The Halt is a very claustrophobic film even though it takes what feels like ages to complete. As is with other Lav Diaz films that I have watched, the length feels completely earned when the film is finished. I think this is such a unique quality to his movies; they don't feel unnecessary, and I would not want any scenes removed to shorten the runtime. The Halt lets its setting, and situation breathe. Its an expansive world even though the setting is so small; characters like President Navarra and Haminilda are used to fully express the context behind the film. The direction is brilliant. It has a surveillance-like quality to it, like we are watching some historical event that has already happened, yet The Halt is set years in the future. The black-and-white colour gradient also works as a great stylistic choice to emphasise the perpetual darkness the Philippines is in, but it also acts as a symbol for the hopelessness, and repression of its people.
However, Diaz crafts a fair few scenes that demand more from the actors than they are capable of, and it results in some parts feeling tacky, or absurd. This is most poignant in the therapy scenes. Yet, I do think that Navarra is an expertly crafted character even though his scenes are often borderline silly: he is a truly disturbing figure, who's mental breakdowns and precariousness heighten his liminal symbol. Also, I think that Hook is a fantastic character, a symbol of hope in the darkness of The Halt. The scene where he watches as a child, who has died as a result of the Dark Killer, has their body burned is haunting, and is the best shot in the film.
Diaz manages to keep the mood the same for the whole film. He immerses you fully into this world of repression and limited hope- hence The Halt. Good film.
The Halt is a very claustrophobic film even though it takes what feels like ages to complete. As is with other Lav Diaz films that I have watched, the length feels completely earned when the film is finished. I think this is such a unique quality to his movies; they don't feel unnecessary, and I would not want any scenes removed to shorten the runtime. The Halt lets its setting, and situation breathe. Its an expansive world even though the setting is so small; characters like President Navarra and Haminilda are used to fully express the context behind the film. The direction is brilliant. It has a surveillance-like quality to it, like we are watching some historical event that has already happened, yet The Halt is set years in the future. The black-and-white colour gradient also works as a great stylistic choice to emphasise the perpetual darkness the Philippines is in, but it also acts as a symbol for the hopelessness, and repression of its people.
However, Diaz crafts a fair few scenes that demand more from the actors than they are capable of, and it results in some parts feeling tacky, or absurd. This is most poignant in the therapy scenes. Yet, I do think that Navarra is an expertly crafted character even though his scenes are often borderline silly: he is a truly disturbing figure, who's mental breakdowns and precariousness heighten his liminal symbol. Also, I think that Hook is a fantastic character, a symbol of hope in the darkness of The Halt. The scene where he watches as a child, who has died as a result of the Dark Killer, has their body burned is haunting, and is the best shot in the film.
Diaz manages to keep the mood the same for the whole film. He immerses you fully into this world of repression and limited hope- hence The Halt. Good film.
