Twentynine Palms

France, United States, Germany

2003

119 Min

Color

2.35:1

English, French

Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
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PROD Rachid Bouchareb, Jean Bréhat

CAST Yekaterina Golubeva, David Wissak

SOUND Philippe Lecoeur

Toronto (Visions), Venice (Competition), London (French Revolutions), Melbourne (International Panorama), Rotterdam (Main Programme), Mar del Plata (Point of View), Göteborg

Synopsis

David, an independent photographer, and Katia, an unemployed woman, leave Los Angeles, en route to the southern California desert, where they search for a natural set to use as a backdrop for a magazine photo shoot. They find a motel in the town of Twentynine Palms and spend their days in their sport-utility vehicle, discovering the Joshua Tree Desert, and losing themselves on nameless roads and trails. Frantically making love all the time and almost everywhere, they regularly fight, then kiss and make up, with little else going on in their empty relationship and quite ordinary daily life—until something horrible and hideous brutally puts an end to their trip. —IMDb

Director

Bruno Dumont

Bruno Dumont is a filmmaker whose use of celluloid is a direct result of his intense desire to understand and make sense of the world around him. His downbeat dramas may not appeal to those who see only the negative in a cinematic world of stark reality, but viewers with the ability to see a glimmer of light in the darkness will surely connect with his sometimes bleak cinematic endeavors. A former philosophy professor who has turned his mind toward crafting confrontational films in which no aspect of modern society is out of bounds, Dumont has claimed that his films are the result of a noted effort to bring film back to the body in hopes of stirring the viewer’s emotions. His 1997 debut, The Life of Jesus, was not a literal retelling of the events of the life of the biblical Jesus, but a socially critical look at life in Northern France. Acclaimed worldwide for its affecting portrayal of bored street youth, the film opened many doors for the director, and it wasn’t long before he was crafting his sophomore effort, Humanity (1999). Influenced by such filmmakers as Bergman, Pasolini, and Fellini, Dumont’s ability to make the most mundane aspects of daily life into fascinating film subjects is largely the result of his early film career, in which his work on industrial films forced him to take interest in subjects he cared little about. In a similar manner, the molasses-like pace of Humanity forced viewers to witness the harrowing investigation of the rape and murder of a young girl by a detached police officer in an manner that effectively emphasized the mundane mechanics of the officer’s day-to-day routine. Once again the recipient of numerous festival awards, Dumont earned the the Grand Jury Prize at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival for Humanity. Though it was increasingly obvious that his vision as a director was certainly not for all viewers, those who were affected by his films remained steadfast in their praise. For his third film, Dumont would separate his detractors from his supporters more than ever. A horrific isolationist meditation on violence that jarringly shatters its quiet first acts with a near unwatchable finale, Twentynine Palms follows an American photographer and an unemployed French woman as they frantically make love in the desert before their tentative paradise is effectively destroyed with a startling revelation. Whether you agree with Dumont’s theories on the human capacity for violence or not, odds are that you will be affected by his vision. —allmovie guide

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Mr. Arkadin

15May12

The last 10 minutes indeed. What starts out as a portrait of a volatile, deeply unstable couple (who spend most of the film violently swinging between emotional poles) turns into a more disturbing, more debilitating version of *Deliverance*. Golubeva's performance is complicated, constantly teetering on an edge—at times downright painful. As bleak as bleak can be. (And did anybody else think of *Fat Girl's* ending?)

Peter and HKFanatic like this

HKFanatic

30Apr12

If I had seen this back in 2003, it probably would have had more of an impact. Dumont really captures that whole post-9/11, mired-in-Iraq feeling of uncertainty and dread that consumed the culture, crossed with a healthy heaping of xenophobia - back then everybody around the world was 'afraid of Americans.' It's mostly about the sexes, though. And the last 10 minutes will make you want to jump out of your skin.

Mr. Arkadin likes this

Mr. Arkadin

4May12

I'd been thinking about watching this soon--now it's a must asap...
Coheed 2.0

9May12

I need to see any of Dumont's films regardless including this one. Having seen none of his films has left a huge gap in my viewing amongst others.

Peter

21Feb12

existential horror. very effectively creates a burgeoning atmosphere of dread. minimalist and experimental, even by Bruno Dumont's standards, the film may be interpreted as a frenchman's commentary on American xenophobia. stars the always ravishing Yekaterina Golubeva in a role encompassing startling sexuality, mood volatility and one of the most convincing portrayals of sheer terror I've seen captured on film.

HKFanatic likes this

julia

2Feb12

I appreciate the way Dumont skilfully uses sex scenes in his films. They are never used to pedal spectators attentiveness, but to reveal deeper motivations of characters. Moreover, this film's sex scenes impressivly represent the difference in the nature of feminine and masculine love.

Deep-Immersion and 2 others like this

Peter, HKFanatic