Slow And Steady: ‘All We Imagine As Light’ Review
2024’s All We Imagine As Light is an in competition film at the 77th Annual Cannes Film Festival whose themes and characters rarely shine through the emphasis on moody cinematography and a slow pace. The film’s ultimate themes on what it means to be a woman in contemporary Indian society have a difficult time expanding the issue to its full depth while having a unique style that hinders the thematic elements of the film.
The film acts as a slice of life portrayal of two nurses: Prabha played by Kant Kusruti and Abu played by Divya Prabha as they navigate their complicated love lives and workplace gossip. Prabha and Abu are roommates and the two are in drastically different places in life. Prabha is older and married but her husband is away in Germany on business and has been for sometime. Whereas Anu is younger and more reckless, dating a muslim boy as a hindu-born woman. Prabha doesn’t believe the rumors that Anu is dating a Muslim boy but everything done in the dark must come into the light.
The overall narrative structure of this film is reminiscent of other contemplative slow cinema dramas focused on feminist themes. Fans of Chloé Zhao’s style in films like Nomadland and Songs My Brother Taught Me will find many parallels to that of Payal Kapadia’s contemplative style. The films deliberate pace often focuses on the world building of the setting. There are passages of the runtime that are dedicated to the character’s within their natural habitat. That combined with the excellent jazz score offers a unique experience that makes the film special in some aspects.
Where the film falls short is when the style takes precedence over the substance of the film. The themes regarding women’s role in society rarely come through. At several points throughout the film the character’s directly challenge the notions of what women are supposed to be doing. Such as when Prabha gives a demonstration of the tools used primarily for women and child birth before she attempts to desensitize the young nurses to the disconcerting smell of a removed placenta. The film utilizes a lot of feminist imagery without diving deeper into the subject matter. The film attempts to provoke the audience into questioning the day to day activities of women living under a patriarchal society through the films subtext but misses the point in its text. The film follows two nurses as they pine for the men in their lives. Prabha’s character arc is almost entirely relent on the absence of her husband. Prabha’s arc also comes off as unsatisfying due to the fact that she doesn’t take charge in her own life. That in and of itself could become a powerful statement but when the subtext of the film is relying on a subversion of patriarchal norms having a strong character such as Prabha lose that inner fortitude muddies the themes of the film.
Alongside Piranha’s arc Anu’s arc is also unfulfilling but in different ways. Anu is also reliant on the men in her life. Shiaz, played by Hridhu Haroon, is the muslim man she is dating in secret. The film attempts to explore the struggles of an inter-faith relationship but the overall structure of the film loses the profound statement that its trying to make. The slow pace and intercutting between Piranha’s story and Anna’s takes away the focus that Anna’s arc needs. When the principle characters have an excursion to the beach for a large portion of the run time the stories of the film are then put on hold. The drawn out nature of the film is unique but ultimately the thematic elements and diegesis within the film suffers from that choice.
Despite this film’s weaknesses the strengths of the film are evident and the film is a strong choice for the in competition films at the festival. The strong directorial voice of director Payal Kapadia is evident. The up close cinematography harkens back to the films of the French New Wave and Italian Neorealism due to the true to life nature of the film’s progression. People are messy and when that is translated on film the characters don’t always do what the audience thinks is best for them. When Prabha is asked on a date by Dr. Manoj she doesn’t allow herself to step out of her comfort zone. The film has a natural warmth and humanity that oozes an art cinema education. The rainy playgrounds, neon drenched city, and packed trains bring the viewer into the world of the characters. When the film takes its time to show the characters in their natural world and interacting with one another it allows the characters to show a more intimate side of themselves. The audience sees the world through the eyes of the characters and emphasizes the isolated nature of life itself. However that isolation is broken when the principle characters live their lives and laugh alongside each other the happiness comes off as an act of revolution in a repressive society.
Ultimately, the film is well executed in its technical aspects. The direction is the major highlight. It was surprising to hear that this is the director’s first feature because the authorial hand is so strong yet does not take away from the story. The film’s slow pace might turn off some viewers but art cinema enthusiasts will find this to be a well executed film whose themes could come off as muddied. However, the film’s warmth and slice of life nature is infatuating and has proved itself to be a hidden gem in the festival.
