Birth

FADE IN:

HIGH ANGLE SHOT of a hooded MAN jogging on a snow covered Central Park trail. CAMERA FOLLOWS as the man runs briskly along the jogging path. Snow gently falls as he continues down the winding path. He passes through a tunnel, then doubles back. Reentering the tunnel, the man slows to a stop. Bent over at the knees, he struggles to catch his breath. Suddenly, he collapses. The man is dead. CAMERA PULLS back to a LONG SHOT of the tunnel, revealing a picturesque winter scene.

This is how the film Birth begins. What follows is an astonishing story I won’t soon forget.

Flash forward 10 years after the opening scene. The dead man’s widow, Anna (a short-haired Nicole Kidman), is preparing to remarry. Her future is soon altered after a mysterious 10-year-old boy appears claiming to be her dead husband, Sean. Anna and her fiancee Joseph confront the boy’s parents in hopes of ending the cruel charade. However, the boy (also named Sean) won’t go away. Anna and her family conduct a thorough interrogation; Sean’s answers lead Anna to conclude he is telling the truth.

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Anna’s confusion turns to love as she believes the boy to be a reincarnation of Sean. She brings him into her home, causing a rift with a threatened Joseph. Despite family misgivings, Anna sets about making a life with young Sean. A surprising revelation disrupts her plans and calls into question Sean’s authenticity. Is this boy who he says, or is he making the whole thing up?

Director Jonathan Glazer does the impossible. He channels the legendary Stanley Kubrick and creates a moving exploration of true love. Anna is captivated by the boy’s mind, his essence, not his body. She looks into his soul and sees the man she thought to be long dead. A haunting score by Alexandre Desplat contributes greatly to the eerie atmosphere. Birth is a mesmerizing achievement in film.

The trailer for Birth:

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