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6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Blue Light remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that feel like a dusty, half-remembered fairytale, you’ll probably dig The Blue Light. It’s not for the action-hungry crowd or anyone who needs a plot that moves faster than a glacier. If you get bored by long shots of people staring at peaks, skip it. Honestly, it’s mostly just vibes and really, really big rocks. 🏔️
Watching Leni Riefenstahl navigate those cliffs is genuinely stressful. She moves with this strange, spider-like grace that makes you think she might actually fall. The camera loves these mountains more than it loves the actors, which is fine, because the scenery does all the heavy lifting anyway.
There’s this one sequence where the light hits the crystal cave—it’s honestly gorgeous, even if the whole thing feels a bit culty. It’s way more atmospheric than the stiff, stage-bound sets you see in something like The Duchess of Doubt. You can almost feel the thin air.
The local villagers are painted as these superstitious, narrow-minded folks. It’s a bit heavy-handed, but it works to isolate Junta. She’s definitely the weirdest character I’ve seen in a while—she doesn't talk much, she just sort of *exists* in the crags.
It’s not perfect. The pacing drags, and there are moments where the drama feels like it’s being stretched out with a rolling pin. It’s not as manic as Dragon Alley, that’s for sure. It’s quiet. Maybe a bit too quiet at times.
Still, there’s something about it that sticks to you. It feels like a relic. You watch it, you feel a bit cold, and then you’re done. A weird, beautiful, slightly exhausting trip. 🧗♂️