The Burning Plain

(2009)

Directed by

Guillermo Arriaga

Review by Todd Plucknett

Going into a film written by Guillermo Arriaga, one will probably expect a fractured storyline, telling several different stories at once that will all interlock in some unexpected and significant way. Well, this is the case again with The Burning Plain, his directorial debut. Surprisingly, however, this film is not driven by this narrative style. There are interlocking stories, but that seems secondary to the drama that each story builds. I expected that with his directing debut he would use the interlocking stories in a way that could come off as indulgent, since that is largely who he is as a filmmaker. It is actually his most calmed down film, and probably his most personal. It is about dealing with past mistakes, seeing family and friends tear themselves apart, and about how families react to tragedies.

There are basically four storylines going on in this film. Sylvia (Oscar-winner Charlize Theron) is a waitress with a troubled past who tries to ease her emotional pain by sleeping around. Gina (Oscar-winner Kim Basinger) is a mother who is cheating on her husband with Nick (Joaquim de Almeida). His son is Santiago (J.D. Pardo), who is involved with Gina’s daughter Mariana (Jennifer Lawrence), which is forbidden by both families. Maria (Tessa la) is a 12 year old girl whose father gets into a serious plane crash while dusting his crops. These stories are all intertwined in some way, and the manner in which they are revealed in implies that this is not what the movie is about. That is just how Arriaga chooses to tell stories. The real beauty of the film lies in the drama. Each of the stories involves real characters that can be related to. Each of them has a different tone and a different point of emphasis. The screenplay in this film is a real marvel, one of Arriaga’s more interesting achievements.

Arriaga tells this story with the focus almost solely on female characters, which is something that he has not really explored before. Each of them is carried by one outstanding performance. Charlize Theron gives another emotionally gripping performance that is on par with most of her praised roles. Kim Basinger gives her best performance since L.A. Confidential, but in reality, that isn’t saying too much. She is really good here, though. Jennifer Lawrence may become a star after this film. She gives one of the most impressive major film debuts in recent memory. J.D. Pardo is adequate in his role. Tessa la gives a nice turn as Maria. And it is always good to see Robin Tunney. She needs to get more roles.

What I love most about this film is that it is a complete breakaway from Arriaga’s frequent collaborator Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. It really proves that Arriaga does not need him. Most of the credit for their past collaborations went to Inarritu, but with the emotional depth and simplicity of The Burning Plain, it proves that Arriaga is really the one who deserved the praise. This one has real drama with real characters. None of the interlocking details seem strange or outrageous, like some in his past films did. In his past work, they acted as twists. Here, however, they are just continuations of the story. It may not be as devastating as 21 Grams, as powerful as Babel, or as energetic as Amores Perros, but it embraces its characters and creates a richly fulfilling erotic drama about. It does not toy with you. Sure details are kept from the audience, but this is only done to keep them guessing and to not reveal the entire story before it happens.

I caught this film at the Seattle International Film Festival. Being a big Arriaga fan, I was expecting great things from his directorial debut. I could not have been more pleased with this. It was also met with a very positive reaction by the audience, getting a nice applause when the credits started rolling. I am sure that it will split audiences and critics, though, because that seems to be the popular thing to do with anything Charlize Theron does and anything that Arriaga writes. This film deserves its chance, though. Hopefully it will not just be a film that just plays at some festivals, gets released in New York and LA, and then goes to DVD sometime the next year. If people give it a chance, they will find a truly beautiful and nuanced drama with many rewards. Is it his best work? No, but it is well worth a look. Arriaga is one of the most talented screenwriters in the world, and I hope he continues to give us these richly moving character dramas for years to come.

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