Watching paint dry can be a deeply philosophical experience. You might observe clouds in the distance moving slowly across the sky, disappearing and then reforming; insects crawling across the fresh paint and succumbing to the noxious chemicals therein; and the wet paint hardening and changing form as it bonds with wood. Such observations might lead to pensive thoughts of birth, rebirth, evolution and more.
Likewise, the new Italian film Le Quattro Volte, opening in Atlanta July 15 after a triumphant debut at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, may inspire philosophical musings through its dialogue-free tale of man, animal, plant and mineral. On the other hand, as with watching paint dry, it might bore you to tears.
Directed by Michelangelo Frammartino, Le Quattro Volte tells four “stories,” beginning with a goat herder (Giuseppe Fuda) working his trade in the hills of Calabria in southern Italy. It’s tough work for an aging man with a nasty cough, though a trusty dog provides assistance. Each night, the old shepherd mixes dust collected from the village’s church floor with his water to help combat his ailments.
Segment numero due focuses on the goats themselves, primarily a young kid who we watch being born, initiated into the herd, and then struggling to keep pace with the pack. The third section zeroes in on the fate of a towering tree felled by the hands of man, while a fourth segues into the process of creating charcoal.
Each is told wordlessly, with long static shots frequently leaving the viewing to ponder the significance of a gentle landscape or a small, seemingly trivial movement. Occasionally, a snippet of drama will unfold, such as when the old shepherd labors to wipe an ant off his weathered face.
Le Quattro Volte has its ardent fans, including no less than Roger Ebert and A.O. Scott. But let’s get real: This is the longest 88-minute movie you’ve ever seen. Frammartino’s endless takes and punishing repetition can be excruciating, even for fans of experimental cinema and slow-moving movies. Could the same premise have been carried out better in eight minutes? Quite possibly.
The attempts at visual poetry are laudable. And with the gorgeous Italian countryside to work with, the magnificent vistas, carefully composed and then held for an eternity, at first appear like they might be Le Quattro Volte’s saving grace. But as the film progresses and nature take center stage, even the picturesque landscape starts to lose its luster, with Frammartino’s compositions suffering from a lack of variety.
With culture in constant danger of being dumbed down, it would be nice to celebrate a film that invites quiet contemplation and reflection. But did Le Quattro Volte have to be so drab and dull? When the goats run roughshod inside a human house, climbing atop furniture and toppling items, it’s a rare scene of humor and vitality. For a film seeking to explore the revolving cycles of life and nature, Le Quattro Volte feels surprisingly lifeless.
Grade: D
"Le Quattro Volte" opens in Atlanta on July 15 at Landmark’s Midtown Art Cinema.
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