By cwgraul
Apr 05, 2020
Kieslowski's visual ideas realized, but characterizations lagging.
"HELL" is one of a trilogy left behind by the Polish director Kieslowski; "Heaven" was made by the German director Tom Tykwer in 2002 (starring Kate Blanchett) and was a better film.
I liked "Hell," and recognize the director tried to create the careful pacing that Kieslowski himself displayed in his films. However, the characters do not sparkle, or invite empathy. Unfortunately, often deliberate pacing is at the cost of immediacy. However, this was never the case when Kieslowski directed his own films (see "Blue" for an example), and was not the case with Tykwer's brilliant "Heaven."
I am still awaiting someone to make the definitive third part of the trilogy: "Purgatory." My understanding is the script was completed also.
