Review

Meet Paul (Peter Firth), a talented musician. Paul’s life is about to get wacky. After experiencing terrible visions of fire and death accompanied by the sounds of eerily familiar music, he is confronted by an astronomer, who claims to have felt the same thing while observing unusual activity on the sun. The two are instantly bound by this discovery, and she accompanies Paul to his ill mother’s home. Here, on the verge of expiring, she utters her last words to this unnamed astronomer: Master Musician. Yes, the very same master musician that Paul’s father visited before he was found dead, burned from the waist down, clutching his instrument in playing position. With this many coincidences lined up, and of course, the recent volcanic activity in turkey (which according to ‘80s movie science, occurs because the sun has become too unstable) there is no choice but to travel to Turkey, and track down this “master musician”.

Accompanied by his mysterious new partner, and The Silent One, a deformed man who dwells in the local caves, Paul embarks on his journey through a strange land of fire, mysticism and shadowy characters in the interest of unearthing the past, and understanding why he has been plagued by such unsettling images. Apparently, through his music, he must learn to control the hidden forces of the earth, and defeat the Master Musician, before all is lost.

While details of what is actually happening and/or why it even matters are few and far between, the aesthetic appeal of this film cannot be denied. Magic, music and stunning visuals enable Born of Fire to suck the viewer in with ease. Shot primarily in Turkey, the intricate architecture and weathered temples add to the film’s authenticity. Religion and symbolism run rampant throughout the film, however little is done to tie it to the story, nor are explanations offered.

Especially enjoyable was the performance of the deformed yet endearing fellow tagging along for the ride. Hands down, the only thing scary about this movie was him wailing in agony for an uncomfortable amount of time while clutching a nude corpse. Oh and did I mention that the Master Musician is a burn victim that hangs out underground, stark naked, carrying only a flute and a skull, setting things on fire with his eyes? No? Well, now you know. In the end, this movie still won’t make any sense, but how can an epic flute-off for the sake of mankind be a bad thing?

 -- Flavius Ferrari

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