Wojciech Has and The Hourglass Sanatorium – Senses of Cinema
Jozef’s journey is not linear; it is an exploration of his own memories, nightmares, and subconscious, often blending the past and present into a unified experience of dream-like surrealism.
Bodies are often shown as fragmented and interconnected with objects, reflecting a non-human-centric viewpoint and challenging traditional cinematic representation.
The film is celebrated for its lush, bizarre, and macabre visual style, often showcasing rotting, cluttered spaces.
The sanatorium exists in a "time-out-of-joint." The head doctor explains that because the institution is dilapidated, time is not running on schedule, allowing dead people to live on.