UK, 2021, 93 minutes, Colour.

Timothy Spall, Peter Stormare, Matt Hookings, Alicia Agneson, Noeleen Comiskey, Lucy Martin, James Mackie.

Directed by Daniel Graham.

For the 2021 distribution of this film, the word “obscure” was dropped from the title. But, “obscure” is certainly relevant. Perhaps a warning for those who do not like obscurity. Perhaps an invitation to those who enjoy it.

The film was written and directed by Australian director, Daniel Graham, his early career involved film distribution and links with a whole range of European and international directors. And this serves as a background for this sometimes obscure film, located in Malta and photographed there, set in 2021, life going on as normal (with quite some introductions to not so normal life), but with an increasing presence of mosquitoes and, by the end, something of a malaria pandemic.

However, the film does open in 1221. It is the period of St Francis of Assisi, the saint with his friends discussing something about life, the unity of creation – with some touches about the earthiness of human existence. Later, it would emerge that this is a film about  St Francis, his love of poverty, his quest for holiness, his love for creation and the song of the birds, but his deep desire for humility and compassion, to meet a leper and to kiss the leper. And this does happen in the film, a sick woman, astounded by the experience and the saint literally unmasking her to see her real self (and the pathos of her return home to her loving mother who is initially overjoyed but then suspect that this is the work of the devil and her daughter is contaminated and to be rejected).

At one stage, the central character of this film, a blunt and obnoxious world renowned architect, Alfred Rott, played in his usual arresting, though this time alienating, manner by Timothy Spall, goes to see the film of St Francis. He is in Malta, in consultation with local councils, offering designs (criticised for their explicit sexual content), invited to a weird party (echoes of Eyes Wide Shut), summoned to the house of a billionaire, the Grand Duke of Corsica. The Duke is played by versatile character actor of more than 100 films, Peter Stormare. The Duke has ambitions, wants to employee Alfred Rott, but with his illness and impending death, he settles for the building of a mausoleum.

Alfred Rott becomes friendly with the Duke and, ultimately, completes quite an esoteric mausoleum, where the decaying body material can descend into a canal leading to a tree, peach tree, so that it can recycle life. And, there is an epitaph on the mausoleum from St Francis, about the unity of everything but in different forms.

What is happening is that mosquitoes are increasing in numbers on the island, biting people, creating a malaria plague. At the end, inhabitants are warned to escape from the island by any means possible. Which is where we see the last of Alfred Rott.

This has been a strange encounter, to say the least, touches of weirdness and the bizarre, but tantalisingly arresting our attention.

1. The impact of the title? The revelation of the Grand Duke, phony, billionaire, his life, obscurity, illness and death, fame in death?
2. The Malta settings, the countryside, islands and sea, stately homes, official offices and paintings, the art tradition, social functions, hotels? The musical score?
3. The prologue, the film about Saint Francis, the Friars, the discussions, philosophical implications about the unity of creation, same substance, different forms? The touch of earthiness and faeces? The continued introduction of the Saint Francis film, Alfred Rott going to see it and being impressed by it? The actor, his personal life, liaison with the director, malaria, his illness, suffering, the film on the television screen in his room, his death? His ideas about the song of the birds? The importance of the sequence of Saint Francis and his wanting to kiss the leper, his motivations, charity, humility, encountering a woman, her drinking, the pool, the encounter, the talk, Francis kissing her, the effect, the leprous mask coming off, Francis seeing her real self? And the irony of her going back to her mother, her mother’s delight, then fear, superstitions taking over, that her daughter was in league with the devil? The daughter going off by herself, rejected?
4. 2021, the story of Alfred Rott, his fame as an architect, buildings around the world from Leipzig to the US, his initial visit, the consultation in the vast Hall, alleging sexual images, his offhand manner, alternate interpretation? His abrupt manner, obnoxious behaviour? At the hotel, the invitation to the party (echoes of Eyes Wide Shut), meeting Poppaea, the attempted seduction, his having conversation instead, the people of the party, behaviour, masks, sexual behaviour, corruption?
5. His going to see the Grand Duke? The Duke, his manner, wealth, home, the attendance, Jerome and his being present, advice, later rejected? The Duke enjoying his conversation with Alfred? Alfred intrigued by the Duke, going against his normal practice, having meals with the Duke, the discussions about architecture, the designs, the plans? The continued discussions, the narrowing down the plan to a mausoleum? The initial designs, Alfred’s reaction, his final proposal?
6. The Duke, the malaria, his continued illness, wanting his last tailored suit, allowing the doctor to visit? Alfred and blindfolding the Duke, leading him to the mausoleum, the description of the mausoleum and how it was built, the sarcophagus, the draining of the body, the fertilising of the tree? The Duke pleased? The return home, testing the coffin? His illness, lying on the bed, indicating the money for Alfred, his dying?
7. The malaria, on Malta, the mosquitoes and their prevalence, people being sick? The actor?
8. Alfred, his sexual behaviour, the liaison with Lucy? And the upset of her vomiting?
9. The aftermath of the death of the grand Duke, the news about the pandemic, urging everybody to leave Malta by any means, the crowds, the gas masks and refusal?
10. The body in the small boat, the uniformed man coming down, throwing the body overboard, sailing away – and unmasking? Alfred Rott?
11. The overall impact of the film? Architecture and the arts? Personal eccentrics? Moral and amoral behaviour? The introduction of St Francis and his life? In the final epitaph on the Grand Duke’s term about unity and diversity of forms?