Customer Reviews

The Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey ( The Navigator ) ( The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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

This is definately one of the best movies I have ever seen. The actors do wonderful jobs of portraying the emotions felt by their characters, and the sense of hopelessness and helplessness that must have been felt during a medievil plague! The black and white shots were visually stunning, and the music is almost celtic... ancient-sounding, poignant and lilting. This movie made my heart feel crampy with wist for some long-lost time of inherent fantasy and myth. This is truly one of those gems-in-the-roughs, as far as movies are concerned. It is more a piece of moving modern art than a slap-stick Hollywood movie, however, and is lacking many of the guady and visually stressing noise-makers and whirly-gogs that so many directors like to thrown in their scenes, for the sheer hell of them.

Rent this movie before you buy it, though. It is sort of an aquired taste. It may be slow-moving like a snail for some people, but it delighted me!

I have reviewed this film previously, and have waited for the DVD...alas, it is a big disappointment. No widescreen and no extras...in otherwords, a waste of time and money. Small, but important films such as this are poorly served by production companies who serve up a barely adequate product. This is a very good film, but the DVD is a dud. Buy the VHS in protest!

Set in 1348 in Cumbria in North West England during the plague this is an outstanding tale.

There are many reasons why the film is outstanding, the mix of black and white and colour photography is beautifully balanced, even to the extent of mixing within individual scenes,this all adds to the mythical qualities of the story. The desolate snow swept landscape of Cumbria (New Zealand doubles up for Cumbria)are stunning and the perfomance by Hamish McFarlane as the visionary boy is suberb.

It is partly about time travel, the boy with a small group of his fellow villages go through a mine to find themselves in a modern day New Zealand city, that essentially is more barren than where they came from. They are in search of a miraculous church and their quest is to place an icon on top of the steeple. There are some nice gags but essentially the film is about the boy's vision. Did in fact the travel through time actually happen or was it part of the boy's spirituality.

Is in fact the film a subtle allegory that,without preaching, equates the plague with Aids and the barreness of the landscape and the villagers on the edge of not surviving, a post nuclear apocalyptic vision? The film was made in 1988 when these possibilities dominated. Equally though, these possibilities are as relevant today.

A lyrical but disturbing fable.

The film is really wonderful as the others wrote. But this DVD is really disappointing. It doesn't have any supplement like a director's commentary. It doesn't have any subtitles. (I'm not from a English speaking country and it was really hard to understand the old English accent.) Moreover, it's not widescreen.

4 stars for the film, no star for this DVD. Really disappointing.

I rented this film at the local Video Store in the most casual manner: by scanning the box art for a clue to something different, knowing nothing of the movie or its creators. It turned out to be the most haunting cinema experience I have ever had. Images from the film have never left me. A modern city is magically transformed and redefined through the eyes and spirits of people from another time. The quest for protection by a higher power highlights a universal need. This is a wonderful film.

vincent ward upped the ante for the follow up to his masterpiece "vigil" and pulls it off-almost! again the visuals are exceptional, and the story,(by ward), a remarkable fantasy. this one needs to be on dvd- with a director's commentary. ward seems to be determined to break the visual bounds of what is possible in a film like this, and just about succeeds.style over substance intrudes periodically, and that's why i don't give it a gold medal-but if only we had such style!!see this movie and be awed!

About five years ago, a former roomate rented this film one night. Having nothing better to do, I decided to watch it with him. Needless to say, this movie appealed to both my sense of fantasy and the medieval. The visuals were stunning, the actors were absolutely wonderful getting even the accents of the time correct. But what struck me the most was the soundtrack for the movie. As for the movie, if you haven't seen it, do so NOW. It will be time well spent.