Ang Lee’s adaptation of Ben Fountain’s 2012 novel, about a teenage American Iraq War veteran brought home for a victory tour, was conceived as a showcase for cutting-edge film technology. Shot at an unprecedented 120 frames per second, in 3D and at 4K resolution, Lee was reportedly gunning for an overwhelmingly immersive theatrical experience, which might mirror the traumatised state of its protagonist. But when the film debuted at last year’s New York Film Festival, the response to the technical trickery was largely negative, with detractors claiming that the startling visual clarity served largely to distract the viewer. Whether as a response to such criticism, or due to the fact that most cinemas simply aren’t equipped to project the film as intended, it screened for Berlin critics in plain old 24 FPS. Stripped of the bells and whistles, what’s left is an ambitious but unsatisfying attempt to explore the psychological consequences of modern warfare on its participants.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk | Directed by Ang Lee (USA, UK, China 2016) with Joe Alwyn, Kristen Stewart. Starts February 2
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