Bajo California: El límite del tiempo

Marvelous amalgam of ambient sound, pithy dialogue (occasionally betrayed by poor subtitling), craggy faces, craggier landscapes, and an unerring sense of concise communication. The comparison to Wenders is apt, particularly something like Kings of the Road. Only this is much less about the art of film and much more real. I feel that I'm failing to explain what makes this film so remarkable, because it is more than the great photography, editing, and acting. Truly memorable.

An unusual movie coming from a mexican director. The story of a man who sets out to find himself among the deserts of Baja California. He travels from Los Angeles to San Francisco de la Sierra, travels across the landscape and finally arrives at his destination, the primitive paintings of the californian indians.

Resembles Wim Wenders "Paris, Texas" in that our protagonist is looking for something that he can´t find, something that he needs in order to feel complete. The movie´s length lets us share his journey. The landscape is beautiful and desolate, as anyone familiar with Baja California will recognize. An excellent achievement by a mexican director. Not a movie for everybody, but one that stays with you after you´ve seen it. The phrase "...el pasado son todos nuestros muertos" is very powerful; I definitely recommend this movie.

I had the pleasure of catching this little gem here in Santa Fe. If you get the chance, don't miss it. A beautiful hero's journey of redemption, finding your roots, friendship, nature, against the stunning Baja California backdrop.

story of a spiritual journey of a losangelitos returning to the land of his ancestors in the rocky mountains of baja california. Style reminds Wim Wenders, in which the main character is a wandering person in search of something that he himself doesn't know, and just like in Wim Wender's films, he too carries a Polaroid camera. Very little dialogue, mostly imagery of rocky mountain desert (very similar to Anza-Borrego state park near San Diego). Initially I was finding the story rather boring and was ready to walk out, but I am glad I didn't: in the second half the story develops into the casual relationship between the character from Los Angeles and his guide, Arce, a local rancher. Again, very parsimonious on dialogue, generous on desert imagery, with a spice here and there of the spiritual rediscovery of attachment to the native land.

This is a slow-paced film about a guy who goes to visit the resting place of his ancestors. Must like Chariots of Fire (1981) it is slow as molasses. Yet the director of that Best Picture Winner could learn a lot about how to make a decent move from this one:

I. Characters: Both works focus mainly on two characters.

Bajo: Damian and Arce don't say much, but we come to find that they're the simplest of men. Damian is a simple artist and Arce is some sort of rural worker. Further on, we find out that Damian is being consumed by guilt over an unethical moment of weakness (so we feel sympathetic) and Arce is brave, resourceful, and an empathetic friend.

Chariots: Abrahams is an arrogant elite university SJW who cries when he loses at a race. Liddell is an arrogant and delusional guy who refuses to run on the Sabbath. The more they talk, they less we like them and the more bored we become.

II. Plot

Bajo: Damian is a guy who seems to want to discover his roots. We later learn he's remorseful about something he did and he's trying to deal with that by going off to his grandmother's grave before his wife gives birth. Arce is his stoic and mostly silent guide.

Chariots: Abrahams and Liddell want to win some foot race not even they care about.

III. Music

Bajo: Not much music. Mostly sounds of wind in the desert. Timeless.

Chariots: Some bland synthesizer track that everyone was going crazy over at the time it premiered. Now seems like they're laughing at it because tastes changed. Who cares. It's neither the greatest nor the worst track in its day nor is it now.

Bajo California: El limite del tiempo is a slow-paced movie that offers good food for thought. It's mainly about one or two guys wandering through desert terrain and the two guys don't talk all that much or deeply.

It's very reminiscent of a travellogue with moderate spikes of drama and character discovery. I wasn't bored, but I wouldn't blame others if they were.

Ohh, and Alcazar's Mexican-American accent is really fake.

Honourable mentions: Raiders of the Lost Arc (1981). I haven't seen it, but most people agree it should have won best picture in 1981 over Chariots. Honestly almost anything would have been better, even Absence of Malice (1981) (which I did see).