Watch Land of the Blind

In the dark and surreal dystopian world of Land of the Blind, the government has become totalitarian, oppressive and corrupt with no regard for human rights or freedom. It's ruled by "The President", an ambitious madman played by Ralph Fiennes who uses propaganda, lies and fear to manipulate the people and maintain his cruel grip on power.

The movie follows the life of Joe (Donald Sutherland), a once-powerful writer who is now a political prisoner for speaking his mind against the government. In his cell, he is forced to listen to endless speeches from The President's speeches bellowing through loudspeakers, designed to brainwash the inmates.

Meanwhile, The President's loyal advisor Tanner (Tom Hollander) is struggling with his conscience as he slowly realizes the extent of the regime's betrayal of its people. Tanner's conscience is further pricked when he meets Joe, and becomes fascinated by his ethics and ideals.

As The President's paranoia and cruelty only escalate, Tanner harbors doubts and tells Joe about his plan to assassinate The President. Joe reluctantly agrees to help Tanner with the plot, hoping that the death of The President would bring an end to the endless violence and corruption. However, as the time of the assassination draws near, both men realize the price of violence and realize that one violent act can never replace a corrupt system.

Throughout the film, we are forced to compare the role of art and resistance to a tyrannical state, as seen in the struggle of Joe. A sharp commentary on the struggle between power and resistance, "Land of the Blind" fearlessly exposes the maddening consequences of a dictatorship regime that terrorizes its citizens under the guise of providing security and order.

The performances of both Donald Sutherland and Ralph Fiennes are sharedly remarkable in their roles. Fiennes is particularly impressive, bringing to life a cruel, twisted and maniacal character, who was so seductive in his use of tyranny to gain and exert the authority on its people. The contrast between the two characters could not have been more exquisite, with Sutherland's Joe representing the moral idealist in the story.

The cinematography and visual effects in the film are equally stunning, with the film set against the backdrop of a dark, wintry wasteland, creating a feeling of isolation and despair. The movie's depiction of a bleak, oppressive society is a reminder of the scale of power can be very dangerous and how quickly it can escalate.

Directed by Robert Edwards, "Land of the Blind" is a powerful, unsettling film that will leave audiences with a sense of unease and concern about the role of power and resistance in modern day society. Highly recommended to those who love pressing discussions on politics, corruption and tyranny.

Land of the Blind is a 2006 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 41 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.4 and a MetaScore of 32.