Review for NoShame's USA DVD of Mariano Baino's 'Dark Waters' (1994).

Over the next few days, as I take in parts of this extensive presentation of Mariano Baino's 'Dark Waters', I will add in extras parts of the overall review. This rare appearance of a European Horror from relatively recent years, in all its' detail, shows another fine aspect of the work NoShame put together. This film sees the light of day on R1 USA DVD September 29th 2006.

Make no mistake then, when Baino appears at the start of the film to declare this as a "...little film..." he isn't kidding. I often wonder where a films reputation comes from, easy as it is for such a thing to build and take a small, modest production into the realms of legend. 'Dark Waters' relationship with its' fans would be fascinating to hear more about, and there's enough ground in the idea of reputation versus true value to be going for days on end, if it ever truly is solvable.

I've recently read some mentions recently of people developing or maintaining a fetish for watching horror films in poor quality editions - pre-Cert PAL VHS tapes from here in the U.K (i.e pre-1984 certification of video releases), or duplicates thereof, or DVDs issued by dodgy operations which are pan & scan, cropped, edited, fuzzy. Nice idea. Some films I've seen in the past are better experienced behind closed doors and in such editions, in ways that activation the imagination beyond the actual qualities of the film. Perhaps 'Dark Waters' is one of those films? It's no masterpiece, but it's not a poor film.

'Dark Waters' is clearly made on limitations, by passion more than by experience, but up and coming talent rather than a team entirely comprising established people or naturally-talented auteuers. It's a European (not entirely Italian, lots of the staff are from Eastern Europe and the U.K) Horror that's small in scale, big on ambition, and barely manages to keep its' head above water much of the time. In fact, that it bobs up and down below the waterline makes for its strangest effect - performances move consistently between effective and amateurish, the sequences are often functional then surprisingly clever in equal measures, and its very effective in an accidental sort of way.

Shot in Odessa & Kiev, under difficult circumstances and by a first-time feature Director (Baino), they're managed to rise above the difficulties and made a film which does remind me of many genre films of various types in how it is put together. In that respect, it's truly a genre film that has as much to offer and does so in a rather functional manner. It also has a deep reliance upon its largely-successful attempts at unsettling or unusual atmosphere, especially when its' shattered logic and sometimes overly-dark visuals don't quite convey the story, and perhaps because Baino's first language isn't English - the language in which it's shot and co-written - or because he is a fan of such thinking as seen and conveyed in all kinds of medium; film, books, illustration, anything you care to imagine.

The premise is of an isolated lost-in-time church on a small island. Beyond the typically non-Christian (in attitude) nuns, the bizarre locals, the sense of time is completely lost - impressive - and the minimal lighting (for the most part) creates an eerie atmosphere that comes across on screen very well. the premise is that heir-apparent Elizabeth travels from modern-day London through uncomfortable coach journey and stormy seas to the remote Island (originally to have been shot off the coast of England so I hear) where a group of Nuns reside in a suitably ramshackle establishment with many hidden secrets and an unusual past after her beneficiary father passes away.

Partly drawn through strange memories or connection, partly through obligation and natural fascination with what her father had warned her away from in no uncertain terms, she defies the logic of the danger in the situation with her obsession. Behind the weirdness of the gentle and unsettling atmosphere of a church (or convent) is the more substantial Gothic Horror weirdness of the ultra-weird sci-fi oddity, and the journey towards the climax is effectively constructed through set-pieces, original visions of nicely-twisting plot ideas, rich candle-lit ultra-dark visuals.

In some respects, one of the key films most obviously brought to memory is Soavi's 'The Church', a film which shares similar music, shots, feeling top some extent - a film which has a firm place as a fond memory in my watching experiences of old. As a whole, the films far beyond its' likely comparisons, a journey which draws Elizabeth to discover the pieces of the shattered amulet which hold a strange power over the islands inhabitants. Along the way there's many clever devices, small characters with integral parts to play in building the strangeness - the painter of visions, the butchering man on the beach, blind folk a-plenty, and Sarah : the youngest nun who shares an instant connection with Elizabeth and helps her in he quest to solve what is going on at the islands and to discover a way to deal with spiraling circumstances, isolation, and the desire to leave it all behind as soon as possible.

Not a masterpiece, but Baino easily has the skill to make much of very little, and easily deserves the chance to see his talents put to use in something with more time, money, under less duress. A good filmmaker, if not entirely a good film. Works though, and as an oddity, a modern European Horror, I think NoShame are showing themselves an additional route and market to follow. For all fans of such things, worth seeing without a doubt, but realistically set expectations need to be firmly in hand.

About 'Deep into Dark Waters' & the other extras on this DVD release.

One view on this is that we get almost an hours worth of what can easily be perceived as pleading to think more of the film than is necessary, detailing the challenges faced over the three-month-long shoot in Odessa and Kiev, the post-production in London and Russia, an attempt to add value to the film that's inappropriate or unnecessary. This potentially makes the film into a destination, even though it is not a finite point in time, and it represents why I mostly dislike DVD extras. Not that this film deserves singling out in this respect, it's just much more clearly the case to me here than it has previously been, and it's a timing thing with these thoughts coming together through having watched the package.

Secondly, the fascinating nature of the information within is of more interest to me than the end result. The editing and the recollections make for interesting listening (there's not much to actually look at, as it were), and Baino (plus cast and crew) show their passion, ability, dedication exists in bucket loads. Very smart little documentary, this certainly is - so, I would say both the 'making-of' (plus all additional snippets on the Discs) and the film itself should be isolated and referred to as separate journeys in order that they not taint the value of the other.

In a sense what has actually been created is the ultimate calling card for Baino's potential future employment. Their actual connection to the film is varied (some short films on here are simply other Baino work - of interest though they may well be to many) but the film is so "little" as Baino accurately describes it (though, again, big on ambition) that it looks like patching up. I personally think that viewed beyond the extras, in isolation, the film speaks for itself more than adequately - and I think many potential employers would make a good choice in Baino for Horror projects, there's no additional persuasion necessary in that respect.

The presentation of the various aspects given on the DVDs is every bit as good as one would expect from the kind of films NoShame choose, the work they do. It's a great little package. But beyond those already who are fans of the film, for all it's possible ins and outs, there would probably have to be some skewed angle to peoples thinking towards the film in order to see it as something beyond being a flawed film, big ambition coupled with good fortune and adequate skill, reasonably functional with a scattered and occasional moments that work exceptionally well. It's not a classic, but it's not totally bad by any means, and it's interesting, but it doesn't itself fascinate me as much as I sense it fascinates people with similar tastes who has a long-standing relationship with it - so it fascinates me for what it would seem to represent in terms of Horror fandom and films as they are represented on DVD.

'Dark Waters' Special Edition (as reviewed here) Specification at Noshame's Official Site.