The movie “Blood Ransom” featured love in three juxtaposed ways: romantic love, filial love and brotherly love.
It’s a story borne out of filial love for the life of the unborn child with a rare blood condition called Rhesus factor, where the “unborn child if conceived, could actually poison the mother’s blood or vice versa;” brotherly love between two brothers who always looked out for each other and romantic love that transcends beyond one’s existence.
The cinematographic features in the film reminded me of our college analytical classes in comparative literature under Professor Dadufalza who stressed to us that to achieve form in a certain genre, it has to have substance. Thus, the lighting angles used by both Director Francis Dela Torre and Jasmin Kuhn, Cinematographer delved into the “film noir” style where images were shot on “low key lighting producing unbalanced composition.”
Darion Basco’s portrayal as Daniel, the detective who loved his brother with visual flashback images of their childhood, continuously set up the mood for the story And certainly, producer Albert Chang’s extensive background in music composition defined his outstanding selection in including the apropos background music of “Night” a Chopin Ballad No.1 G minor, Op. 23.
Though with minimal lines given to Anne Curtis who portrayed “Crystal”,” she became the central figure fighting for her “freedom” from Roman, her “master,” played by Caleb Hunt.
The aesthetically-done love scenes of Crystal and Jeremiah, played by European-born Alexander Dreymon defined romantic love without boundaries, defying Bill (played wonderfully by RIchard Harris’ son, Jamie Harries) who was the evil henchman of Roman.
To all of you who wish to experience a cinematic suspense thriller with a deep sense of melodrama, you can catch Tektonic Film’s “Blood Ransom” on Friday, October 31, 2014 in your favorite neighborhood theatres:
California:
Los Angeles – Pacific
Glendale 18 Americana
Roseville – Roseville 14
Cerritos – Regal 10
San Diego – UA Horton Plaza
Ontario – Edwards Palace
Union City – Union City 25
Orange – Stadium Promenade 25
Milpitas- Milpitas Great Mall
Oxnard – Century Riverpark
San Bruno – Century Ranforan
Elk Grove – Laguna 16
Nevada: Las Vegas – Regal Village Square
Washington: Seattle – Regal Parkway Plaza
Reno – Reno Parklane
Hawaii: Alea Hi-Consolidated Theatres Pearlridge 16
New Jersey: Elizabeth – AMC Jersey Gardens
Guam: Bergenfield – BTC Bergenfield 5; Regal Megaplex 14
Illinois: Chicago – Pickwick 4
Alaska: Anchorage – Anchorage 16
Texas: Plano -Legacy 24
Houston – Tinseltown 290 16
Virginia: Alexandria – AMC Hoffman Center
Maryland: Gaithersburg – AMC Loews Rio
Blood Ransom
Blood Ransom Opening