Fantastic breakdown of how ambiguity can strengthen a film rather than weaken it. The choice to leave viewers unsure about who's even the 'good guys' in a war film is pretty bold and kinda rare these days. I watched The Road a while back and had similar feelings aobut that apocalyptic vagueness, where not knowing what caused everything almost makes it more terrifying than any explanation could.
Naturally, I find myself rooting for the Kriegsmarine in Das Boot, and for Paul in All Quiet on the Western Front, for Neil in Heat (and Frank in Thief), and for… but, yes, the question “Are we the baddies?” in Black Crab is one that is prompted much more slowly and you only hear yourself asking it about 2/3 of the way through the film and the only glimpse one gets of the “enemy” is faceless. Very well done by Berg.
Fantastic breakdown of how ambiguity can strengthen a film rather than weaken it. The choice to leave viewers unsure about who's even the 'good guys' in a war film is pretty bold and kinda rare these days. I watched The Road a while back and had similar feelings aobut that apocalyptic vagueness, where not knowing what caused everything almost makes it more terrifying than any explanation could.
Naturally, I find myself rooting for the Kriegsmarine in Das Boot, and for Paul in All Quiet on the Western Front, for Neil in Heat (and Frank in Thief), and for… but, yes, the question “Are we the baddies?” in Black Crab is one that is prompted much more slowly and you only hear yourself asking it about 2/3 of the way through the film and the only glimpse one gets of the “enemy” is faceless. Very well done by Berg.