What a disappointing start to the festival. “Das Licht” is exactly what happens when ambition collides with a lack of restraint, an absolute muddle dressed up as something profound. If last year’s Emilia Perez was your cup of overly steeped pretentiousness, then you might just enjoy this. Sadly, for me, it was a painful slog.
First off, the musical numbers. Why? There’s no justification for them whatsoever. They are clunky, intrusive, and serve no purpose beyond jolting you out of what little immersion the film offers. You almost feel like the filmmakers were so proud of their Berlin location budget that they couldn’t resist throwing in a few bizarre musical sequences to fill the gaps.
And speaking of Berlin, I must admit the city itself provided the few enjoyable moments. Familiar streets, well-known landmarks. There’s a quiet joy in spotting the Frank Gehry-designed bank on Pariser Platz, the HelloFresh offices near Moritzplatz, and, of course, the giant Coca-Cola sign at the end of Leipziger Strasse. But at this point, I might as well have watched a city tour on YouTube.
The chase scene through Görlitzer Park at night had potential. It even worked to some extent, poking fun at the inefficiency of the German police while cleverly navigating Kreuzberg’s geography. But those fleeting sparks of creativity were buried beneath a heap of poor cinematography. Everything outside the glow of “the Light” looked like it had been shot through a muddy lens, with mismatched colours giving off a “we ran out of budget” vibe rather than an intentional aesthetic.
The film begins with the promise of something Altman-esque, a collage of interconnected stories. My hopes rose. But before I could settle in, the film abandoned that structure, opting instead for a linear plot that dragged its feet.
The political and historical context should have been a strength, and blending authentic super 8 footage of Damascus had potential. Unfortunately, slapping a blurred edge on the reenactments made it look downright tacky. It was less seamless integration and more “You tried, but no.”
Mild spoiler alert. The editing choices were baffling. Throughout the entire film, I kept thinking how much tighter and more watchable it could have been if they had just cut all the musical scenes. But then the ending happened, and I realised why they couldn’t. The whole thing hinges on those musical sequences in a way that makes it impossible to remove them without rendering the film completely senseless. What a pity.
In the end, Das Licht felt like a missed opportunity, a film that could have been something special but got lost in its own self-indulgence.
Berlinale, you have got some making up to do.
Rate: 1/5
Moey writes here. 
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