Interactive film has come a long way in just a few short years, and while highly cinematic efforts like Late Fragment have pushed production quality, the interactive limitations of theatrical and DVD based distribution remain the primary obstacle to pushing the non-linear equation. In response, many projects have turned to the Web as a primary - and in some cases, as the only - form of distribution, often with inferior production value but better reach and interactivity. None, in either camp, have achieved exemplary financial returns.

So the question remains: Can someone, anyone, create a web-based interactive film that also measures up on production value and commercial viability. In experiencing Sufferrosa, a new neo-noir interactive movie by Polish writer/director Dawid Marcinkowski, the answer is yes... and no.

By all cinematic measures, Sufferrosa is a standout. It's beautifully shot, simply designed, cleverly written and cheekily intriguing. Like a Depeche Mode video covered in honey. It's real noir, delivering on what noir once did so well... bending style - and now, the limits of technology - to deliver the creepy and mysterious.

But while it looks and feels big-screen, it's an intentionally and completely non-commercial experiment. That removes the pressure of commercial distribution models, which does away with the interactive handcuffs of DVD menu controls and the like, but it also perpetuates the notion that interactive cinema is merely a testing ground.

I linger on this point, not to diminish the work, which is stellar, but rather to shine light on the absence of any existing commercial distribution platform for interactive filmmakers. It's asking a lot of a creator to write, direct and produce something brilliant. It's asking the impossible to simultaneously have them invent a way for their creation to reach audiences at a profit. And, it leaves little doubt as to why the creators of Sufferrosa opted to avoid the perils of developing a commercial platform, choosing instead to focus exclusively on pushing the boundaries of their story (at least so far).

THE STORY

You need to dig a bit (it is interactive after all), but the narrative stays fairly close to noir home, with things told through a classic detective POV. This allows for buckets of exposition without pain, so long as it keeps moving and stays creepy.

You, the user, experience the story of Detective Ivan Johnson as he searches for a missing woman. His investigation leads him to Professor Carlos von Braun, who works on female rejuvenation treatments. As part of the backstory, Von Braun has you drugged and taken to his clinic on Miranda Island. A few days later, you wake up in a cell... That's all you know, and that's where your journey begins. What happens next is up to you.

Thematically, it's a satire of beauty in modern times, poking at what happens when plastic surgery is no longer enough. According to Marcinkowski, it's an homage to Jean Luc Godard's 1965 movie 'Alphaville', other American film noir and the French writer Vernon Sullivan.

THE INTERACTIVITY

Just because it's non-commercial, don't think Sufferrosa isn't elaborate. The film consists of 110 scenes, using 20 different locations and 25 actors. There are three alternative endings, and scenes change every time they're viewed. It is a truly interactive experience, where you alone affect the the outcome.

Scenes are presented with a few basic navigational breadcrumbs (indicating level and scene name), and there are four levels in total, with the story starting at the lowest, level 1. (You are either trying to find Rosa von Braun or just get the hell out of the clinic.)

To navigate, viewers simply watch the scenes and then look for directional arrow prompts (left and/or right), story arrow prompts (which move into a specific character's story), and/or additional info boxes (supplemental and backstory info).

For all the depth of digital assets in the film though, the navigation feels somewhat incomplete - almost as though the team came up just a half-step short in pushing the navigation system to the same limits they did the rest of the production. It's better than a DVD nav, but not by much. And simply finding the arrows and the little hidden pieces of info can be tricky. It's also difficult to determine where you are at any given time. The breadcrumbs tell you the level and the scene name, but there's nothing to offer perspective or proximity.

Structuring and conveying the 'interactive/non-linear' portion of any film is a challenge, to be sure, but Marcinkowski seems to err on the side of what at times could best be described as spatial confusion. The introduction of relatively minor navigational enhancements could allow viewers that extra inch of understanding while maintaining the lost feeling of the story. It's nitpicky, but in the Web world, which is where the film lives, 'narrative usability' (that's right, I just coined that little gem) might make the difference between broad acceptance and people running off to read Perez Hilton.

CONCLUSION

Sufferrosa is one of the largest interactive storytelling experiments ever created for online. It's an entertaining ground-breaker that deserves raves, if not for it's commercial viability, certainly for its ambition and execution. We encourage anyone intrigued by the potential of interactive cinema to visit www.sufferrosa.com and experience the latest progression.

PLEASE NOTE: At the time of this publishing, the servers at www.Sufferrosa.com appeared to be under tremendous strain. If your connection times out, please try again.

SUFFERROSA CAST
Ryszard Ronczewski - Carlos von Braun
Beata Tyszkiewicz - Norma Desmond
John Edmonson - Ivan Johnson
Ewa Szykulska - Sunday Love
Maciej Kozłowski - Rene Levert
Jacek Fedorowicz - John Farrington
Michał Urbaniak - Boris Urbanov
Gosia Baczyńska - Dolores
Kasia Paskuda - Carmen Sternwood
Kasia Szwarc - Cindy Wildenstein
Tadeusz Wojtych - Dr. Sorberin
Agnieszka Maciąg - Nadia
Jerzy Żydkiewicz - Carl Evello
Kasia Kifert - Ann Smith
Monika Surowiec - Nicole Smith
Kasia Lehmann - Karen Kane
Karolina Zielińska - Seductress
Diana Marek - Nurse
Kasia Sobkowiak / Mango - Nurse
Micaela Xerinda - Nurse
Lan / Mango - Klon

SUFFERROSA CREW
Dawid Marcinkowski - Screenwriter, Director, Editor & Designer
Radek Ładczuk, Klaudiusz Dwulit - Video
Kasia Kifert - Photographer
Filip Marcinkowski - Composer, Sound Designer, Soundtrack Supervisor
Monika Surowiec - Costume Designer, Art Director & Head of Stylist
Marek Ołdak - Sound Designer
Grzegorz Ludorowski - Flash Programmer
Ula Pągowska - Set Designer
Małgorzata Kotlonek - Special Makeup Effects Artist
Magda Atkins, Beata Milczarek, Jaga Wopaleńska,  Anna Męczyńska - Makeup Artists
Sylwia Kiliś, Klaudia Jaśpinśka, Kasia Zalewska, Konrad Kłos, Daniel Muras, Kacper Rączkowski - Hair Artists
Radek Kokot - Assistant, Przemek Osipiak - Retouch,
Dariusz Paprocki, James Atkins - Subtitles, Sylwia Turalska - Tester