The Dust of Time
The Dust of Time
| 22 November 2008 (USA)
The Dust of Time Trailers

A, an American film director of Greek ancestry, is making a film that tells his story and the story of his parents. It is a tale that unfolds in Italy, Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, Canada and the USA. The main character is Eleni, who is claimed and claims the absoluteness of love. At the same time the film is a long journey into the vast history and the events of the last fifty years that left their mark on the 20th century. The characters in the film move as though in a dream. The dust of time confuses memories. A searches for them and experiences them in the present.

Reviews
Steinesongo Too many fans seem to be blown away
Cortechba Overrated
Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.
Orpheas I was not ever really attracted to Theo Agelopoulos work, until I saw this film. I actually decided to watch it because of the appearance of great international actors in it. Oh well, this movie is like watching an elaborate theatrical stage production. It really feels like you are in the theater, it does not feel like a movie. It has that stage drama vibe. Mesmerizing. You will definitely also love the cinematography on this one. I am not joking when I say that you can actually freeze frame and print screen every frame on this movie! The colors and the perspective, the light and shadows, the objects, everything is like a moving painting. I got no idea what kind of genius is required to do so, but Agelopoulos has done it! The story is easy to follow, but as you expect from a European production is very delicate and presented with flashbacks and allegories.If you are a person who likes Hollywood movies, then I suggest you skip this. If you are in to European cinema, then this movie is for you. And if you are interested in Art, painting, mesmerizing visual images and theater, then you should really should watch this movie!
runamokprods Like all of this great director's challenging work, I have a feeling this will improve with repeated viewings, as the sometimes disparate story stands make their connections more clear. On first look I found this full of thrilling moments and beautiful images (as one comes to take for granted with Angelopoulos), as well as a terrific, fun and heartbreaking performance by Bruno Ganz. However, I also found myself more lost than usual, even being used to Angelopoulos' complex, time, place and style shifting style. At the end of the day I felt unsure how it all added up, or even that the pieces really did all fit. Not unlike an earlier poster I felt a bit like I was watching someone else trying to do a film in Angelopoulos' style, and not quitepulling it off. That's perhaps a bit harsh. but there's some truth in it. It felt less sure handed than I'm used to. Character motivations and story choices felt forced or distractingly hard to buy. Even when Angelopoulos' earlier films confused me the viewer, I always felt strongly that the film-maker was never confused, he knew just how and why the pieces fit together, intellectually, thematically and emotionally. This time I wasn't quite as sure.
Arthur C. Doyle We sat through this movie thinking why is this or that scene in the movie, what does this have to do with the plot? We hoped that by the end everything would be slightly more clear. It was not to be.I think the director in a fit of pique threw the script up in the air and then some minor (and vengeful) underling reassembled it randomly with no regard to the scene being filmed (possibly with scissors and glue-stick).The film's motifs include: Communism bad? Nihilism bad? Poor parenting bad? Threesomes bad? TV bad? Coherent scripting bad? Deconstructionism good? It's really not clear.Finally, no German water taxi would EVER have an unchained staircase that would let passengers fall in to the water. The abundant quantity of "achtung" signs everywhere is testament to this fact.
kosmasp I haven't seen the previous movie, which this one follows. But I don't think that it matters that much. This movie with a heavy burden is really hard to swallow. The German actor who plays along William Dafoe said so himself. At the Berlinale screening he came up after the movie and stated (more or less, this is not an exact quote): "It is my first time watching this movie, too. I have to admit it's pretty heavy and hard to watch!"Which made me admire the actor even more (he also played "Hitler" in the movie "Downfall"). And considering the ending of this movie is really lyrical and aspirational, it's almost a shame, that I really had to fight myself during other parts of the movie. It's an odd movie, which definitely will strike a nerve with the viewer. The only question is, will it be an enjoyable enough experience or not? I can't answer that for you, but it's slow pace and a storyline that is anything but linear, will confuse and appall more people than it will attract