WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
Bringing us only his second major film effort, writer/director David Oelhoffen takes us back to Algeria circa 1954 and tells of an isolated French teacher and former reservist army officer Daru (Viggo Mortensen) whose found a peaceful, albeit cloistered, life away from the still ongoing French-Algerian War helping his young Algerian students learn his language. One day during class, a local lawman brings to Daru a villager accused of murder, Mohamed (Reda Kateb), and tasks him with taking him to a nearby city to stand trial. Initially refusing, Daru is given no choice and takes on the burden. Still wanting to have nothing to truly do with Mohamed, a circumstance causes Daru to change his mind and escort him across the Algerian desert wastes to the city. Along the way, the two men begin to learn more about each other, and a first uneasy meeting begins to grow into a hesitant friendship. The journey across the open roads in the desert proves too dangerous, and so the two head into the mountains instead, still running afoul of trouble at several points. But, once Daru learns of the reasons behind Mohamed’s crime, he begins to realize that effectively sending him off to certain death may not be the moral choice despite the given circumstances. And through both the trials and successes they both experience, it is Daru who realizes that sometimes, the honor and measure of a man is found well beyond just his actions.
Leave it to the beauty of independent film to capture such a deep, resounding, human story in the most simple, yet profound way. Utilizing the backdrop of the vast Algerian landscape, with its harsh, yet at the same time beautiful, terrain, the tale of two men finding the power of understanding and friendship amidst cultural and ethnical differences shines through. And with the overall situation they find themselves in, the possible chances of not even surviving always present, the story quietly provides opportunities for these two world-weary men to unexpectedly bond and find reasons to trust that were not existing at the start. Mortensen brings his consistent, character-driven passion to the role of Daru, infusing him with such genuineness and believability that you cannot help but be sympathetic to his hesitations to leave his simple, reclusive life and put himself back out into the world for the sake of someone he doesn’t know or relate to, much less a accused criminal. Kateb likewise gives Mohamed the fearful, uncertain attitude he feels in just being “dropped off” and treated as less than a man, but then coming out of his shell as, through time, more and more kindness is shown to him by Daru. Wonderful cinematography and a soulful soundtrack lend credence to the narrative and, as viewers, we are swept away with these two people to a place we can relate to–being creatures of habit and initial prejudices, stubborn in our own resolve, but at the core, open to change and learning about one another.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
