It starts with a kiss, ends with a death, and contains a hell of a lot of weirdness in between. This is Polish director Walerian Borowczyk’s debut live action, surrealist feature, following such celebrated animated outings as the BAFTA nominated Dom (1958).
Making its UK DVD appearance for the first time, the film is set on the island of Goto, where, due to an earthquake in 1887, the inhabitants remain cut off from the rest of the world, leaving the king, Goto III, to reign as evil dictator without any outside interference. After mercilessly sparing the life of a criminal called Grozo, the king entrusts him with the job of feeding his dogs and catching the various flies around the island (among other things), though when Grozo discovers the Queen’s adulterous tendencies, he uses this newfound knowledge for his own benefit.
A huge influence on the likes of The Brothers Quay and Terry Gilliam, Borowczyk’s surrealist style doesn’t always make for the most palpable of viewing material. Filming the action as though it were on a flat canvas, Gozo is a cartoon-like absurdist tale of infidelity, jealousy and revenge, and while not exactly compelling Saturday night entertainment, it’s practically gold dust for the avant garde assemblage.
The film enjoys a fine transfer on DVD and is accompanied by a very academic and lifeless audio commentary from film writer, Daniel Bird, and a ‘The Ghost of Goto’ featurette, which features a 20-minute conversation with Dominique Duverge, Goto’s co-scenarist, Noel Very, the camera operator, and Andre Heinrich, the assistant director.
Overall Verdict: A significant surrealist entry finally makes its UK debut.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary With Daniel Bird
‘The Ghost Of Goto’ Featurette
Gallery
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths