Eden Log is a Dramatic and Intense Picture of a Violent Future
Written by The Horror Czar
May 24, 2009
Release: May 19, 2009 (U.S. DVD)
Directed by: Franck Vestiel
Written by: Franck Vestiel and Pierre Bordage
Starring:
Clovis Cornillac as Tolbiac
Vimala Pons
Zohar Wexler
Sifan Shao
Arben Bajraktaraj
Abdelkader Dahou
A man awakes deep in a dark cave, covered in mud and in a pool of water. A flashing light in the distance both leads toward a potential exit, and reveals a dead man near him on the cave floor. Slowly the unknown man makes his way toward the flashing light, amnesia preventing him from knowing who or where he is.
When he reaches the flashing light and forces through the turnstile gate he is greeted by a holographic message welcoming him to the compound and directing him toward another passage. The growls and groans of an unseen monster, however, suggest that he take another path. What follows is a trek through the dark passages, encountering of ransacked laboratories, dodging environmental-suited guards and avoiding hungry human-like monsters along the way.
As the passage through the multiple layers of caves continues the unknown man finds various clues to his identity and the nature of the cave in which he is trapped. Encountering a corporate logo emblazoned with “Eden Log” along the way, he must make way to the surface. When he does he may learn that he was better off in his pool of water battling monsters in the dark.
Eden Log is visually dramatic with sets and costumes that convey a dark futuristic world in disarray. The monsters are animalistic and scary, the wandering security guards dressed in full protective regalia are imposing
and heartless, and the roots and vegetation coming through the ceilings and floors add a high level of mystery as to the nature of this dark underground world.
Tolbiac (Clovis Cornillac) does an impressive job as “the man” as he battles his way through the subterranean environment and searches for clues to explain his predicament. This film is more an experience than a movie.
The unfortunate thing about this film is that it doesn’t make a lot of sense. I understand the concept of starting out with many unanswered questions and slowly allowing the story to unfold, but in this one the story unfolds way too slowly. French horror seems to like the “slowly unfolding plot” method, also seen in High Tension. The difference between this one and High Tension is that the latter presents one scenario with a twist to another in the end, where Eden Log presents no scenario whatsoever, reveals a few cryptic details along the way, and then ends with a “twist” that fails to provide any clear resolution.
In all fairness, this film may require more than one viewing before an “Ah Ha” moment will come to pass, at least for me. Still, in spite of the fact that I don’t completely “get” the film, Eden Log is an intense and visual ride that is sure to prompt some after-viewing discussion. Questions or comments about Eden Log? Discuss it on The Ossuary Forums!
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