7.5/10
I didn’t really know what to expect from Filipino auteur Lav Diaz’s newest, except to steel myself for its 4 hour, 15 minute runtime. I expected slowness, and Norte has its share of long takes, but they rarely feel excessive or unnecessary. The movie has a remarkably “organic” feel – the story is not overly complex, just given plenty of room to breathe. Essentially it transports Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment to the present-day Phillipines. Its “Raskolnikov” descends much further, but is counter-pointed by the ascension of one of the victims of his crime. The movie is an artful exploration of political, religious and social motivations, and surprisingly watchable and engaging given its length – it just didn’t floor me like I expected it to from the post-Cannes buzz.
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