Rainer Werner Fassbinder made World On A Wire for German TV back in 1973. It has been little seen since, but restored it has been giving an airing at MIFF. It is an epic, time wise, running at a good 3½ hours its quite an undertaking, but well worth it.
The story set some time in the future, though it's never stated when is about a super computer that can create alternate realities where 'units' exist as people living as normal going on with their lives utterly unaware that they are simply computer programs. Of course things start to go wrong and one man Fred Stiller (played by the utterly handsome Klaus Lowitsch) begans to investigate. Things become more complex as the plot unravels and revelations are told and truths uncovered.
It's a fascinating concept and one that is explored in an real environment. There are no special effects here, the world we are presented with is just as we would expect it, though it was made in the 70's, there is a slight futuristic nature to the design, but it doesn't look dated. The design itself is wonderful and looks great 30 years on. There are some amusing moments, odd moments of acting, characters turning around really quickly or spinning around on chairs. Whether there was a reason is unclear or perhaps it was just bad acting. However the cast do a good job and it is never played anything but straight.
Despite it's non CGI approach, the film works as an intriguing and engaging story, as it draws to it's conclusion the concept leaves the audience questioning the idea of reality. It is a story that has been presented more recently with films such as Dark City and especially so in The Matrix Trilogy. Both are superb sci-fi films that present the idea of alternate worlds or realities, but with World On A Wire which was decades ahead of these recent films, the story is presented in a superb 'real' format without the lashings of effects we are used to.
More reviews at my site iheartfilms.weebly.com
The story set some time in the future, though it's never stated when is about a super computer that can create alternate realities where 'units' exist as people living as normal going on with their lives utterly unaware that they are simply computer programs. Of course things start to go wrong and one man Fred Stiller (played by the utterly handsome Klaus Lowitsch) begans to investigate. Things become more complex as the plot unravels and revelations are told and truths uncovered.
It's a fascinating concept and one that is explored in an real environment. There are no special effects here, the world we are presented with is just as we would expect it, though it was made in the 70's, there is a slight futuristic nature to the design, but it doesn't look dated. The design itself is wonderful and looks great 30 years on. There are some amusing moments, odd moments of acting, characters turning around really quickly or spinning around on chairs. Whether there was a reason is unclear or perhaps it was just bad acting. However the cast do a good job and it is never played anything but straight.
Despite it's non CGI approach, the film works as an intriguing and engaging story, as it draws to it's conclusion the concept leaves the audience questioning the idea of reality. It is a story that has been presented more recently with films such as Dark City and especially so in The Matrix Trilogy. Both are superb sci-fi films that present the idea of alternate worlds or realities, but with World On A Wire which was decades ahead of these recent films, the story is presented in a superb 'real' format without the lashings of effects we are used to.
More reviews at my site iheartfilms.weebly.com