Tuvalu (2001)

Movies like Tuvalu are like a breath of fresh air. It's creativity and unique nature make it stand out from the crop of generic crap being churned out of Hollywood this year. Actually, even in a good year for movies I suspect it would stand out. It's that different.

Humans communicate a lot through speech. If there's one thing we never seem to be short of, it's something to say. But we can communicate a lot without saying a word too. That is exactly what the movie sets out to do. It tells a complete and interesting story with almost no dialogue. I think the longest string of words in the entire film is a total of three. Great stretches of the movie go by without a word spoken and this does nothing to reduce the story's effectiveness. Oddly enough, it likely makes it more interesting.

Without dialogue to carry the story forward, the viewer has to take their brain off of auto pilot and actually do some thinking. Don't think for a minute that you'll have to really sweat the details to figure out what's going on though. Basic levels of observance will tell you all you need to know. I didn't look at the press material until after watching the movie and a quick perusal of that confirmed that I had understood the story perfectly. At the same time though, I had actually enjoyed the movie more because I had to pay attention. It wasn't simply a case of sitting back and being entertained. It was almost like being a participant in the movie.

The movie tells the story of Anton (Denis Lavant). His blind father (Philippe Clay) owns an old bath house and serves as its lifeguard for the pool. The building is in extreme disrepair and few customers still patronize it. Those who do tend to pay with buttons pulled off their clothes more often than with real money. Anton works hard though to keep up the illusion that all is still well for his father. Meanwhile Anton dreams of a life on the seas, rather than confined to the walls of the bath house. One day a young woman Eva (Chulpan Hamatova) and her elderly father arrive for a swim. Anton is almost immediately smitten with Eva and she seems charmed by him.

Unfortunately, when a falling piece of the ceiling kills Eva's father, she blames Anton, keeping the two apart. Actually the chunk of ceiling was knocked out by Anton's older brother Gregor (Terrence Gillespie). Gregor is trying to knock down all the town's old buildings so he can replace them with more attractive modern buildings. This sets into motion a comedy as Anton tries to keep the bath house open while trying to win back Eva.

The actors make this story hum along so well you almost don't take notice of the missing dialogue. Denis Lavant really brings Anton to life. He creates an eccentric young man grounded in reality, yet simultaneously dreaming actively of a life at sea. Opposite him, Chulpan Hamatova has such an open and inquisitive face that she instantly steals the hearts of the viewer. Her mischievous smile helps make for a charming character. The pair share only limited time together on screen but have a wonderful chemistry none the less.

The look of the movie is distinctive. It was shot in black and white and then tinted. Different scenes have different colors to help carry the emotion of the scene or help keep the viewer on track as to where they are physically. It's an interesting effect that gives the movie the feel of a really old film but at the same time helps to tell the story. The color tints can give the audience an emotional clue that might otherwise be missing without dialogue. The selection of locations, costumes and props also help to tell the story, yet more little pieces helping to tell the story.

It's a strong filmmaker who can take a weakness and turn it into a strength. Director Veit Helmer (how perfect is that name?) could have brutally handicapped his movie by avoiding the use of dialogue. Instead he uses it as an opportunity to turn up the volume on all the movie's other elements to fill that void. It's like a blind person whose other senses become more sensitive to make up for the missing one. As a result Helmer's film gains a uniqueness that adds to its entertainment value. Think of it another way, how many German films will you see that don't require the use of subtitles?

- John Shea