18 years ago, James Cameron called it the “Most artistic, beautiful & stylish Sci-Fi film” when Avalon (also known as “Gates to Avalon“) released in 2001. Believe the great filmmaker, this Polish science fiction is indeed an underrated spectacle that’s a surreal treat for the eyes and the ears.

Avalon presents an unreal world set in a near dystopian future, a grim, absurd city suspended in space-time where the boundary between reality and fiction does not exist. A strange cyberpunk world where disillusioned young people indulge themselves in “Avalon”, an unlawful online wargame. In this illusory virtual world, simulated deaths and thrills become an addiction for them. Some of the players, acting in groups called ‘parties’, earn a living this way. The game is not completely safe though. Sometimes, the player ends up in a limbo state of cerebral death and then vegetates under constant medical care. Avalon’s victims are “Those who did not return”, the name of the game comes from the legendary island, where the souls of the dead heroes reside.

The protagonist Ash (Małgorzata Foremniak) gloomy and devoid of illusion, and at the same time delicate and sensitive, is a professional gamer who constantly shuffles between two realities. Once a member of the “Wizard” party, considered to be the best until their break-up, Ash now plays alone and has no commitments except her dog. One day, Ash learns that Murphy, her ex-lover and companion, hasn’t “returned” from the game. Ambitious and fanatical, Murphy always wanted to become the champion of Avalon. What beat him? Did he really fail? So, Ash begins her search. This quest, however, also lead her to the world of painful memories that she would rather forget about, yet striving to win in a bizarre, gloomy virtual world. Małgorzata’s acting as the noble soldier is superb and will probably surprise Polish viewers who know her more as one of the Judges in the popular TV show Mam Talent!, the Polish version of the Got Talent TV series.

Though this movie features Polish actors (Małgorzata Foremniak) and was filmed in Wrocław, Poland, it is actually a Japanese production directed by the anime ‘Ghost in the Shell’ creator – visionary Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Oshii and largely made using a Japanese crew. Apparently, it took over 10 years to develop, because  Mamoru Oshii wanted writer Kazunori Ito to totally grasp his vision and so the script evolved over the years. Also, at first, Mamoru Oshii decided that the main role would be male but during production and after a few amendments he changed his mind and decided that this role should be played by a woman.

Longtime regular Oshii music collaborator, Kenji Kawai, well known for Ring 1 & Ring 2 besides Ghost in the Shell composed this rare, hypnotic soundtrack that has now grown to become a cult favorite. If you haven’t listened to any of the Kawai’s previous works, this is a good choice to start with.

For the most part of the film, Kenji Kawai chooses a European symphonic sound that soars on and off with consistent brilliance. The electronic laden soundtrack features beautiful Polish songs performed by the popular opera singer Elizabeth Towarnicka along with the Polish National Philharmonic Orkiestre and the Choir of Philharmonic Orkiestre; the beautiful music elegantly complementing the sepia-toned frightening imagery that abounds in the vast majority of the film. “Log in“, “Log Off” and “Voyage to Avalon” are supremely epic Kawai compositions that alone necessitate a listen. Incidentally, Avalon was the first Japanese film to use the “Dolby Digital Surround EX Format” to increase the sense of audio realism and heighten the impression of the viewer being completely absorbed by the sounds of the movie. It’s also worth mentioning that the film score for the Avalon spinoff, 2009’s Assault Girls was also helmed by Kenji Kawai.

Strangely, even after so many years, the soundtrack for Avalon is still largely unavailable online, not even on Spotify. So, we can only share with you what we could find on the web

Avalon OST – Kenji Kawai – Track Listings

1. City 13  (5:06)
2. Log Off  (2:34)
3. Voyage To Avalon (4:06)
4. Murphy’s Ghost (2:46)
5. Bishop (0:39)
6. Nine Sisters (3.54)
7. Ruins C66 (3:02)
8. Grey Lady (Ash) (4:50)
9. Flak Tower 22 (1:26)
10. Ruins D99 (3:12)
11. The Ghost Hunting (3:21)
12. Voyage To Avalon (Orchestra Version) (10:19)
13. Tir Na Mban (2:28)
14. Log In (6:22)