|
Screaming Masterpiece review
:. Director: Ari Alexander Ergis Magnússon
:. Genre: Documentary
:. Running Time: 1:27
:. Year: 2005
:. Country: Iceland
|
From Björk to Sigur Rós, both audiences and music critics alike have been intrigued by the magical harmonies that have emerged from Iceland these last few years. Most have been assuming that this musical effervescence was the indirect result of bad weather, just like in England, but there is more to it and that's what this documentary demonstrates.
Directed by Ari Alexander Ergis Magnússon, Screaming Masterpiece goes back in time, from dirges to punk anthems to explain the origins of the current Icelandic music scene. Built on interviews, footage and beautiful visuals of the Icelandic landscape, not only does this documentary answer all our questions but it's also a great vehicle showcasing the talent of bands that haven't yet made it internationally.
Magnússon traces this intricate relationship between Icelanders and music back to paganism and, to this day, this lyrical tradition is still alive and well, as we can see with Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, a head-pagan and musician whose latest collaborations include working on primitive sounds with current faves Sigur Rós. Listening to these hymns, it's easy to understand the roots of Björk and Sigur Rós' strange and beautiful music.
From there, we go to the early 80's, an era, which much like in the rest of the world, was highly influenced by the British punk and post-punk scenes, whose most memorable offspring remains The Sugarcubes featuring Björk—whom we also see as the singer of an early punk band in some amusing footage.
While a harsh environment forcing the youth to stay inside most of the year is certainly a catalyst for a burgeoning music scene, just like in Britain, music is particularly given more importance in Icelandic culture and that has given lifeblood to the creative process. While some countries and educational systems prefer to emphasize brainless activities such as football or soccer, Iceland focuses on providing a musical experience—there are more than 90 music schools for less than 300,000 residents and almost every teen and young adult is in a band.
Besides international star Björk and Sigur Rós, probably the most—artistically—exciting band of the decade, alongside Radiohead, we get to meet worthy acts, from the electronic-driven Múm to the more esoteric Slowblow—who provided the score for Dagur Kári's great films Noi the Albino & Dark Horse—and Bang Gang with its shoegazer/Dandy Warhols vibe (my favorite here).
Once the film ends, after 88 minutes of beautiful music and scenery, you can't help the urge to get the soundtrack to discover all these hidden treasures, evidence of Screaming Masterpiece's achievement way beyond its premise as a documentary.
Fred Thom
 Documentaries: 1998 - 2011 Reviews
Documentaries: 2012 - present Reviews
|
|
