"Southwest" (Brazil, 2011), a black and white film with an extremely wide aspect ratio opens with a slow panning shot of a dirt roadway from behind brush. Gradually, we recognize the clip clop of horse hooves and then see a slow moving horse drawn wagon. The land is stark and barren, with a lake in the background. A coachman with a passenger come into view. There is no dialogue. In fact, there is none for the first 10 minutes of the film. The imagery prevails. A narrow road winding between two bodies of water is the last part of this trip. There are squawks of chickens and creaks of windmill blades as the woman - a bruxa (witch) (Léa Garcia) - arrives at an inn, and then enters.
Dona Iraci, the bruxa, is taken to a room where a deceased young woman lies face up in a bed. A faint cry is heard. The bruxa waves a plant over the body. Finally, there is a bit of dialogue as the bruxa and Conceiçåo (Dira Paes) briefly talk about death.
From the first moments of this film, the extraordinary cinematography, mystery, and themes of death and rebirth draw one in and take the viewer through an unexplainable but profound day in the life of Clarice, the baby born at the inn. Clarice lives her entire life in that one day. The viewer should suspend logic and simply immerse oneself in her journey. Clarice's path heads perhaps to familiar places, but it is for the viewer to sort out the story and meaning.
Clarice, as a young girl (Raquel Bonfante), leaves her hut (on stilts in the middle of a lake) where she lives with Dona Iraci. She heads to the lands, docking her rowboat near saltpans where men mine salt. She befriends a young boy, Joåo (Victor Navega Motta), someone she bonds with immediately. Soon she meets Joåo's mother, Luzia (Mariana Lima). Luzia is mourning the death of her daughter, also named Clarice. Luzia's husband Sebastiåo, owner of the salt farm, is brittle and biting, like the mineral he mines. He expresses little sympathy toward his wife's lamentations; he just wants supper. Further, his behavior towards the young Clarice creates uneasiness.
I was reminded of the style of David Lynch (slow takes and long pans, respect for silence, use of shadows, candles and low lights as in "Elephant Man," and use of the dream motif). Others (such as writer Heiter Augusto) suggest the influences of Andrei Tarkovsky, a Russian filmmaker lauded for his beautiful imagery, extremely long takes and panning shots, themes of memory, childhood and dreams, and composing shots placing characters within their larger environments.
In the book "Tarkovsky" (ed. Nathan Dunne, to be reissued November 2013),Andrei Tarkovsky is quoted: "Juxtaposing a person with an environment that is boundless, collating him with a countless number of people passing by close to him and far away, relating a person to the whole world, that is the meaning of cinema." This is an apt description of how Nunes develops the Clarice character in "Southwest." Her relationship with Joåo is probably the most telling and meaningful. In a significant moment, Clarice tells Joåo, "Close your eyes. Now ... listen to the sound of rain."
This film is the debut feature film of director Eduardo Nunes. It has been critically acclaimed and has won several awards, including the award for Best Latin American Film and Best Cinematography (Mauro Pinheiro, Jr.) at the 2011 Rio International Film Festival, and for Best Director and Best Cinematography at the 2013 Sao Paulo Assn. of Art Critics Awards. Nunes studied film at the Fluminense Federal University in Rio de Janeiro. He has directed documentaries beginning in 1998 and five short films, one of which, "Reminiscence," won several awards at the Belo Horizonte International Short Film Festival in 2002.
This is a beautifully rendered and thoughtful film. The long takes and panning shots give the viewer plenty of time to explore the mythical world in which Clarice is living (has lived). The wide screen suggests the breadth of life and the panoramic view that surrounds people as they go about their day-to-day lives. Moments of silence allow for reflection. The focus on the two Clarices leads to thoughts about life, identity, and memory. The ideal viewing is on the big screen due to the film's inherent beauty and the dreamlike quality of its storytelling. "Southwest" gives the viewer time to enjoy the amazing art, storytelling, and cinematography of this film.
This film, part of the Global Lens 2013 series, is my favorite film this year.
Dona Iraci, the bruxa, is taken to a room where a deceased young woman lies face up in a bed. A faint cry is heard. The bruxa waves a plant over the body. Finally, there is a bit of dialogue as the bruxa and Conceiçåo (Dira Paes) briefly talk about death.
From the first moments of this film, the extraordinary cinematography, mystery, and themes of death and rebirth draw one in and take the viewer through an unexplainable but profound day in the life of Clarice, the baby born at the inn. Clarice lives her entire life in that one day. The viewer should suspend logic and simply immerse oneself in her journey. Clarice's path heads perhaps to familiar places, but it is for the viewer to sort out the story and meaning.
Clarice, as a young girl (Raquel Bonfante), leaves her hut (on stilts in the middle of a lake) where she lives with Dona Iraci. She heads to the lands, docking her rowboat near saltpans where men mine salt. She befriends a young boy, Joåo (Victor Navega Motta), someone she bonds with immediately. Soon she meets Joåo's mother, Luzia (Mariana Lima). Luzia is mourning the death of her daughter, also named Clarice. Luzia's husband Sebastiåo, owner of the salt farm, is brittle and biting, like the mineral he mines. He expresses little sympathy toward his wife's lamentations; he just wants supper. Further, his behavior towards the young Clarice creates uneasiness.
I was reminded of the style of David Lynch (slow takes and long pans, respect for silence, use of shadows, candles and low lights as in "Elephant Man," and use of the dream motif). Others (such as writer Heiter Augusto) suggest the influences of Andrei Tarkovsky, a Russian filmmaker lauded for his beautiful imagery, extremely long takes and panning shots, themes of memory, childhood and dreams, and composing shots placing characters within their larger environments.
In the book "Tarkovsky" (ed. Nathan Dunne, to be reissued November 2013),Andrei Tarkovsky is quoted: "Juxtaposing a person with an environment that is boundless, collating him with a countless number of people passing by close to him and far away, relating a person to the whole world, that is the meaning of cinema." This is an apt description of how Nunes develops the Clarice character in "Southwest." Her relationship with Joåo is probably the most telling and meaningful. In a significant moment, Clarice tells Joåo, "Close your eyes. Now ... listen to the sound of rain."
This film is the debut feature film of director Eduardo Nunes. It has been critically acclaimed and has won several awards, including the award for Best Latin American Film and Best Cinematography (Mauro Pinheiro, Jr.) at the 2011 Rio International Film Festival, and for Best Director and Best Cinematography at the 2013 Sao Paulo Assn. of Art Critics Awards. Nunes studied film at the Fluminense Federal University in Rio de Janeiro. He has directed documentaries beginning in 1998 and five short films, one of which, "Reminiscence," won several awards at the Belo Horizonte International Short Film Festival in 2002.
This is a beautifully rendered and thoughtful film. The long takes and panning shots give the viewer plenty of time to explore the mythical world in which Clarice is living (has lived). The wide screen suggests the breadth of life and the panoramic view that surrounds people as they go about their day-to-day lives. Moments of silence allow for reflection. The focus on the two Clarices leads to thoughts about life, identity, and memory. The ideal viewing is on the big screen due to the film's inherent beauty and the dreamlike quality of its storytelling. "Southwest" gives the viewer time to enjoy the amazing art, storytelling, and cinematography of this film.
This film, part of the Global Lens 2013 series, is my favorite film this year.
