wild violet | mythic mist - eros review by rada djurica

The trilogy Eros by directors Kar Wai Wong, Steven Soderbergh and Michelangelo Antonioni, focuses, not surprisingly, on lust, as depicted from the perspective of three different cultures. Because of its focus on eroticism, Eros is an unconventional story, but it certainly shows sophistication of the filmmaking craft.

"The Hand," the segment by Hong Kong's Kar Wai Wong, features gorgeous visual features in terms of set decoration, costumes and lead actors. Otherwise, his segment is predictable enough, for a Chinese film, focusing on a tailor (Cheng Chen), who yearns for a courtesan (Gong Li).

Steven Soderbergh makes use of humor in the lengthy sketch, "Equilibrium." The story revolves around a distracted psychoanalyst, Dr. Pearl, (Alan Arkin) and a patient (Robert Downey Jr.), who is plagued by a recurring dream. It’s a brilliant idea, and the story boasts a combination of clever writing and rich characterization. In one scene, with humorous gestures, Dr. Pearl vigorously tries to get the attention of someone outside, going as far as to make a paper airplane and also to mime making a date for dinner and dancing. Brilliant!

Above all, the most beautiful contribution is Michelangelo Antonioni's "The Dangerous Thread of Things." This is a masterful erotic piece about a man who is involved with two women in a seaside Italian town. The visual element of eroticism is the auteur's focus, as he relies on the eroticism of nudity, rather than on character or plot. The story follows a menage-a-trois between a couple and a young woman, with fantastic seaside views, the dramatic setting of an old fortress, and gorgeous yet seemingly real portraits of the characters. This is an erotic and romantic story at the same time.