Two Gates Of Sleep
Alistair Banks Griffin’s first feature film, “Two Gates of Sleep” debuted as part of the Director’s Fortnight at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, a distinction he shares with the likes of Sofia Coppola, Warner Herzog, and Robert Bresson, to name a few. The film has grabbed the attention of critics and audiences with its unique, minimal script, and Variety called it “visually ecstatic…a luscious meditation on nature, death and Southern discomfort,” in which “Griffin demonstrates his prowess and a meticulous command of the frame, using image, sound and the healing and wrath-like qualities found in nature for an exploration on the fragility of man (ioncinema.com).”
With so little dialogue to work with, lesser actors might have had difficulty captivating an audience, but co-stars Brady Corbet and Robert Call skillfully navigate the script and the terrain, sustaining raw, heightened emotion and tension as they move almost wordlessly through the rural south with their mother’s coffin. Corbet’s haunting portrayal of Jack is captivating in its authenticity, and it’s not surprising to learn that Masses associate Corbet (also a writer and director, who received an honorable mention at Sundance in 2009 for his short film “Protect You + Me”) truly threw himself into his character, even perfecting his rifle-shooting technique in order to be fully convincing as a seasoned hunter. “It was a very physical performance,” Corbet said of the role, “rooted in gesture instead of language (Empire Magazine).”
This big commitment to the artful portrayal of subtle, buried emotion is what has made Griffin and Corbet’s collaboration so enticing. After touring film festivals in Deauville, Tokyo and London, “Two Gates of Sleep” will make its North American Debut at AFI Fest 2010, which begins on November 4th, as part of the “Young Americans” section, an impressive showcase of fresh talent. The film will also make its regional debut on December 10th in New Orleans, at The Art of Southern Film event at the Ogden Museum.