Goes from odd, to creepily effective to an engaging Brave New World/1984 tale

Last Breath starts with an odd idea which is that in a world where people are no longer breathing, some people still do it. This seemed at least a novel way of showing the treatment of minority groups who stand out as different and perhaps are badly treated by others and by the state – however I assumed that the message that the film takes from that would be fairly pat and obvious. For a minute or so maybe it is as the film settles in, but it engagingly goes from that introduction into a totalitarian nightmare which is really well imagined and delivered.

Set in Hong Kong, the film creates a world that would only really work in Asia since it uses a lot of furry animals and cartoons as part of the oppressive state. To those who have been in Japan (for example) and seen such animations used for every official poster or message, it is easy to imagine and it is well used here to add a feeling of absurdity and yet also creepiness. The first half of the film builds the world well, with a good sense of place even if the allegory is a little odd feeling. The second half of the film is very impressive though as our character experiences some form of oppression and rebellion (I think) and this is shown in graphic and unreal images that reminded me of the nature of the state in Orwell's 1984 and in some way the fate of Winston in the same book. It is hard to describe but the images of the rabbit, the man and the slogans all work very well and also fit into the world created by the first half of the film – whether or not the pill taken has made a difference or not to the perception of that world.

The darkness of the piece is appreciated, particularly since I wrongly assumed what it would do. The animation is deliberately rough and crude in ways but it works; the sound could have done with some polish as it has a slightly tinny effect on the dialogue that keeps it from being fully connected to the animation. Otherwise though as an idea it is good, but it is where it goes with the idea that I appreciated – creepy, oppressive and dark, in a satisfying way.

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