend as though it not always one of the most important, but specifically in ethereal film...  Long, detached takes.  Occasional flourishes, maybe, but extremely grounded and yet just a little off.  Perhaps best exemplified in this film by it's fascination with nature.  If there's a bird or something nearby, the camera seems magnetized to them.  We follow animals and nature almost as much as the actors in the film.  "Odd, unnatural, off-kilter.  If this is true what else is true."

Dialogue and actors are certainly important, just again like in all films.  It's very important that they present a grounded, real human in contrast to the bizarre circumstances around them.  They need to have their own individual flourishes as well though.  Perhaps a meditative, calm quality that seems deep and unexplored, imploring you to look deeper and ask questions.  Perhaps they are poetic and expressive, individualistic and profound.  But likely they're both, in a bizarre balance that immediately hooks you.  "This character is so interesting, like they know something I don't.  If this is true what else is true."

There's more, but lets just cut the chase here and say The Enchanted is a great example of all of these.  This is not a fantastic movie or anything, but its a great example because the only things to say about this are the weird qualities.  Plots are of course important and they need to be excessively vague and/or backseated.  This has that in spades as we wander around with Booker as he explores his strange area with unexplained, separate storylines.  And the rest is the flourish and otherworldly qualities that keep you locked in.

There's not a lot more to say other than this is that, and I've seen better and I've seen worse.  But these are vibe movies and if you are into them, there's almost nothing better than these?  You need to be patient, you need to pay attention, you need to be in on it.  I usually dig these, and indeed I liked this quite a bit.  Completely unknown and underseen, it also defines the sort of thing I look for.  I give it 3.5 stars for its specific realm and execution, and I'll say check it out.