24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
an amazing, thought-provoking experience, December 5, 2002
As a PhD student in medieval history, I usually approach films set in the Middle Ages with no small sense of trepidation. The Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey is the exception. It is a visually stunning, well-written well-acted little film that manages to be both thought-provoking and entertaining. What I found particularly worthy of note is Vincent Ward's use of imagery. His choice to film the medieval scenes in mid-winter and in black and white conveys the bleakness of medieval peasant life and the muted colours of the modern scenes have a mystical feel to them. The film actually feels medieval, and since it does not refer to an historical event more specific than the Black Death, there's no opportunity to get annoyed with historical inaccuracy (a curse of all we would-be professional historians!) I recommend it highly to anyone who likes fantasy and adventure.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Intelligent sci-fi not for the shallow of heart, June 12, 2000
Deep, resonating messages and stunning, haunting visuals contribute to the power of this film which is so completely independent of any genre that calling it a sci-fi or a fantasy does not seem to do it justice; rather, such stereotyping is more of an insult. The best eye-candy in this film is its shoestring-budget special effects (read: no REAL special effects) and its cinematography (it was directed by the same guy who did "What Dreams May Come," which is a poor modern cousin full of hypocrisy).
At any rate, The Navigator is real and raw. And a classic. It reminds me of the Dutch film version of MEDEA. It's fascinating the same way AKIRA might be fascinating: you simply cannot believe that such a fantastic story can work in such a simple narrative. The filmmakers of Navigator trust their audience to be receptive of that which is truly bizarre.
Not for the shallow of heart! I've read other reviews of this film and must agree with one in particular: if you feel intellectually stimulated by Independence Day or Armageddon or other such mindless fluff (even the Matrix), you will get nothing from this film....
Other films that remind me of the Navigator: The original Highlander movie (especially the low-res, poor-quality version on Beta Hi-Fi), Ladyhawke, Eraserhead, In the Name of the Rose (that weird monk movie with Sean Connery and Christian Slater), Medea (the scratchy Dutch version), and even Monty Python and the Holy Grail (not so much for the humor, but the general film presence).
Enjoy! But not too much.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
NOT thrilled, February 16, 2005
This review is from: The Navigator (DVD)
I purchased this disc in May 2004.
I has a VHS copy -taken from pay TV. While the DVD was a bit cleare/less grainy ,the video was 1.33:1 ,not 1.85:1 as advertised;also the sound was MONO ,not Dolby Surround as advertised. A good film but a technically inferior disc.
Edd.
iegolden@shaw.ca
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