Georgian writer-director Dea Kulumbegashvili announces herself as a formidable filmmaker from the very first scene of her feature film debut Beginning. In a static frame we witness a temple slowly filling up with a congregation of all ages while they mill about and commune with one another before the service begins. Leading the service is a Jehovah’s Witness pastor, David (Rati Oneli), who is passionately telling the story of Abraham and his unwavering faith to God before hate-filled attackers firebomb their place of worship and nearly kill the entire congregation. This small community tucked away in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, have not been welcomed by their intolerant neighbors, and the fact that such acts have come to be expected has taken a toll on some members more than others. Yana (Ia Sukhitashvili), David’s wife and a former actress, has been suffering in more ways than one, but Yana’s pleas to give up on a community that is unwelcoming is dismissed out of hand by a steadfast David.
This once vibrant woman has chosen a life in which quiet domesticity and obedience is considered a virtue. Yana feels isolated in a religious community where every passing day feels as if she is slipping away from personhood. As brought to life so nimbly by Sukhitashvili, Yana is a stoic figure who buries her feelings deep down; Yana’s skills as an actress allow her to present a demeanor of contentment to the community which has left her so emotionally despondent. Early on, Yana does attempt to explain her suffering, but David is more concerned about getting the temple rebuilt and making sure the leaders know he is just as invested in his career as ever. The one refusal Yana does not budge on is staying at home while David takes a week-long trip to the religious elders. She desperately needs to be alone, perhaps hoping she can find some way to feel as if her identity has not been completely erased. Left alone with her son Giorgi (Saba Gogichaishvili), she strives to achieve an inner-peace the universe is not keen on allowing her to have.
Yana reaches a breaking point over the course of this week thanks to an alleged detective (Kakha Kintsurashvili) from Tbilisi whose mere presence puts you on edge until he reveals a truly sadistic streak. Many of the events depicted in Beginning are not for the faint of heart – consider this your trigger warning – and they are made all the more visceral by the lingering, boxed-in cinematography of Arseni Khachaturan. In an era where most editing choices are made in reaction to what is happening on screen to telegraph your emotions, the decisions made by Kulumbegashvili and editor Matthieu Taponier make many moments nearly unbearable as the audience acts as a voyeur to her pain. Yet, this steady pace also allows for moments of intense beauty, such as when Yana and Giorgi visit the local woodlands and for nearly seven uninterrupted minutes she lies on the forest floor with eyes closed and a half-smile showing her achieving a rare moment of peace. As an audience, we know this contentment will not last, and the encroaching disturbance of her son showcases another male asserting control over her.
The parallel deterioration of Yana as a person and her marriage culminates in rather shocking and bleak ways. A pivotal visit to her mother showcases that unhappy marriages run in the family, and even as a child Yana was happier alone from the house out from under the dominion of a man. That she grew up to find herself in a subculture where women are supposed to be subservient to men is at deep odds with her core desires. As she is pushed to the limits of what she can mentally withstand, Yana is not given the opportunity for catharsis she so desperately needs. The actions she takes against masculinity are difficult to justify, but in her mind she appears to be taking the necessary steps to prevent further toxicity in the world. Kulumbegashvili has not crafted a tidy narrative that will leave you feeling better about the world; the patriarchal society has been ruining the lives of women for years and there is no easy way to rectify this. In the end you are left with beautiful devastation that is a bit opaque, but emotionally incendiary. The film begins and ends in destruction, and you will not so easily shake the ramifications of what you just witnessed.
Video Quality
Beginning comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio that is truly stunning. This is a visually rich film with lingering shots of nature throughout where you can see an incredible amount of detail. The trees in the forest provide a nice reference to showcase the depth at play in the image. The vivid colors really pop with all the earth tones on display from the greens of the foliage to the stark browns found on the forest floor. This is a film with a natural color palette that is reproduced perfectly here with a pleasing radiance. The white levels are handled beautifully, along with the intensely deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. There are no obvious signs of any noise or other such digital nuisances. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. This presentation is definitely a standout on the Blu-Ray format.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in its original Georgian which conjures a very specific mood that transports you to this location. This is a very calm film, which means this track is never really given a major workout. The score from Nicolas Jaar is showcased beautifully here with a gently enveloping use of the surround speakers. The dialogue comes through crystal clear without ever being overpowered by the environmental effects or the score. The sound design is just as precisely thought-out as the on screen visuals with all of the sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create a really nice soundscape of wildlife and subtle weather sounds. This is not an action-heavy film, so the activity in the low end is nearly nonexistent throughout the presentation. This is a lovely sounding release that brings the movie to life in a really splendid way.
Special Features
- Q&A with Dea Kulumbegashvili and Luca Guadagnino: A 37-minute conversation between Beginning director Dea Kulumbegashvili and Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino in which they discuss the place of film festivals in independent cinema, the complexity of the characters, working with performers, the themes of the narrative, the ambiguities of the film and much more. This is a must-watch for those who want to explore this world a bit more.
Final Thoughts
Beginning is an emotionally complex and supremely powerful debut feature from director Dea Kulumbegashvili. The film is deliberately paced to allow time for the viewer to truly soak in every ounce of pain and beauty this world has to offer. The craft employed here brings to mind some of the great auteurs of cinema, and the lead performance from Ia Sukhitashvili is one of the best of the year. Kino Lorber has released a Blu-Ray featuring a stellar A/V presentation and a wonderful Q&A supplement. Those who appreciate the more contemplative and frankly depressing side of international cinema should find a lot to admire here. Recommended
Beginning is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Lorber and MUBI have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
