My favorite film at this year's festival was an evening screening of a leisurely three-act western with an epilogue. Biliana and Marina Grozdanova's Eastern Western is a masterpiece. Too often (and with a certain weariness), westerns focus on frontier justice and infighting within the law enforcement system. Grozdanova's film is refreshing in the way it manages expectations and becomes a delicate treatise on the brotherhood that arises from the immigrant experience in 19th-century America.
With the exception of one beautifully executed shootout, the film chooses to focus on campfire conversations, everyday life, and the all-consuming need for friendship in unfamiliar territory.
Directors: Biliana Grozdanova, Marina Grozdanova
Writers: Biliana Grozdanova, Marina Grozdanova
Stars: Stefan Bandic, Meag Belland, Dora Brtan
Beginning with immigrant Igor (Igor Galijasevic) and his young son as they fend for themselves in a winter cabin, Eastern Western immediately captivated me with its observation and appreciation of the simple goodness of survival. There are interactions with grizzly bears. The act of comforting a crying two-year-old boy with the loss of his mother. And a frigid landscape that sends shivers down your spine.
It is here that his friend Duncan (Duncan Vezain) arrives and invites Igor to help him on his horse ranch. Igor initially declines the offer, but necessity soon compels him to settle in with Duncan and his family (also played by his real-life wife and two blonde daughters). The film's second act introduces more characters from ranch life, and although brief moments of darkness intrude on the beautifully languid atmosphere, Eastern Western continues to create an undeniable sense of naturalism.
The third act and epilogue are the most impactful, as the film extends its worldview across generations and even oceans. I won't reveal the fantastic epilogue, but Eastern Western is a film that more readily addresses the fragments of life's endless cycle than other works that dedicate three hours and digital special effects to connecting people and worlds. Simply a wonderful film.
Comments
Post a Comment