Until the Light Takes Us - BM Documentary

[Reign in Acai]

This is slated to hit artsy fartsy movie houses in all major metropolises nationwide w/ a subsequent dvd release.

Until the Light Takes Us is a feature length documentary chronicling the history, ideology and aesthetic of Norwegian black metal - a musical subculture infamous as much for a series of murders and church arsons as it is for its unique musical and visual aesthetics. This is the first (and only) film to truly shed light on a movement that has heretofore been shrouded in darkness and rumor and obscured by inaccurate and shallow depictions. Featuring exclusive interviews and verité with the musicians, a wealth of rare, seldom seen footage from the "Inner Circle"s earliest days, Until the Light Takes Us explores every aspect of the controversial movement that has captured the attention of the world. This is the movie that gets inside the minds and hearts of black metal's musicians. The filmmakers moved to Norway, living and filming there for two years. The movie is not about them though - it's about the extraordinary people and events that make black metal unique, unforgettable, and inevitable. This is black metal as seen through the eyes of those who created it, of those who live it, of those who are at the center of the story of black metal.

Review

In the face of endless sensationalism begun by Kerrang! magazine and cemented by Michael Moynihan's book Lords of Chaos, it is hard to know where the “real” story of Norwegian Black Metal exists. Most everyone knows the facts surrounding the murders and arson, but the voices of the perpetrators have been long drowned out by those of latecomers and novelty-seekers who don't care about the hows and whys.

I somewhat expected to see a variant of this attitude with the new documentary, Until the Light Takes Us. Two American filmmakers going to Norway to recount the now-fetishized story of Mayhem, Burzum, and company seemed dubious, but once again I came away pleasantly surprised. Co-directors Audrey Ewell and Aaron Aites instead present us with a very intimate portrait of key figures in the genesis of the movement, namely Fenriz of Darkthrone and Varg Vikernes of Burzum. In what seemed like a very exclusive and careful set of interviews, the duo capture Vikernes looking back on his substantial role in the chaos he and his cohorts inflicted upon Norway in the early 90s, while they alternately follow Fenriz around Oslo and allow him to do the same. As the movie progresses, the filmmakers' thrust becomes clear; these two individuals shared a common starting point and a friendship that abruptly diverted when churches caught fire and people started turning up dead. While Darkthrone was a key band in the establishment of the subgenre, they were not involved in any of the criminal acts that made it so notorious. In terms of Black Metal, Fenriz is semi-retired and more interested in enjoying metal for its own sake rather than continuing to flog what in his mind is a dead movement. Vikernes is still the chief figurehead of that period, but while he has moved forward in his mind those acts were what defined him to the world and he is still admirably without remorse. This does not prevent him from recounting events in ways that vary radically from the established story, particularly in his evasive and excruciatingly vague description of murdering Euronymous, but he seems no less genuine in his stance on the reasons for church arson.

Ewell and Aites masterfully tie these interviews together by ultimately getting Vikernes and Fenriz to discuss their perceptions of one another, and in a somewhat sentimental scene we see Fenriz watching his old collaborator's taped observations and then discover that the two of them have not seen each other since Vikernes was incarcerated. They speak in polite but guarded terms about each other, as it is clear that both men have some regret over the other's trajectory. This is the point in the movie where a sense of loss is established; a friendship has dissolved, and Fenriz follows with a statement about how Black Metal was never meant to be for public consumption. It could also be inferred that on this account he wishes the burnings and murder never occurred. Aside from this well-explored dynamic, the directors also cull supplementary interviews from Hellhammer, Immortal (who, by Norwegian standards, are as blunt as they come), Garm, and Bard “Faust” Eithun, who very oddly has his face blurred and voice distorted as if he is somehow anonymous. An additional sour note is supplied by the psuedo-retarded indie film director Harmony Korine, who is featured aping Black Metal to the extreme at the opening of his own BM-themed art show in Los Angeles. His appearance, while irritating, is brief and functions as yet another example of why Fenriz talks about the old days in such a solemn tone. The film's third act veers into profiling Frost of Satyricon, which is also intriguing when it becomes clear that he is being presented as emblematic of the Norwegian scene as it is today, one that has little to offer either Fenriz or Varg. Frost is a bridge – he came in right after the initial uproar, and now in many ways he is seen as one of the last flag-bearers from the corpse paint n' spikes era that launched innumerable imitations.

There are not a lot of surprises in this film for anyone who already knows the long-recited details of the Norwegian Black Metal story. Until the Light Takes Us is about nuances, and it captures as much about what it means to be Norwegian as it does about what it means to be a controversial music icon. There are several places in the film where Fenriz ruminates about things in a removed fashion that many Americans would find awkward, but this is ultimately where the untouchable piece of the puzzle is revealed. Norwegian Black Metal was just as much about contemplation as it was about the fires of anger, and this is the first movie on the subject that properly addresses the totality of its nature. At the end, I found myself anxious to revisit the works of Burzum and Darkthrone in order to try and further connect these albums to the people presented on the screen. In all, this documentary is an excellent piece of minimalist but effective storytelling, much like the music that inspired it. If you seek the simple truths hidden behind the headlines, this film will lead you to them.

 

[Hell Mike]

ten bux says I've seen it ten times over without even having seen it

 

[Reign in Acai]

Even so, it would be worth a gander for the presentation alone.

Lords of Chaos comes to life w/ 40minutes of UFO bonus footage.

 

[J.]

i would be interested in seeing it. i even think my wife would find it interesting

 

[KILL TULLY]

...fucking...fuck.


I don't think I need to comment on this.

The clips look pretty ok, but I really want somebody that is passionate about the music and ideas behind metal to make a fucking documentary about metal. Well...if there has to be one at all.


EDIT: Before someone takes this the wrong way, this isn't because they are 'normal' looking or anything else idiotic like that. They admit themselves that they only became 'intrigued' by the scene when it was presented to them. Since it looks like an ok film I am probably over reacting here, but imagine what someone who actually has been a metalhead there whole life and is passionate could have done with the subject if they had the opportunity these filmmakers did.

 

[Climb Thar Hill]

So it's basically a couple of indie rockers attaching themselves to black metal. brb, goin' to starbucks

 

[Reign in Acai]

What was with the 15 second montage of fast food joints?!? The bint looks pregnant, is that her various cravings throughout the day?!?

 

[EricT]

I'm surprised this wasn't at Sundance this last year, I'd of seen it. The people who made it seem like the Sundance type. Maybe next year if a DVDSCR doesn't come out online first. Maybe Sundance was over metaled already with Anvil, haha.

 

[WhiteBeastofWotan]

i have no interest in this film

 

[Ars Magna]

I'll certainly watch this if given the opportunity.

 

[Reign in Acai]

More dates announced...

New York, NY - starts Dec 4th @ Cinema Village on 12th St.
Austin, TX - starts Nov 20 @ Alamo Ritz, downtown
New Orleans, LA starts Nov 27 @ Zeitgeist
Detroit, MI starts Nov 27 @ Burton Theater
Grand Rapids, MI starts Dec 4 @ Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA)
Providence, RI starts Dec 4 @ Cable Car Cinema
Los Angeles, CA starts Dec 11 @ Laemmle Sunset 5
Houston, TX starts Dec 10 @ Alamo Drafthouse West Oaks
Denver CO starts 1/29 @ Starz Theater
Chicago Il - Siskel Theater - just waiting on date

 

[Evil?]

I just got back from seeing Until the Light Takes Us, and it was very good. it was different than I expected to be. I was afraid it was going to be another Black Metal 101 doc. but it really wasn't. Sure, they spent a decent amount of time on the "big" topics, being the church burnings and the murder of Euronymous, but outside of that, the time spent with Fenriz and Vikernes (who are he main subjects of the film)was interesting.

The biggest surprise and perhaps greatest strength of the film was its mood and atmosphere. I actually left the theater feeling rather down and depressed. The film really shows a side of Fenriz most people are not familiar with. Gone are his jokes and goofy singing and in their place you get to see a man who seems to be feeling a great sense of loss at seeing what is becoming of something he has dedicated his life to. He is very quite and withdrawn the a majority of his time on film and re-living some of the events of his life via sharing them with the directors seems to take a toll on his attitude. It makes you think about the fact that we as listeners sometimes seem to forget that the people killed and imprisoned within the scene where friends to people like Fenriz. Vikernes comes across as very intelligent and not really all that crazy.

The film does have a small arc involving Frost of Satyricon that is mostly forgettable and does not really add anything besides one hilarious scene. If this is playing near you I would recommend checking it out. Unless you are very unfamiliar with the BM scene you probably won't learn anything but it is interesting hearing certain things directly from those involved and it grants a certain insight into their feelings on everything.

 

[Ars Magna]

I'm looking very forward to seeing this. Even if it wasn't all that well done, it's certainly better than seeing Twilight II.

 

[EricT]

There's a screening here tonight... gonna go if the snow lets up a bit (fuck snow driving).

 

[Agalloch]

I thought it was complete shit.

 

[EricT]

Yeah, I'm not going up to see it... still a fucking blizzard. Was supposed to let up, now they're saying we're due for a foot more by morning.

 

[Reign in Acai]

Watch this documentary without giving a dime to putrid hipster faggoths.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YPFYVPXP

 

[HailVikernes]

I havent seen this sadly, I live in a wasteland that no one knows about so I doubt the film will ever reach here (New Zealand)

 

[neal]

thanks jerry!

 

[Vittra]

Cheers Jerry.