Although there is probably some room for improvement, Ararat remains a thought provoking and intelligent piece of art filmaking from the bizarre mind of Atom Egoyan. It is regarded as a fairly controversial film, some loved it, some loathed it. Perhaps it was too closely compared to his masterworks Erotica and the Sweet Hereafter. It is a very different movie.
Ararat is Egoyan's strange memorial to the Armenian massacre committed by the Turkish during WWI. Ironically, Egoyan's script features a handful of people attempting to make a feature film about that. Ararat zooms in on an art historian, who has been hired as a historical adviser for the feature. Her son has just returned from the motherland having shot some second unit footage, or so he tells the customs officer when asked what is in the containers he is carrying. Convinced that the boy is smuggling drugs, the officer takes him behind an starts questioning him. What he gets in more than a few answers from this kid. He gets a whole history of a people that to this day Turkey denies have anything to do with.
One thing about Egoyan's movies is that they set challenges for the actors. While Ararat is less dimensional and creative with character development than previous films, the acting is nonetheless impressive.
The narrative is a little messy, but not as the result of bad filmaking. Rather it is the result of a director's choice, trying to put some distance between the viewer and the screen. That may sound odd, Egoyan is an odd director, but one with method in his madness. See Ararat and decide for yourself.
Ararat is Egoyan's strange memorial to the Armenian massacre committed by the Turkish during WWI. Ironically, Egoyan's script features a handful of people attempting to make a feature film about that. Ararat zooms in on an art historian, who has been hired as a historical adviser for the feature. Her son has just returned from the motherland having shot some second unit footage, or so he tells the customs officer when asked what is in the containers he is carrying. Convinced that the boy is smuggling drugs, the officer takes him behind an starts questioning him. What he gets in more than a few answers from this kid. He gets a whole history of a people that to this day Turkey denies have anything to do with.
One thing about Egoyan's movies is that they set challenges for the actors. While Ararat is less dimensional and creative with character development than previous films, the acting is nonetheless impressive.
The narrative is a little messy, but not as the result of bad filmaking. Rather it is the result of a director's choice, trying to put some distance between the viewer and the screen. That may sound odd, Egoyan is an odd director, but one with method in his madness. See Ararat and decide for yourself.