I've seen many reviews praising SHORT NIGHT...and I guess I just don't get it. There are definitely some things to like about it-but overall I found the storyline and pace of the film to kill what otherwise could have been an interesting ending.
American reporter Greg Moore is found dead in a park in Prague. Thing is-he's not really dead-just paralyzed but still cognizant of what's going on around him-and the plot is presented to the audience through Greg's flashbacks of what brought him to this condition. The 'mystery' of the story revolves around the fact that days earlier-Greg's girlfriend disappeared and the search for the truth surrounding her disappearance, and his subsequent solving of the mystery, is why he ends up in the condition that he's in...
There are a few things that I liked about this giallo-styled thriller. I say 'giallo-style' because there are a lot of stylistic differences in this film that in my opinion move it more into just straight-up 'thriller' territory, than the slightly more 'specific' sub-genre of the typical 'giallo'. There's very little actual sex and violence shown-and the typical 'black- gloved killer' is non-existent. Regardless-the film is shot well, the acting is decent, and Greg's odd 'condition' is both interesting and original for this sort of film. The underlying theme of the 'elite' being able to manipulate people and situations for their own benefit usually makes for an interesting basis for a plot as well. That said-SHORT NIGHT is SO slowly paced that after the first half-hour or so-it just drags. I don't mind a slow-paced film-but the problem I found is that often leads were followed that never really went anywhere, therefore not really forwarding the story very much. The 'climax' of the film- though somewhat interesting-didn't feel as though it was built-up to very well. I think the occult angle could have been discovered earlier and then used as a major and interesting part of the build-up...but it wasn't. I will say that I did very much like the downbeat nature of the final scene.
At this point-I've now seen three of Lado's films-including the relatively enjoyable (if completely derivative) NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS, and the abysmal WHO SAW HER DIE? I found SHORT NIGHT...to fall somewhere between the two on the enjoyment scale. SHORT NIGHT....isn't a 'bad' film by any means-but I can't agree with those that feel this is a shining example in the genre. I'm not nearly as much of a giallo aficionado as some-but I've seen enough to know that this definitely isn't one of the most notable entries. 6/10
American reporter Greg Moore is found dead in a park in Prague. Thing is-he's not really dead-just paralyzed but still cognizant of what's going on around him-and the plot is presented to the audience through Greg's flashbacks of what brought him to this condition. The 'mystery' of the story revolves around the fact that days earlier-Greg's girlfriend disappeared and the search for the truth surrounding her disappearance, and his subsequent solving of the mystery, is why he ends up in the condition that he's in...
There are a few things that I liked about this giallo-styled thriller. I say 'giallo-style' because there are a lot of stylistic differences in this film that in my opinion move it more into just straight-up 'thriller' territory, than the slightly more 'specific' sub-genre of the typical 'giallo'. There's very little actual sex and violence shown-and the typical 'black- gloved killer' is non-existent. Regardless-the film is shot well, the acting is decent, and Greg's odd 'condition' is both interesting and original for this sort of film. The underlying theme of the 'elite' being able to manipulate people and situations for their own benefit usually makes for an interesting basis for a plot as well. That said-SHORT NIGHT is SO slowly paced that after the first half-hour or so-it just drags. I don't mind a slow-paced film-but the problem I found is that often leads were followed that never really went anywhere, therefore not really forwarding the story very much. The 'climax' of the film- though somewhat interesting-didn't feel as though it was built-up to very well. I think the occult angle could have been discovered earlier and then used as a major and interesting part of the build-up...but it wasn't. I will say that I did very much like the downbeat nature of the final scene.
At this point-I've now seen three of Lado's films-including the relatively enjoyable (if completely derivative) NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS, and the abysmal WHO SAW HER DIE? I found SHORT NIGHT...to fall somewhere between the two on the enjoyment scale. SHORT NIGHT....isn't a 'bad' film by any means-but I can't agree with those that feel this is a shining example in the genre. I'm not nearly as much of a giallo aficionado as some-but I've seen enough to know that this definitely isn't one of the most notable entries. 6/10