The Sandglass

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Audience Member Józef visits his dying father at a remote mental institution, where time itself doesn't seem to exist. He comes by train and there's quite a search as Józef hooks up with very interesting people at various places. Amazing transitions here. The panning and moving shots are superb and combined with the atmosphere and general frog perspective shooting - this surrealistic film is all about the looks for me. It's very dreamlike and quite absurd without going gory or way far off. Jodorowsky, Gilliam or Buñuel, among others, would be proud of a piece like this. Supposed to be a horror drama, but it's not scary. Sure, some half creepy atmosphere and sound, but that's about it. It get's a bit tiresome and repitative, that kills a lot of the vibe for me. As you can expect from a mid-seventies, alternative, Eastern Europe film, you get nude ladies, filthy fellas and plenty of lines lost during translation. I saw it late at night, perhaps I was a bit too tired. I was hoping for some effect of a dreamy movie in a dreamy state would be an experience, but it kind of put me back and the needed focus from my side seemed a bit out. At the same time I'm not sure if this film is possible to hang on too. It's slow and it's structure is based on a pretty grounded plot. 6 out of 10 eggs. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member A mystical psychedelic trip into insanity and beyond as seen through the eyes of a young grieving man. The Hour-glass sanatorium is definitely one of the weirdest movies that i have ever seen and one to remember Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Surreal fantasy/drama. Amazing visuals. Powerful, though it takes some pondering to parse it all. Well worth the effort Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member A man visits his father in a near deserted, seemingly derelict sanatorium where time flows out of order. His exploration of the place turns into a series of strange, dreamlike encounters with his past. I picked this out because reviews described it being a lot like Holy Mountain, a film I absolutely love. And it sort of is. However, while Jodorowsky's film is pretty oblique, this one is damn near impenetrable and pretty dull for long stretches. It's visually amazing (and a clear influence on Terry Gilliam) and probably would reward repeat viewings. I can't see myself wanting to revisit is any time soon though. Hard work. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member An unabashed mind-fuck, that has to be one of the oddest Polish films from its era. To call the film's plot non-linear is almost an understatement as time has no meaning here, as it explores history through the protagonist's delusional memories, transitioning into these scenes at an unrelenting manner. At it's best, The Hour-Glass Sanatorium feels like Brazil at a much smaller-budget. It's schtick does grow tiresome at times, but it's a curious and blissfully weird movie that has managed to age well. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member This is such a sad and beautiful film. It's surreal and bleak and doesn't give too many answers as to what is going on, but for that I just loved it because it kept me interested to the very end with it's imagery. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Sandglass

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