Tren de sombras

Obligatory view for all those who think Cinema is much more that entertainment.

An emotional and unforgettable experience without any artificial resource.

A distillation of feelings.

Just watch and learn!

I don´t think this is a good movie, despite the awards to the director. I don´t even think this is a movie, for Christ´s sake! It´s way too experimental. Silent movie. Too monotonous at some times. Of course it can bring you to the magic of early cinema. Of course the photography is brilliant. Of course this is a great collection of images... but it´s just not a movie. No plot, no story, no sequence in the action. I thought nothing could ever surprise me after David Lynch´s "Eraserhead". Well, this one did.

... in the 'keeps nagging at you for a long time after' kinda way. The reviews I read before said that the viewer has to piece together his own interpretation of the events and images, and this is true. It has shades of 'Blow Up' as we try to work out the inter-relationships of a family 'caught by an amateur' on film at the beginning of the century. It's all very beautiful aesthetically, but also hard work. The furthest from mainstream that you could possibly get. Perhaps worth a second look to catch more clues.

WARNING: It is difficult to know whether this overview constitutes a spoiler.

This film is nearly pure cinema. It appears to be sans plot, but clues seem to be scattered everywhere. If one watches carefully, there are at least two (2) "filmmakers" (the lawyer and the prestidigitator), at least two (2) objects of desire (one rather more obscure than the other), a collection of family photos and memorabilia, the restored footage from the 1920s, the restoration process itself (beginning about half-way through Tren de Sombras), which signals the presence of an editor (redactor) whose project may be lending a certain intentionality to "archival materials" that the materials themselves may not possess. Clearly there is some intentionality (Guerin's , but of course; but perhaps also the intentions of his characters).

As an audio-visual feast, this film is unsurpassed. There is much food for thought, and the touch is so very light - always the case with Guerin's films.

No, this film will not be for everyone. nevertheless, its rewards are many.