The South American rain-forest country Colombia is famous for its culturally-rich carnivals, among many other things. The ethnically diverse rural side of the nation – populated by natives, Spanish colonists and Africans brought as slaves – is said to place huge importance on music. The traveling musicians, called as ‘Troubadours’, are seen as valued member of the society. The accordion players and drummers are the only source of entertainment for the hard-working, impoverished farmers of rural Colombia. Music festivals like the famous ‘Vallenato Kings Festival’ (vallenato means ‘born in the valley’) would make the great peasant musicians and folk singers to gather in small Colombian villages for fierce instrumental duels. Colombian film-maker Ciro Guerra’s protagonist in his second feature-film “The Wind Journeys” (“Los viajes del viento”, 2009) is an aging troubadour/accordion player, who is literally and metaphorically at cross-roads in his life.
“The Wind Journeys” has a simple, thin story-line: an elderly Vallenato musician, Igancio Carillo (Marciano Martinez) is on a quest to return
his accordion to its rightful owner – Ignacio’s old master. Ignacio is
accompanied by a young wanna-be musician Fermin Morales (Yull Nunez), who wants
to be a famous wandering musician. Ignacio has no sweethearts waiting. In fact,
he has recently buried his beloved wife and vowed to not play the accordion. The
Morales in Fermin’s name is derived from his mother’s husband as he doesn’t
know about real biological father, who is said to be some wandering musician. One
is in search for solitude from his exhausted career, while the other is in
search of a career to be in peace. So, its plot structure could make up for a
typical ‘in search of a father/son figure’ movie, but “Wind Journeys” in many
ways remain distinctive, thanks to Guerra’s subtle tones and ponderous rhythms
plus the spectacular landscapes.
The movie is said to have been filmed in nearly 80 locations
around the less explored (cinematically) rural, northern coasts of Colombia (Guerra’s
first movie “The Wandering Shadows” (2004) was a travelogue and so is his
upcoming film “Embrace of the Serpent”, which was filmed in Amazon jungle). The
cross country journey made by Ignacio and Fermin takes the viewers through
remarkable and varied areas of snowy mountain ranges, lagoons and deserts. Director
Guerra’s DoP Paulo Andres Perez employs sweeping wide shots to showcase the
majestic glory of the land. The geographic locations itself plays an important
role in the character transformations and renders a refined episodic quality to
the proceedings. Ignacio battles in an accordion duel, while he also plays in
the background for a life-claiming duel. Cattle rearers and poor farmers from the villages easily recognize as
if he was local mayor or priest. We see brutish plantation owners asking
musicians to play their favorite tunes, in the same manner a king uses jesters
in their court. There are also unexpected, sublime moments, when Ignacio plays
music from the heart.
Guerra imbues the Latin American brand of magical realism in
his script and images. Ignacio’s accordion is decorated with a pair of painted
horns and a folktale behind the instrument is that it was received by Ignacio’s
master as a prize for winning duel against the devil itself. The narration is
filled with similar cultural tidbits, which makes the changing landscapes more
magical. The mythical tales and wonderlands, however, don’t eschew the harsh
lifestyle endured by the people. Guerra never ignores the characters’ woes and the
society’s afflictions, but the folk sensibilities and local musical influences convey
how elegant these people are in accepting life as it is. Guerra uses dialogues
only to provide us some information about Ignacio’s troubled past and the
present existential crisis. For the most part, as in a Herzog or Terrence
Malick movie, the images speak a lot, while the characters find it hard to
express themselves.
The conversations aren’t written in a cinematic fashion and
no definitive answers are provided in the end. Guerra doesn’t even film the
customary goodbyes (typical in Western road movies) or goes for sentimental close-ups,
when the two main characters are soothed by their companionship. Cynicism is
kept at bay, especially when myth, customs and superstitions crisscross the
journey. As the journey is punctuated by outbursts of violence and supernatural
evocations, we expect the film-maker to adopt a cynical tone; the urge to comment
on the absurdity of Ignacio’s quest. But, this absence of cynicism is what adds
strength to the narrative’s contemplative, mysterious tone; it is what renders
the amazement in seeing in a culture, not unhinged by sleek appliances. Most of
the performers in the film are non-actors, playing their real-life parts
(Martinez playing Ignacio was a real Vallenato musician).
Great film-makers and critics often comment that cinema’s
true ability is to make invisible things visible. “The Wind Journeys” (117
minutes) portrays emotions, customs and natural beauty that are otherwise
invisible to our modern, misanthropic eyes. It would be a tedious affair for
mainstream viewers, but a perfect journey for those seeking remarkably mature
& restrained cinematic experience.
Trailer
1 comment:
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