BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW: A Sci-fi Hallucinatory Experience

It was an unusual screening. Left with no choice, I had to sit unusually close to the screen in the cinema. However, the peculiarity of the screening was not only reflected in the position I chose relative to the cinema screen, but also in the fact that from the beginning to the end of the screening, I was aware of being involved with something incredibly extraordinary and original. The uniqueness of this film, however, translated into its reception. Throughout the screening, the film remains a disturbing mystery to the viewer. Beyond the Black Rainbow.

The plot does not help in revealing the solution, as it leaves the impression of being the least important element. Here we encounter an alternate reality of the year 1983. In the Arboria medical institute, a young girl is being held. The Arboria Institute was established for the purpose of research into improving the human individual, unlocking the dormant strength within each of us that would lead to a new, inner order. The girl is subjected to experiments and research sessions, the true purpose and application of which, however, remain unknown to us. The research is overseen by a mysterious and demonic doctor (the brilliant Michael Rogers), whose relationship with the girl from the outset goes beyond the standard dynamic of a medical caregiver and his patient, showing signs of a sick fascination.

Panos Cosmatos, the Canadian director of Greek descent, will not be remembered for his screenwriting with his debut film. At times, I even had the impression that the film was being shot almost without a script. However, the power of the aesthetic experience does not lie in the plot. The entire composition of this unconventional work makes up an incredible collage of music and images, whose combination creates a unique, dreamlike atmosphere. The year 1983 was not chosen randomly for the setting of the film. In every inch of this specific creation, one can see the director’s fascination with the 1980s. The characteristic kitsch of those years has been used here as a tool to creatively transform old patterns. This style is accentuated by the pulsating, entirely synthesized music of Jeremie Schmidt, which sets the rhythm of the growing tension.

Above all, however, there is a palpable passion for the science fiction genre, as it is in this style that Cosmatos decided to make his debut. In Beyond the Black Rainbow, one can find many references to the works of Kubrick, Cronenberg, Tarkovsky, and Carpenter, though these are probably not the only names that influenced the final shape of this retro science fiction. Besides stylistic and plot correlations, the film by the Canadian director also carries the spirit of the New Age movement, so popular in the art (including science fiction) and philosophy of the second half of the 20th century, and still relevant today. Its metaphysical messages, the search for the divine element within each of us, and the unification of religious paths somehow align with the goals and activities of the Arboria Institute. The theosophical symbolism is present in the film on many levels and seems to play a significant role in it. It is no coincidence that in one of the more important scenes, one of the characters utters the significant words: Let the New Age of Lightning Begin.

It could be said that Beyond the Black Rainbow represents a return to ambitious, metaphysical science fiction. However, it is hard to definitively say whether this return is successful. For me, in experiencing these seemingly drug-induced visions, something deeper was missing, a moral foundation that could serve as the core of the story. There was something missing in the corporeal, real world that would help one rediscover reality after the deceptive hallucinatory experience. Without the necessary depth, Cosmatos’s film at times might resemble a music video of electronic trance, interrupted by dialogue snippets. Yet even then, it does not let go of the feeling of encountering something unconventional.

This film needs to be not so much watched, as felt on your own skin and appreciated for its ability to deliver somewhat forgotten aesthetic experiences. A metaphysical dream, devoid of divinity and permanent ideas, does not have to be without value, distinguishing it from other dreams. And even if participating in the dream carries the risk of forgetting it immediately after waking up, in this case, you can be sure that after the screening is over, the dream you experienced will stay with you for a long time.