“If you want to destroy the sense of absurdity, use the absurd.” This line is uttered about a quarter of the way through Valley of the Gods by a therapist (John Rhys-Davis) to his patient, John Ecas (Josh Hartnett). This happens to be one of the lines that is key to coming close to understanding the intense insanity that permeates Lech Majewski’s latest directorial enigma. John is an advertising copywriter who has recently went into a spiral after his wife (Jamie Ray Newman) has left him. John is in the middle of a diatribe about how baffling the world can be, and he cannot handle the fact that others cannot see it in front of their face. The therapist encourages John to do things that make no sense; mountain climb with pots and pans tied to his legs, walk backwards while blindfolded, etc. Through these means, he may be able to beat the world at its own game.
John’s ultimate act of defiance to basic normalcy is hauling a big wooden desk to an area of southeastern Utah called the Valley of the Gods, where the spirits of Navajo Indian deities are said to reside within the enormous stones on display. He has decided to finally write the novel he has always envisioned right in the middle of this sacred land. By the time you reach this point where you kind of understand what the movie has been throwing at you, you have already been subjected to a litany of odd moments. While it is entirely possible my interpretation is way off the mark, it appears that most of this film is a visualization of the story he is writing, which involves tackling the wealth disparity between the ridiculously wealthy white men and the extremely poor Native Americans. On one end, we have trillionaire Wes Tauros (John Malkovich), a recluse who is trying to close a deal on the mineral rights at the Valley of the Gods to mine uranium. At the other end of the spectrum, we have a divided Navajo people who are in desperate need of money, but have a deep respect for their sacred land.
This may be a rough outline to what would be considered the seeds of a plot, but Majewski almost intentionally obscures the narrative in favor of visually challenging sequences. You begin to question what is real and what is fantasy throughout the film on a scene-to-scene basis. What may seem like a scene of a Navajo elder simply communing with the land ends up with a child being birthed from the ground. This is not hyperbole, and it is not even the most unusual scene in a film full of baffling scenes. Even when the film does try to inject a semblance of a story, plot threads are brought up and dropped with reckless abandon. There is an initial story for Bérénice Marlohe, which involves her being groomed to look like the deceased wife of Tauros, that gets discarded sometime after the catapult launches limousines off the mountain. This is just one of the weird things that people with money do, which the fictionalized version of John is around to witness as a part of his quest to write a biography on Tauros. If it sounds like this review is spiraling, you are getting a taste of how the movie makes you feel.
Valley of the Gods is a film that seems like it is full of big idea, but it is doubtful that anyone will ever get them all outside of the director himself. There are definitely moments meant to be a commentary on how we treat Native Americans in our country, as well as a larger criticism of extreme wealth in general. But when you near the climax that feels like 2001: A Space Odyssey mixed with Rampage, you begin to lose a bit of perspective. It would be unfair to say the film is a failure, though. On the contrary, you may leave it feeling like your head is a slushie, but it is just as likely to be running through your mind days later trying to work things out. The film is an absolute delight for the eyes, as the gorgeous desert cinematography and lush production design transfixes you from the first frame. The actors are likewise giving their all to performances that they themselves may not quite understand. It is hard to say how this film will reward repeat viewings. It is entirely possible that elements may come together more once you understand the journey. It is also just as possible that it is a self-indulgent mess. Either way, it provokes a reaction, so films fans looking for a challenge should take note.
Video Quality
Valley of the Gods comes to Blu-Ray from Well Go USA with a stunning 1080p transfer. The amount of distinct clarity and detail present on this Blu-Ray is truly something to behold. Subtle details on faces are amazingly clear and fine texture such as facial hair holds up surprisingly well both in close-ups and long shots. The film leans toward the warmer side of the spectrum with earth tones taking more of a precedent in the presentation. The color palette is fairly neutral throughout most of the film, but there are the occasional pops of color in Tauros’ house. Black levels hold up well with no glaring instances of black crush present. Digital noise and artifacting are a non-issue with this release. There is some minor banding noticeable in some shots, and there is some shoddy CGI that is not the fault of the transfer. This is a great presentation for a film that is a visual feast.
Audio Quality
The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track presented here is a lovely sounding experience that brings the movie to life. The film is primarily dialogue driven when it is not occupied by bouts of silence only cut by the sounds of nature. Jan A.P. Kaczmarek provides an interesting score that fills the surround speakers quite well. Dialogue comes through crystal clear at all times without being overshadowed by any of the subtle nature sounds or the score. Sounds are precise in their placement throughout the room as they slowly envelop the audience. There is not a ton of activity in the low end, but what is there is rendered well. There is a nice amount of sonic detail in the surround channels including delicate wind that makes the world fully realized. This was never meant to be a barnburner, but it does everything it needs to do incredibly well.
Special Features
- Making Of: A nineteen-minute discussion with the cast and crew in which they talk about their interpretation of the story and hail director Lech Majewski as a genius. There is some interesting footage of actor Keir Dullea celebrating his 80th birthday on the set of the film.
- Trailer: The minute-and-a-half long trailer is presented here in high definition. This is mostly a showcase for some striking visuals, which is the film’s strong point.
Final Thoughts
Valley of the Gods is not an easily accessible film. Even if you do make it through the initial oddities, it is not even guaranteed that you will appreciate what you find. This is a film that takes a lot of big swings, and you have to at least admire it for that. Well Go USA has given the film a pretty stellar A/V presentation along with a couple worthwhile extras. It is difficult to ascertain if this is a film stemming from misunderstood brilliance or absurd self-indulgence. Those who are looking for something a bit left of center should check this one out and let me know where you land.
Valley of the Gods is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Well Go USA has 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.
