CRONOS
A film review by al@167-290-33.hexacom.com
Copyright 1994 al@167-290-33.hexacom.com
CRONOS Guillermo del Toro Mexico, 1993 Genre: horror/comedy Winner of the Critics Week, Cannes Film Festival, 1993 Also presented at New York's Museum of Art, Film & Video 23rd Fest.
Two words: good entertainment.
Perhaps insects are God's favorite creatures, after all. Mosquitoes can walk on water, resuscitation is common amongst some species, some can live for centuries trapped inside rocks, etc.
CRONOS takes its name from a device made in the 1500s by an alchemist, a device that can make someone eternal. Inside this device we find gears of all sorts and also what looks like an insect larvae that filters a certain amount of blood pumped by the device. The device was entrapped in the base of a statue at one point, and was discovered by an antique dealer in our present times, who have no idea what it is about but of course, will soon find out. The device comes with an instruction booklet although this booklet found its way to a rich dying man who deciphered it and knows what the device is about, sending his gorilla-like son to hunt antique shops trying to find the statue.
CRONOS is at times a black comedy, at times serious. When we get a peek inside the device it reminds a graphic imagery from DELICATESSEN or Gilliam's BRAZIL. The general ambiance is on the light side, although a serious under-current goes through. The grand-father (the antique dealer) and daughter team makes for an original bunch. The rich (as in 'stinkin' rich') man is what we expect him to be, living in sanitized quarters and served by his son who looks like your typical small-minded gorilla, always worried about the shape of his nose at that.
You may remember some "Twilight Zone" episodes where there was both suspense/ horror and a touch of humour. CRONOS is in the same vein. Although some people may not like it because it is not blatantly straight-forward, it is still good entertainment value. It may also remind some people of early Cronenberg movies.
The print shown here in Montreal was in Spanish/with sparse spoken English and English sub-titles.
Alain al@hexacom.com
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