The Brand New Testament, a Belgian movie playing at Real Artways, is one of those should we/shouldn’t we movies. Those movies where there’s no way to know what to expect, and the premise just seems so wacky that either you dive in and trust it will be an experience, no matter what, or skip it and go to happy hour instead.
Since I trust Real Artways, I decided to dive in, and I’m so glad I did.
I won’t spend too much time explaining the movie, but I’ll just give you the first lines of the blurb, which made me laugh. “THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT begins with one simple conceit: G-d exists, and He’s a jerk. He lives in a high-rise apartment in Brussels and never gets out of His pajamas.”
I would venture that the conceit of this movie is anything but simple. Audacious, confusing, challenging, intriguing…Not simple. It certainly gives the movie a hook. What makes the movie worth watching is G-d’s daughter, Ea, who is delightful, defiant, and up to good things, with her band of wacky apostles.
What I loved most about the movie wasn’t its charm, its wit, or its imagination. The best part was its celebration of sound.
As a writer, I try to pay attention to all five senses when creating a scene. Sound is so hard to capture. So when someone does it particularly well, I notice.
The Brand New Testament is an homage to sound, creating more than a soundtrack and more than simple sound effects. In essence, it creates a complete soundscape that adds depth and delight to the movie.
Imagine 300 men cracking walnuts all at once. Can you hear it?
Or a laugh like a million pearls bouncing off of concrete stairs.
Those are real elements to The Brand New Testament‘s soundscape.
Ever since seeing the movie, I’ve been hearing things. I’ve been noticing sound anew, with heightened senses. And isn’t that what art is meant for?
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