Blind

A dark, Dutch 19th-century fairy tale set on a frozen European landscape, BLIND is a visually stunning film deeply concerned with the emotional pain of its protagonists. Ruben is a blind young man who lives with his semi-invalid mother in an isolated mansion. Enraged by his powerlessness, he lashes out violently at his would-be caretakers. In an effort to soothe him, his mother hires a woman to read to him. Marie is at least a decade older than Ruben, an albino bearing emotional and physical scars of her own. They make a hesitant connection through Marie's emotional rendering of Hans Christian Andersen's “Snow Queen.” Ruben and Marie share keen senses of touch and smell and vivid interior worlds. Soon, they become emotionally involved. BLIND takes place largely inside Ruben's head; by visualizing his remembered sense of sight, the film captures dramatic images of immense beauty. When Ruben has an operation that could restore his vision, Marie must decide whether she will remain the beautiful woman he sees in his mind or risk rejection when he sees her true appearance. Reminiscent of Bergman's “Cries and Whispers,” BLIND is a story of loneliness, solitude, and the anguish of the soul. (In Dutch with English Subtitles) – BB