Life on the breadline in the heart of Bolivia is the backdrop for Kiro Russo’s semi-doc montage-cum-drama THE GREAT MOVEMENT, Winner of the Special Jury Prize in the Horizons strand at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.
A seven day walk and pilgrimage to find work in the Bolivian capital La Paz sees miner Elder trying to represent the good of the common people, but soon finds that life is biting enough and his health begins to deteriorate, prompting him to find help in the form of an elderly woman, Mama Pancha, who in turns finds help in the homeless and mysterious witch doctor Max, chain smoking and reliant on playing cards rather than traditional Tarot to help Elder with his plight.
Before long, the mystical might just have a hand in Elder’s fate….
Director Russo is known as being an idiosyncratic cinematic stylist when it comes to concepts on screen and THE GREAT MOVEMENT should actually be retitled THE JOURNEY’S END, as it is seemingly about a man who is on the cusp of death due to his condition.
Although the film yields its’ fair amount of striking visuals and a sense of proportion when it comes to revealing the Bolivian landscapes and lifestyle of the locals, the strange mix of documentary and narrative have a tendency to impose, impact and detach the audience from the real storyline in the film, with two narratives offset – Elder’s and Max’s – impacting on any real emotional satisfaction.
Throwing in a contrastingly joyful dance sequence that wouldn’t look out of place in SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE or any number of Bollywood epics over the decades makes THE GREAT MOVEMENT far more stranger and surreal.
It is visually competent, but lacks a heart and focus and is more for a niche group of dedicated fans who appreciate Russo’s mannerisms and cinematic style.
THE GREAT MOVEMENT is in Cinemas and Digital Platforms from April 15th.
