Lav Diaz is a virtuoso. And his "Norte" is a masterpiece.
I am so happy to be Filipino and fully comprehend the nuances of the script. I can just imagine being Thai watching a Weerasethakul would probably be a similar experience. In any case, what many of the reviews written by foreigners overseas will not be able to tell you is that the script is powerful yet contemporary; and you absolutely "get" what the title implies with the dialogue used and in the place where it is set. I never read Dostoyevsky so some of the allusions may be unrecognized, but, by gum, I am pinoy, and educated enough to understand the social commentary presented as a sidebar to the plot. I will spoil no further.
I know that with the impending blu-ray release in the UK there will be a huge potential for piracy, este, file-sharing, but the way this film was shot, with the lenses used and how the cinematographer (the visionary Lauro Rene Manda) framed the scenes, this masterpiece needs to be viewed on the big screen. Sit near the front of the cinema if you can, and use the long immersive cuts as an opportunity to explore the rest of the frame and marvel at what you can discover. All the while immersing yourself into the mind of the meditating protagonists amidst the metaphors of fire and smoke.
No word yet on future viewing opportunities, but Norte's commercial theater release is only until tomorrow, Sept. 16.