High-Rise

Dir: Ben Wheatley

2016

****

J.G. Ballard's critically acclaimed and cult classic 1975 novel is a dystopian masterpiece that carries on the torch from greats of the genre such as George Orwell, Philip K. Dick and William Golding and offers a contemporary vision of a future that isn't that far off the mark in many respects. The old cliché 'Ahead of its time' springs to mind. Written a decade after Britain's brutalist boom, the architectural style and way of living the idea promoted were becoming increasingly unpopular. Many saw the style as being inherently totalitarian, a misunderstanding in my opinion but even though it's undergoing something of a rehabilitation it is always going to be something people will either love or hate. Personally I'm in the love camp. However, it's not just the idea of brutalism and Barbican living that is being explored in the story, the high-rise tower itself lends itself well to the social structure at the heart of Ballard's message. The inhabitants of the High-rise represent the different layers of the human psyche, the lower floors are where the lower class live and represent man's primal desire or the id and the penthouses are inhabited by the superego, 'conscience' and sense of right and wrong. The middle levels form the ego, the part of the subconscious that mediates between the id and the superego. It's an exploration of the psychological effects of gated communities and architecture, two things we are meant to desire. Ballard's childhood spent in a Japanese prisoner of war camp (as seen in the film Empire of the Sun) is somewhat of an influence. It's interesting then when you hear of places such as the Tower of David in Venezuela. Envisioned as a great monument and a living symbol of capitalism's material prosperity, it turned out to be quite the opposite when in construction halted suddenly following a banking crisis and squatters moved in. They formed a co-operative commune that had shops and even a dentist surgery. There was a socio-economic split in the tower but the collective leadership was so effective it was deemed safer than the streets of Caracas. Certainly no accounts of cannibalism were recorded. It was a beautiful thing but it was finally closed because of safety issues but more importantly because it wasn't making anyone any money. Ballard was the king of provocation though, High-rise gets much of the human side right as far as I'm concerned, particularly paranoia, and it's this idea, as well as his other greats (such as Crash) that really makes his work stand out as something quite special. He got under the skin of his contemporaries, he annoyed many people by saying his childhood spent in a Japanese prisoner or war camp wasn't unpleasant but how dare anyone challenge something so personal. This is why I love him. I also love Ben Wheatley's films, but I was concerned that he'd bitten off more than he could chew here (Nicolas Roeg and Vincenzo Natali both tried and failed to get it to the big screen) and I think the reality is that he did and he didn't. Wheatley's adaptation looks great and I'm so glad he set it in the era the book was written. The casting was spot on as were the impressive performances. The message does come through, in this sense Wheatley succeeded with bells on. However, he does let his indulgences get the better of him. As glorious as they look, the countless montages are overlong and overcooked and dilute the stories depth. Wheatley takes a swipe at Conservatism and Thatcherism that came after High-rise was published but this was well accomplished, more than acceptable and rather intelligent given today's social and political climate. I don't like it when older stories are updated but this is an exception. I do wonder if it was lost on the audience I watched it with though. I was surprised when Wheatley essentially spelled out exactly what the film was about at the end of the film but perhaps less surprised when I heard many ask 'What the hell was that all about' straight after. Wheatley clearly wants to be the next Kubrick, maybe he will be, but his desire to make the ultimate 70's film nearly forty years after the decade ended needs to be kept in check in my opinion, with his 2012 film Kill List nearly going too far. It's funny though, speaking of Kubrick and 70's cinema, my Dad and I have often spoken about film together. I clearly love it but he doesn't so much and yet somehow we share the same favourite film, Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. My father has often reminisced about going to see it when it came out and has proclaimed that he was one of the few people still awake by the time the credits rolled. I can now say the same of a film, one that may well turn out to be a misunderstood future classic. If the stunning visuals weren't enough, they are accompanied by a glorious score by my favourite composer working today, Clint Mansell.