BERLINALE 2020 - Last and First Men
70TH BERLINALE FILM FESTIVALPremiering at the 2020 Berlinale Film Festival at a lean 70-minute runtime, Johann Johannsson’s directorial debut Last and First Men showcases his newfound directorial talents as he brings forth a harrowing vision of the future that may be one of the most beautiful works of art of the last few decades.
Jose Enrique Macian and Johannsson himself adapts Last and First Men from Olaf Stapledon’s gargantuan novel that has consistently been deemed impossible to film. However, Johannson cleverly eliminates the need for bombastic, large-scaled sequences by framing the core story through various stone sculptures, trading off the heroic qualities of the novel for a more intimate, methodical tone that is more powerful than whatever a faithful adaptation could have been. This success in building the perfect atmosphere can be partially attributed to other notable figures, as well; among them, Tilda Swinton, whose emotionless narration of the millennia-spanning story perfectly captures the cold reality of the desolate Earth when paired with Sturla Brandth Grøvlen’s stunning 16mm black and white cinematography.
Nevertheless, despite a few lulls in pace due to the semi-repetitive visuals, the film as a whole still manages to be an experience like no other because of the work of one man: Johann Johannsson. Aided by his roots as a classically trained musician, Johansson is able to blur the lines between film, music and traditional art to craft an audiovisual symphony that provides a transcendent experience, harkening back to experimental narrative films in the vein of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, and Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi. Each element of the film – whether it be the masterful story, the beautiful images or the hauntingly perfect score – would work incredibly well as its own unique artistic exposition and yet, Johannsson is able to showcase a complete mastery over his concrete vision by finding a way to tie it all the individual elements together and elevate them to mean something greater than themselves.
It is unfortunate that, parallel to the title, this is the last and first film that Johann Jóhannsson was able to make before his untimely passing. While it can be lamented what could have been, we should be more than grateful that he was able to leave us a visionary work of art that those who have seen Last and First Men will remember for years to come.