Dante 01

Introduction

Somewhere in space at some time in the future, the Dante 01 is in orbit, containing the worst of the worst - men who have committed such heinous crimes that they were given the option of death or medical experiments.

Two people arrive, one a scientist eager to try out nanotechnology on real people, the other a man found alone on a ship full of dead bodies. The unknown man is given the moniker St. Georges by another prisoner who claimed God told him so - and a tattoo reveals the mythical knight slaying the dragon. The other inmates are either dismissive or ambivalent towards him, but their opinions change when he displays inexplicable abilities, establishing him as an almost messianic figure.

Meanwhile, tensions grow between the chief scientist and the new arrival and between the prisoners themselves.

Video

Caro's films have always been visually arresting and this is no exception, with Dutch angles, strange viewpoints and stylish mise-en-scène. The picture quality is very good, with deep blacks and bright colours when required. This isn't a CGI-heavy film, with most of the effects done in-camera but, when CGI is used, it's used well.

Audio

The Dolby Digital 5.1 French soundtrack is clear with good use of surrounds to create an eerie atmosphere and the English subtitles are problem-free, even translating the French character names into the English equivalents, so César and Lazare become Caesar and Lazarus.

Extra Features

Aside from the theatrical trailer, there is a fairly comprehensive making-of, which includes interviews with the cast and crew and on-set footage.

Conclusion

All I knew of Marc Caro's work were his collaborations with Jean-Pierre Jeunet - the surreal black comedy dramas Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children. When I reviewed Paris Lockdown and Eden Log, each had a trailer for Dante 01 which piqued my interest.

The premise of Dante 01 reminded me a little of Alien3, with the events taking place on a prison hulk full of shaven-headed murderers whilst something extraordinary boards the ship. This is where the similarities end, as Caro's film is full of spiritual and mythical symbolism, where everyone's names are derived from religious or historical figures, from Buddha to Rasputin.

Dante 01 is not the greatest sci-fi spaceship film you'll ever see; it's overshadowed by the likes of Alien3 and Sunshine and is more of a visual spectacle than anything of substance. However, I found it interesting and enjoyable. It's definitely worth a rental despite its shortcomings.