It’s a good year for legendary directors to reimagine their body of work and their surrounding life as a magical surreal journey. Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu enters the conversation withBardo, which is absolutely not for everyone. It’s mostly for Iñárritu himself, but it’s also one of the most compelling and visually imaginative black comedies of recent memory.
Those who know Iñárritu’s work may remember him for fantastic award-winning films likeBabel,Birdman,andThe Revenant.Bardowas filmed entirely in Mexico, a first for the director in the 22 years since the release of his first filmAmores perros. Iñárritu’s career began in his native land and led to mainstream success in the United States, and that dissonance forms the film’s main storyline.
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Daniel Giménez Cacho delivers a career-best performance as Silverio Gama, a journalist turned documentary filmmaker who is celebrated for his groundbreaking work. In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, Silverio experiences much of his lifealongside bizarre daydreams and fantasies. A trip on the Santa Monica train floods, the floor becoming a playground for aquatic life, and as Silverio crawls through it, he finds himself in his home, with the passenger across from him still watching silently. About half of this film’s sizable runtime is spent experiencing impossible sights and sounds alongside Silverio. This isn’t a case of style over substance, Iñárritu isn’t just trying to keep the audience’s attention with flashy effects, there is a method to the madness. Methodical though it may be,Bardois a dreamlike ride. It’suniquely cold at times, and that might lose some viewers, but the bracingly sincere emotion on display will grab the others by the throat and drag them along.
The word Bardo comes from certain schools of Buddhism. It refers to a liminal state between a being’s physical death and spiritual rebirth. Some Buddhists believe that when a person dies, they spend some time in an unincorporated state before they enter their next life. This period is said to be marked bystrange visions and karmic hallucinations. The state of Bardo is reminiscent of Silverio’s bizarre half-real existence. He’s grounded in the events of his life, his complicated marriage, his shaky connection with his children, and his difficult feelings about both of the nations he’s occupied, but he’s also elsewhere. Elements of the story repeat in interesting ways. Characters use the same terms to describe opposite concepts, he vividly experiences events that never occur, and his entire lie becomes cyclical. At multiple points, characters comment upon Silverio’s work, and theircritiques are clearly directedat the film in which they are characters.Bardois unapologetic and uninterested in self-editing.
Those will little patience for art-house visual storytelling or weird digressions about philosophical topics will not enjoy this film. Theruntime is going to be a big turn-offfor a lot of people. Anyone who doesn’t watch movies for a living might not have an easy time finding two hours and thirty-nine minutes of free time to enjoyBardo. At one point, a character criticizes Silverio’s latest piece for being too long, and he proudly announces that it was only 90 minutes. That joke would probably play a lot better in a film that wasn’t nearly twice that length. This is where the accurate charge of the film as a self-indulgent passion project becomes less of a compliment. Though it is a bit too long, there are very few moments that feel unnecessary. For the most part, everything ties into everything else, and the experience is almost magical as a whole.
There is so much going on inBardo. The film will frequently leave elements unmentioned for half an hour or so, then pick those elements back up with expert precision. The word “epic” doesn’t come uparound black comedy filmsvery often, butBardoreally earns it. It’s a deeply personal story, but it feels like the fate of the world is frequently at stake. It captures the internal struggle of its main character in terms that feel appropriately massive. Iñárritu had something to say about nationality, politics, his ability to comment on those topics, aging, death, marriage, parenthood, and so much more, and he packed it all into one immensely compelling journey.
Anyone with an interest in Iñárritu as a filmmaker must see this film. Some viewers will back away from the weirdly cold presentation, but, there is a burning heart within this film.Bardois an artistic marvel. Elements certainly could’ve been reigned in to allow for a more polished piece of work, but, there’s so much value in this as a statement ofpurpose from the director. There’s not much out there likeBardo. Maybe there shouldn’t be too many movies like this, but the ones that do manage to exist must be seen to be believed. ExperienceBardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. It may not work for everyone, but it’ll be an instant classic for some.
