MIFF NOTES: Blood of My Blood (2015, Dir. Marco Bellocchio)

I was forewarned of Marco Bellocchio's tone-shifting acrobatics before I settled in for his film, Blood of My Blood. They were not wholly appreciated by many, mostly those who were feeling the faintly-supernatural love of the film's opening convent-set homage to Ken Russell's The Devils.

Being ready for the lurch (and it is really a considerable one), I wasn't quite as dejected. Sure, the contemporary (vampire?) quirk that interjects with whiplash-inducing severity is far less atmospheric, at least initially, and the lack of connective tissue does require a start-over on the emotional investment, but the effect eventually adds to the overall experience. Even if it simply intensifies the film's inscrutable enigma.

Even now, days after the experience, I struggle to reconcile the film's disparate pieces. I'm not sure whether to applaud Bellocchio for his ability to keep Blood of My Blood turning over, or to write him off entirely. I don't suppose the latter is a rational option given his clear skill at working a mood.

Then, rational doesn't appear to really apply here.

★★★

Trailer:

Blood of My Blood screened as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival 2016.

You can check out other films from the festival here.