Two lovers fall into madness.

Review by Julie Sheppard:

This feature film, Catabase First Part – Ad Love, is a sultry feast for the eyes and ears — a testament to both youthful love and desperate obsession. Nary a word is heard from the central characters, but this evocative film does not require speech from them. In fact, this piece is so visually and auditorily captivating, that spoken word by the performers would perhaps be jarringly distracting. Saying that, the soundtrack does provide international text via the soaring lyrics from swooning dramatic operas, which seem to energize the wordless performances even further. 

The two actors display such mature composure and gravitas. Their passion for one another oozes out of their pores, both day and night, in health and in illness, as they are cocooned in a love nest of their cramped apartment or in the gorgeous vacation rental near a snowy summit. Long and close up shots — all in black and white — of remarkable facial stillness of the two never seem wooden; you can sense that couple quietly languishing together is what fuels their comfort. 

The outdoor cinematography is stunning with shots of soft grassy fields, mountain ranges, long dark highways and stormy cloudbursts. The titled chapters and definitions explaining the changeable state of mind of the couple help to glue the piece together — a piece that uses artistic and emotional sensitivity of the highest level — a revelation of both obsessive love and quiet internal desperation.