Inferno: The Film

Inferno: The film


The world created in Sean Meredith's Dante's Inferno is a familiar yet different world in comparison to that of Dante's original text. The idea of the circles of hell and the general structure of them seem to stay fairly consistent between the two, however the medium which each are conveyed are starkly different. In my opinion Meredith's Inferno (which was clearly used as satire) is created in a way conventional and unsettling in terms of today's society. While living in the present secular society, sin and punishment is placed mostly into the law and justice system (at least in secular terms). The notion that something which seems as seemingly insignificant as flattery (which usually leads to no legal repercussions) could place you deep within the realms of hell is frankly terrifying.

The medium of a puppet show is oddly fitting being both comical and unnatural. Using film to create this puppet show allows more liberties with the storytelling as well as easier distribution. The contents of the film are often purposefully strange including a strange voyage through the circles of lust, and the later eighth circle of hell with the lobbyists with a fetching musical number. However in comparison to the original text, Meredith's Dante and Virgil are so very nonchalant. Though Dante himself is an average schmuck drunkard, and Virgil supposedly a pseudo "Master of Hell" who seems to be able to wander wherever he wants whenever he wants (the wine supplier for Limbo evidently), their journey is for a different purpose than that of the Dante of old. In this case there is a far larger weight placed on political statement with a multitude of Republican figures stated to be in various circles of Hell, rather than the growth of Dante as a character.

The reason that I referred to Meredith's Inferno as conventional earlier is not due to a lack of content nor intelligence, but rather because this type of satire is now commonplace in society. Criticism of politics is a major stay in all realms of news and entertainment today. Meredith's Inferno also does not seem to be attempting to be consistent with religion necessarily but rather follows the guidelines of Inferno to the point that some current issues such as homosexuality are questioned whether they can still be considered sin.

In this way Meredith's Inferno calls Dante's Inferno outdated and with it attempts to modernize sin and wrongdoing by using examples from fairly modern politicians and figures.