Several years in the making, The Wanting Mare is a beautifully realised film that transports the viewer to another world. Set in the world of Anmaere, in a city called Whithren, The Wanting Mare follows several residents who try to garner passage to a land called Levithen, a sacred place that promises all who visit a better chance at life. Gaining entry to Levithen requires a special ticket, which are exceptionally rare to attain.
Creatively, Nicholas Ashe Bateman has, in The Wanting Mare, crafted an elegant and enchanting piece of art. You can feel his passion for the project in every frame, his determination to realise the feature results in one of the most visually arresting films in years. Shot almost entirely within a warehouse in New Jersey, the world-building on display here is simply phenomenal. Bateman has painstakingly overseen hundreds of visual effects, marrying few real location components with entirely digitally generated images, to create one of the most real cinematic worlds we’ve ever seen. The digital mattes are stunning, the city of Whithren coming to life as some otherworldly blend of futuristic science-fiction and ancient city. It’s rare that fantasy films, especially those on a modest budget, replicate anything remotely as grand as this, but Bateman has achieved the impossible.
Narratively, The Wanting Mare is very abstract. With none of the traditional trappings of three-act structures and obstacles, the story is instead more free and fluid. In lieu of a more structured tale, the characters portray their stories and plights through their emotions rather than actions. Over the course of the film we flit from one character to another, spending varying amounts of time with each. It’s a little disorientating at first, but all stories are interconnected with one another, which becomes more clear as the film progresses. Watching The Wanting Mare is akin to making a jigsaw puzzle; at first it appears like an unrelated jumble, but slowly the pieces fall into place and you’re left with a completed and satisfying picture.
Without the confines of a rigid narrative the cast is allowed to fully connect with their characters, and their performances feel almost as if watching an intricate dance. Their performances are bathed in raw emotion, passion, and their commitment to their roles is tangible. Each actor brings a different element to the overall project, be it in their distinctive appearance, or their ability to convey hidden depths with a simple look. This cast are an impressively strong ensemble and somehow, much like the visuals, don’t feel entirely of this Earth.
Once you’ve finished your viewing of The Wanting Mare, head over to their YouTube page where you can take a look at their Making of documentary. This thirty minute video highlights just how different the shooting locations were to the finished landscapes of the feature. The side-by-side shots demonstrate the real power of green screen, and prove that you don’t have to have a Disney Marvel level budget to achieve something beautiful with the technology.
A weird and wonderful piece of moving art, The Wanting Mare is an intricate fantasy epic that has to be experienced to be believed.
The Wanting Mare is available to rent or own on digital HD from Bulldog Film Distribution on 7 February 2022 .
The Wanting Mare
Summary
Disappear into an epically magical fantasy in this breath-taking whirl through another world.
