•
Rating:
Based on the novel of the same name by J.M. Coetzee, the cornerstone of the film is an eternally relevant theme: the impotence of empathy, sensitivity, and intelligence in the face of the brutality of those who see in the domination of other human beings, arbitrarily judged as inferior, a natural and immutable condition. A fertile ground in a period of massive migrations and unbearable rhetoric from both camps, like this one.
The plot is very simple: in an unspecified era, on the edge of an unidentified desert, a settlement of colonists of a hypothetical Empire is sensibly and fairly administered by a magistrate whose name is never mentioned (Mark Rylance). Far from being convinced that the indigenous people, the barbarians of the title, pose a threat to his nation, he studies their history and culture driven by genuine anthropological interest. However, the peaceful coexistence regime he managed to establish between the two peoples begins to crumble badly when Colonel Joll (Johnny Depp) is sent to the site, unwavering in his belief that the locals are organizing to wage war on the Empire. Promptly assisted by his henchman Mandel (Robert Pattinson), he launches a series of interrogations where recourse to torture is the norm, extracting unreliable confessions from the hapless victims. Every attempt by the magistrate to curb such unjustified violence proves futile, ending with him in the defendants' seat for high treason after assisting a barbarian girl whom he became infatuated with.
Despite all efforts to emphasize the importance of the topics discussed, the film fails spectacularly to convey the depth of the original work. Doubly disappointing considering that the screenplay was done by Coetzee himself, simplifying and trivializing the dialogues he wrote forty years ago, depriving them of many interesting points of reflection. Some unfortunate directorial choices, including the sparse use of long shots in a setting that allows for sumptuous ones, abrupt transitions from one scene to another that I imagine make it rather difficult to understand what is happening for those who haven't read the book, as well as the lack of music in moments when the pathos should be maximized, contribute to the unpleasant feeling of leaving the theater having seen nothing.
The presence of Depp and Pattinson seems justifiable only by the need to attract people to the cinema, as both merely do their part without highlighting the cold ruthlessness that should characterize their characters. Definitely better is Rylance in the lead role and the Mongolian model Gana Bayarsaikhan as the barbarian girl, although unfortunately, the relationship between the two is treated in the same Spartan and antiseptic manner, the bane of the entire film.
Narratively weak, modest in staging, simplistic in adaptation. I can't say if it's more of a missed opportunity or a demonstration that certain ways of storytelling work well only on paper.
Loading comments slowly
