Goto, Island of Love

This movie is awesome. The story is so strange and unique and yet it is completely watchable. I've seen several of Borowcyck's films and so far this is one of my favorites. I loved the use of Handel's music, it fit perfectly. Being one of Borowcyck's first feature length films, it does show a slightly amateurish quality, however, that is not at all a negativity, there's several aspects that he used in his later movies. It's amazing to see an artist polish and hone his craft over the years.All in all, a fantastic purchase of a very cool and interesting early movie from a visionary director. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy slower, bizarre and thought provoking film.

I discovered Walerian Borowczyk's GOTO, ISLAND OF LOVE in the seventies at my high school's film club between an Ingmar Berman and a Stanley Kubrick movie. And since then, I never had the opportunity to see it again. But I've always remembered the strange atmosphere of GOTO with the concerto of Haendel playing on Glossia's tearful face.Cult Epics had the great idea of releasing GOTO on DVD, adding as bonus feature "Les Astronautes", a short film directed by Borowczyk and Chris Marker in 1959. I was happy to see that the movie ages well and that my memory hadn't added to it the faked beauty of the souvenirs. So I can't but advise you to discover GOTO and his strange characters whose names are Gono, Gonasta, Grozo, Gurto and even Grymp.A DVD zone lost in time.

This is a piece of crap and they sent me two of them! Damn!

This was the debut feature from enfant terrible producer Walerian Borowczyk who went on to make such films as `Blanche', 'Immoral Tales',and 'Behind Convent Walls' ` and became known for his use of sexual scenes or art house porn, which does not appear very much in this film.Set on an archipelago that has suffered a major natural disaster we find a community stuck in the past. They are cut off from the outside world they have stubbornly maintained the status quo.Their leader is Goto who has assumed Kingship by some constitutional necessity. He seems to look on his subjects as he does his pet Alsatian dogs and is married to the beautiful Glyssia played by Ligia Branice (`Blanche'). One of the forms of entertainment is the public fights, which take place on a ropey stage where talentless musicians torture home made instruments in a sort of `end of pier show' and display of awfulness. These fights are punishment for all crimes whether theft or murder and the loser is executed.Grozo survives one such encounter and is spared. His reward is to be the royal boot polisher - keeper of the royal dogs and maker of fly traps. He lusts after Glyssia like a sixteen year old and his first crush. She however, has fallen for a dashing officer - and keeper of the royal horse - and they have decided to escape. Grozo though could teach Machiavelli a thing or two and soon his plan to gain power, which will lead to requite his lust, is in full motion.This is an Arthouse film which is filmed in monochrome, but several parts are in Eastman colour for dramatic and stylistic effect, most of the camera angles are fixed - adding to the voyeuristic nature of the film. Walerian Borowczyk was developing his style here and he won't be to everyone's taste. Some could view this as self indulgent, cold and even dystopian and that is the whole point. The use of props, shots and scenarios are designed to craft a world that we are asked - not to accept - but to at least try to understand. It is that final part that makes him such an interesting director. This then is arty on purpose, quirky and far from run of the mill and for film historians is probably a must see.