Beyond the Black RainbowMuch of science fiction and horror has to do with outward threats, that which is foreign and threatens you externally; Beyond the Black Rainbow approaches these genres from the reverse--the terror which follows comes from within, the forces inside us locked away, powers which mutate, from the opening of a proverbial Pandora's Box. These abilities are often unrecognizable, alien, so that their portrayal comes via abstraction and tone, in lurid color and inorganic shape which has all the characteristics of a psychedelic hallucination made manifest.
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Beyond the Black Rainbow is ostensibly set in 1983, although it carries itself as though the set design and costumes are cutting edge modern for the time. The film is modeled to resemble a certain kind of 80s sci-fi/horror film, and maintains this conceit throughout the piece, aided by era-consistent props and intentional wear on the film to give the impression of a secreted away cult classic. The film wears its influences on its sleeve, from the introspective, fog-ridden mood and appearance like Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris, to the frequent imagery of the eye, long stares into the abyss of the mind, like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Vertigo. Even more, the future look--and alien-like glowing pyramids and space-like suits, not to mention the cold, monochromatic interiors--resembles Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Other direct nods to films like Scanners and Blade Runner come in the form of our antagonistic main character, Barry Nyle (Michael Rogers), with a third eye penciled in on his forehead in a scene from the past, and another when he is dressed in his leather jumpsuit, achieving--shall we say--his own similar sense of closure, committed to his final path, like Roy Batty. But more than simply ape the great science fiction epics, Beyond the Black Rainbow explores a kind of fallout of New Age pharmacology and drugs as a supposed method of awakening the mind--and the bleak results that follow. Going back to 1966, Barry was involved closely in the Arboria Institute, headed by the radical scientist, Dr. Mercurio Arboria (Scott Hylands). Barry was Arboria's first guinea pig, someone who felt special taking part in the experimental therapy offered by the brilliant--if careless--scientist. Portrayed through dazzling sequences meant to resemble the psychological warping and supposedly transcendent experience of Barry, the process he underwent left him changed; more problematic for him, Arboria also presented a baby into the process, imbuing her with special gifts. Ultimately, this betrayal of trust has left Barry a jealous, spiteful creature, a manipulative mastermind and an egocentric, petty painmonger, who delights in mentally torturing and caging the young woman she has become, named Elena (Eva Allan).
At first glance, Barry might appear to be some kind of therapist for Elena...although one has to wonder what kind of therapist subjects their clients to such mean-spirited sessions and cold, clinical observation. He claims that since he knows who he is, that is what gives him power--he does this not so much out of a moment of self-reflection, but to undermine Elena, to keep her under his control, which is the only truth Barry really believes in anymore. Elena's confinement--and her apparent quelling of her psychic talents--is almost as if it were a kind of regimented training, like she might be trained to be a weapon. Barry says that she is not ready for the outside world, and in a sense, there may be a fragment of truth in that. She has been imprisoned, but she possesses potentially terrible powers, powers which Barry might have some diabolical plans for, if the shocking journal he keeps is any indication. Alternately, this might all be just another power play on Barry's part; since Elena's introduction into the program he felt exclusive ownership of, he took this to mean that he was no longer special, this jealousy indicative of his true character torn open after his immersion in the metaphorical well of the consciousness. The overall tone of Beyond the Black Rainbow is primarily presented through the use of color and sound, the combination of low, almost dour tones of synthesized music combined with deeply saturated color filters give the film a persistent sense of depression--hardly the achievement set out for by the Arboria Institute if that initial video mission statement is to be taken seriously. The cool blues of melancholy are offset by the red hot rage and mania, awash and filled with anxiety. Sometimes, the empty void of white tranquility floods the stage, all of which feel oppressive and domineering, like Barry's hold over Elena. One could look at Beyond the Black Rainbow also as a cultural critique; on one hand, there is a criticism of the reckless abuse of drugs from the 60s, the "free love" and "tripping", "tuning out" which led to addiction, disease, even death, the cancerous after effects of that kind of liberal, irresponsible ignorance. Alternately, Barry himself represents a kind of Reagan-era paranoid selfishness, the ego out of control...masked, false, corporate, mechanical...a "Me Generation" soldier of uniformity gone berserk; it really depends on your point of view, much like the introspective nature of the film.
Recommended for: Fans of an intensely committed homage to the kind of scifi/horror films which made for genuine cult classics from the early 80s, and a hallucinatory trip through the dark passages of the mind, with a message about the dangers that lurk within, as well as without.
At first glance, Barry might appear to be some kind of therapist for Elena...although one has to wonder what kind of therapist subjects their clients to such mean-spirited sessions and cold, clinical observation. He claims that since he knows who he is, that is what gives him power--he does this not so much out of a moment of self-reflection, but to undermine Elena, to keep her under his control, which is the only truth Barry really believes in anymore. Elena's confinement--and her apparent quelling of her psychic talents--is almost as if it were a kind of regimented training, like she might be trained to be a weapon. Barry says that she is not ready for the outside world, and in a sense, there may be a fragment of truth in that. She has been imprisoned, but she possesses potentially terrible powers, powers which Barry might have some diabolical plans for, if the shocking journal he keeps is any indication. Alternately, this might all be just another power play on Barry's part; since Elena's introduction into the program he felt exclusive ownership of, he took this to mean that he was no longer special, this jealousy indicative of his true character torn open after his immersion in the metaphorical well of the consciousness. The overall tone of Beyond the Black Rainbow is primarily presented through the use of color and sound, the combination of low, almost dour tones of synthesized music combined with deeply saturated color filters give the film a persistent sense of depression--hardly the achievement set out for by the Arboria Institute if that initial video mission statement is to be taken seriously. The cool blues of melancholy are offset by the red hot rage and mania, awash and filled with anxiety. Sometimes, the empty void of white tranquility floods the stage, all of which feel oppressive and domineering, like Barry's hold over Elena. One could look at Beyond the Black Rainbow also as a cultural critique; on one hand, there is a criticism of the reckless abuse of drugs from the 60s, the "free love" and "tripping", "tuning out" which led to addiction, disease, even death, the cancerous after effects of that kind of liberal, irresponsible ignorance. Alternately, Barry himself represents a kind of Reagan-era paranoid selfishness, the ego out of control...masked, false, corporate, mechanical...a "Me Generation" soldier of uniformity gone berserk; it really depends on your point of view, much like the introspective nature of the film.
Recommended for: Fans of an intensely committed homage to the kind of scifi/horror films which made for genuine cult classics from the early 80s, and a hallucinatory trip through the dark passages of the mind, with a message about the dangers that lurk within, as well as without.