In a large high-rise apartment in New York City lives Skye and Cisco, a couple very much in love. Much younger than Cisco, Skye paints for a living, while Cisco is a successful actor in-between projects. What seems like a normal day for the couple initially is anything but, as the entire planet has learned that at 4:44am EST, the world will end. The apocalypse didn't come without warnings but their is no escape from humanities fate, with Cisco and Skye now tasked with coming to terms with their lives. Abel Ferrera's 4:44 Last Day on Earth is a unique end-of-the-world film that is an existential study of humanity and emotion. A much quieter film than most films dealing with the same subject matter, 4:44 Last Day On Earth isn't emotionally loud but instead a poetic exploration of our humanity, as these two characters attempt to find peace in their existence. Abel Ferrara explores the various emotions likely to emerge in a time of such crisis, with characters attempting to accept their fates and come to terms with their past mistakes, regrets, and loves. It's a film about human desperation, with people attempting to deal with something so much larger than themselves in different ways. Some people simply refuse to accept it, some try to intellectually interpret their fate, some just want to feel alive one last time, while others quietly fade away into the night. Ferrara also seems to want to comment on humanities relationship with technology, with computers, televisions, and cell phones playing a major role in the film. Technology is what gives many individuals the ability to say goodbye and come to terms with their existence, but Ferrara also seems to want to express how all we can hope for when the time comes is the ability to say goodbye. Shot almost exclusively in one location, 4:44 Last Day On Earth isn't a film you would necessarily expect to have a strong visual style but Abel Ferrera does a great job evoking the emotions of his characters in a visual way whenever possible. I particularly found Ferrera's use of Silhouttes fascinating, often back-lighting characters during moments of intimate embrace, as if to remind the viewer that all of us as human beings are the same in the face of an unprecedented event like the end of the world. Ferrera showcases the diversity of humanity and what makes us unique, doing so in a existential way that makes 4:44 Last Day On Earth a fascinating entry in the end-of-the-world genre.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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