Product Details

• Actors: Brendan Fraser, Ashley Judd, Viggo Mortensen
• Directors: Philip Ridley
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0007V9WRY
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,018 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No faith without blood, April 21, 2005

By 

Danielle Muller "Shulamith" (Sailing, sailing o'er the deep blue sea :)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Passion of Darkly Noon (DVD)

The passion of darkly noon is a beautiful movie that draws you in to its gorgeous locations and settings, before revealing the truth behind its lovely exterior.

Darkly noon (Brendan Fraser) is a young man whose family was brutally shot and killed, while the local townspeople where busily mutilating the religous sect he was from, Darkly noon, an innocent, rather child-like individual escapes. We find him running through a set of jewel-like lush forests where he collaspes and gets picked up by Jude. A young man who delivers supplys to Callie(Ashley Judd) and Clay (Viggo Mortenson). Two lovers that live for themselves in little house where Clay builds coffins for a living.

Callie sees the distrough and feverish Darkly and decides to take him under her wing. This is the start of a passionate desire that Darkly developes for Callie, who does nothing but try to be a mother and friend to him. Enter Clay, who lets Darkly stay on after Callie's insistance and tries to draw the younger man out of himself and his moody persistance of silence.
Darkly's anger and resentment towards Clay, and Callie's love for him comes to a head when he sees the couple kiss. Not knowing how to deal with the desire and anger that is pervading his body, Darky runs off into the wood to get away and try to get a grip on his emotions that are overrunning his soul.

There he finds a woman that we find out to be Clay's mother, and who accuses Callie of being a witch. Her reason being that she killed her husband, and stole Clay away from her with her seductive charms. Darkly listens, and grasps onto her words like a drowning man. Beliving that it is not he that is in the wrong, but Callie, for she is truly a witch, and has cast a spell on his soul. Having grown up in very religous atmosphere, Darkly believes his lust is from the Devil, and that Callie is trying to tempt him to his death. Visions of his dead parents help to reinforce such beliefs, and Darkly goes on a rampage of death and destruction.

The ending to this movie relieves some of the darkness that penetrates this film, but not much. Its a sad ending no matter what happens, and it is doubtless that either way with this movie turns out will leave you feeling rather depressed.

As a side note, this movie does have some rather intense scenes, such as when Darkly covers his body with barbed wire, wearing it like a coat. The end sequince where he takes off his shirt and we see the decaying flesh around the punctures is rather, well, much. However, the movie was very well written, with riveting performences from Brendan Fraser, Viggo Mortenson and Ashley Judd. The score for the film is really haunting also, which only enhances the overall effect of the movie.

A very good movie for not only fans of Brendan fraser, but those that enjoy good movies and well written plots.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dark, disturbing, provoking, November 24, 2003

By 

Deborah MacGillivray "Author," (US & UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Passion of Darkly Noon [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This oddball film is not for the taste of everyone, and even fans of Viggo Mortensen and Brendan Fraser might not care for it, though the should appreciate the fine performances from these talented actors.

Darkly Noon is not the description of a time of day but the name of Brendan Fraser's disturbed character. He is the product of an overly religious parents. When they are murdered, Darkly escapes to the forest and is later found and taken to a couple Callie (Ashley Judd) and Clay (Viggo). They are lovers, which quickly becomes the centre of Brendan's problem and their nightmare. His religious upbringing disdain they are living "in sin", but as Judd nurses him back to health, he becomes obsessed with her. The conflict of his physical desires, the growing obsessed clashing with his religious teaching pushing him over the edge. It is easier to believe she is a witch twisting his mind, than to deal with his own feelings of jealousy and sin for wanting her.

Amazing film, when Fraser, Judd and Mortensen were not the powerhouse names they are now. Fine performances from them all.

Something that you either love or will hate, but doubt anyone will be unmoved.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Giant Silver Shoe of Movies, January 14, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Birmingham, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Passion of Darkly Noon [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"For now we see eachother through a glass DARKLY..." states 2nd Corinthians 13:12, and that's really how you have to view this movie. In order to appreciate its uniqueness you have to understand its subtle dark side. Fundamentally it's about how a situation unveils the repressed desires (I should say 'passions') of a young 'christian-cult' man, and exploits the consequences of those 'passions' once they are realized and unleashed. In short, a film that I'm sure most human-beings can relate to albeit to a lesser degree (one would hope anyway!) It has some magical moments: the silver shoe, the cave with its 'part-of-time' and the dressing of ones self in barbed-wire, to name but a few. But that's really the tip of the ice-burg to Mr Noons passion. Whilst watching this film I was struck by Ridleys portrayal of raw human emotion, built around a solitary setting that adds to this films errie atmosphere and serves as the muse for its poetry, leading to a rather 'explosive' end of events. Fraser really stands out with a fantastic performance through out. He really embodies the two attributes of a shy, stuttering boy and physco-monster avenger that make Darkly dark (excuse the pun) that you really don't know whether to side with him or hate him. Whether you've just discovered Frasers talents, admire Ridleys work or just love errie, atmospheric films, this one's a must.

By the by, if anyone knows where I can get my hands on the films soundtrack (especially the PJ Harvey song) I would be indebted for life.