Fantasma

This is the third installment of Lisandro Alonso's trilogy: La Libertad, Los Muertos and Fantasma -- which literally translate to The Freedom, The Dead and Phantom. All three films are very original, although in my opinion, the first two take us much farther than this latest effort. Los Muertos, in particular, completely blew me away; and La Libertad is simply beautiful and unforgettable. Fantasma has its very own charm, though, and is also worth watching.

Throughout the trilogy, the director tries to do a lot with very little. Judging from the wide contrast of ratings that the three films have received on this site, the degree to which they are successful clearly depends on whom you ask. If you enjoyed either of the first two films, you're likely to find Fantasma intriguing as well (although the first two do share more similarities with each other than with this one). My guess is that anyone who didn't like either of the first two films is probably going to hate this one, as Fantasma is the one that takes minimalism to the most extreme and is therefore the most challenging one. If you haven't watched any of them yet, I'd personally suggest to leave this one for last, since it might all make more sense that way.

Without wanting too give much more away, I'll add this: La Libertad and Los Muertos take place mostly outdoors, in the wilderness, while Fantasma takes place indoors, in a concrete jungle of sorts. But the same organic quality that made the other two installments successful is present here: we continue to see people behaving instinctively, like wild animals or aimless ghosts roaming inside a large cage.

Fantasma is a great experience. The film shows us different characters doing different things at the San Martin theater of Buenos Aires. What is important about this is that 2 of those characters are the actors from Lisandro Alonso previous films, Mizael and Argentino. Both live in the middle of the forest and the jungle but now they seem to be lost in this theater in the middle of a big city. The experience of just watching them, specially Argentino, is simple unique. There's no plot because what's really important is what we ask ourself while watching this characters. We wonder what they feel like, we try to feel like them. Argentino is at the theater for the screening of Los muertos. He watches himself. ¿Did he understand the film? ¿Did the spectators around him understand what they saw? There are questions without answers. It's our job, as viewers, to answer them or simply feel them.

I had to add something to counter Jerry and tristan, who also saw this in the Melbourne Film Festival. OK, they got nothing from it. But for me, out of the 25 films I saw in the fest, this stands out in my mind as the highlight, the one film that left me stoned with bliss for some time afterwards.

My simple tip: listen. While I found the visual set-ups beautiful as well, it's the ears to which Alonso really directs us. When these people sit, stand, wander and wait, what is actually happening? Everything. Nothing "occurs" but the world is always loudly alive.

And with this inward direction, we go into the characters' minds. They drift and they think and they live. Only by stripping away so much can we come to this realisation. So pure and so beautiful. If you are ready for a rich, meditative experience, please check it out.

I saw this at MIFF recently and can say with all certainty that Fantasma is one of the most utterly pointless and boring films I have ever seen. I am a big fan of films that challenge the nature of cinema, and have always loved films that give you time to think and explore the frame. Fantasma, however, has absolutely nothing to offer the viewer, and the harder you look, the more frustrated you become.

It's like having a "Where's Waldo" book of page after page of people standing still and doing nothing, none of whom are Waldo. It's not Antonioni, Angelopoulos or even Warhol. There's nothing going on in this film, textually or subtextually, and has no creative or technical merit beyond the fact that Alsonso was somehow able to dupe you into watching it.

I am very lucky to own the Argentine DVD box featuring Lisandro Alonsos 3 movies La Libertad, Los Muertos and Fantasma. I love all 3 of them, but I have watched Fantasma the most, cause to me it is a fascinating story. I really love the way it has been filmed, I don't agree with the comments here from the people who say nothing happens, cause it is not true. I have been fascinated for the entire movie and all scenes I saw are truly authentic. It is very striking to see 2 people that never saw a venue like this before find their way in such a big complex as the San Martin Theatre, impressed by all little details. Also because at some times you expect something to happen and it does not happen. For example I expected Misael and Argentino to meet, but they don't. Also I love the alternative scene that did not make it into the movie where the whole crew is watching Los Muertos. My favorite scene is when Misael finds a firehose in the basement, and plays with it like it is a gun. And all details, like showers that don't stop and elevators that are open all the time! I really really loved it and I will watch Fantasma many more times, it is a true masterpiece.