Mil Nuvens De Paz

Looks like film noir and Bergman. Plays like Lynch. Amazing looking and sounding film. Pretentious? Yes. Did I understand it? Not really. Does that matter? Not a jot. A beautiful, haunting, melodic flow of images and ideas.

But without the excessive artyness, with the plot clearer and more attention to characters, or to put it another way, with a director half as good as its cinematographer, it could have been amazing all over.

It's astonishing that some people saw this as art. We saw it as a poorly filmed (shaky hand-held camera and all), (generally) badly acted, unscripted mess that seemed more like a high school film project with the kids experimenting in black & white film making. Injecting mounds of poetry in place of a story does not an art film make. When we watched this in the theatre, people were starting to have fits of the giggles (us included) at the endless stupidity of this self-indulgent, meandering mess. And believe me, it does seem endless. Had we finished our candy and popcorn, we too would have walked out of the theatre with the other two dozen people who packed up and left looking for something more interesting to do!

Seeing all the negative comments about "A Thousand Clouds of Peace," makes me think that in order to appreciate a film like this, one has to specifically appreciate this kind of filmmaking. For this is a true, independent art-house film in the classic sense. It is a film that conveys feeling, mood, and story, not with words, but with images. and that is what film is supposed to do.

Unashamedly romantic, the film follows the character Gerardo in his search for a person who has offered promises of true love to him. When this guy fails to meet Gerardo on the bridge as promised, he begins to wander the city alone, looking for someone that he never manages to find. Instead, he encounters various strangers who have all experienced a similar disappointment in their own lives. This is a tale filled with broken people who are forever looking for love, happiness, or some human connection. The glorious black and white photography adds to the haunting and lonely atmosphere, while giving the movie a truly beautiful look. The performances are all fine, and utterly believable, especially the acting of Juan Carlos Ortuno, in the main role of Gerardo. His expressive eyes radiate a kind of genuine sadness and loneliness seldom seen even in actors with years of acting experience; and this guy is only 17 years old. If you have a good memory, "A Thousand Clouds of Peace" just might make you recall what it felt like at that age, to be in love, and feeling everything so intensely. This is truly a treat for film lovers; but don't expect a linear story with a lot of talking and exposition...film isn't about that. it's about images, and this one is filled with many that are dazzling, and unforgettable. On a side note, it is very rare to find a gay-themed film that has any artistic value, so this movie is truly a discovery. For those who prefer Hollywood mainstream productions however, you might want to skip this one altogether..

'Mil nubes de paz cercan el cielo, amor, jamas acabaras de ser amor', the Spanish title (extracted from a poem by Pasolini) of this little film from Mexico, is translated for the English language audience as 'A Thousand Clouds of Peace'. Writer/director Julian Hernandez seems to emulate Pasolini's films but has yet to reach the subtle artistry of the Italian master's genre. The film is shot in black and white, uses very little dialogue, and stresses the use of the camera (often at odds with the flow of the storyline) in presenting what appears to be a reflection on the pain of losing love.

Gerardo (Juan Carlos Ortuno) is a 17-year old lad who has apparently just been jilted by his lover Bruno (Juan Carlos Torres) who ended the only affair of Gerardo's life with a letter that plunges Gerardo into despair. Gerardo walks the streets of Mexico City, looking for signs of his lost love, pining away on a bridge, pausing to find the soundtrack recording of an old shared film, attempting unsuccessfully to kindle romance with the occasional hustler and at times meeting with physical abuse. When he is not wandering in his sadness he stays in his room yearning for what is lost and confining his needs to his solo physical dreams. He encounters old friends, both male and female, but there is no real antidote for the loss he is experiencing. And like so many tragic love stories, this one has no happy ending.

Hernandez gives evidence of a potentially potent filmmaker: certainly his subject matter and his frankness of showing frontal nudity and some frankness of contact demonstrate that he is a brave writer and director. Juan Carlos Ortuna is an inexperienced actor, but with Hernandez' guidance he manages to make us feel his plight, trust his genuine grief, and in general make us hope he finds resolution. And to accomplish that with almost no dialogue, relying only on facial and physical shots, shows promise. In Spanish with English subtitles. Grady Harp

"A Thousand Clouds of Peace" is a low budget Mexican oddity, filmed in grainy black-and-white, that has the look and feel of an "art film" stamped all over it. It is a largely nonverbal tale of a 17-year old named Gerardo who, having just been dumped by his boyfriend, now spends his days and nights wandering around the city in a desultory daze, trying to come to terms with his loneliness and despair.

"A Thousand Clouds of Peace" is definitely an acquired taste, but a person who opens himself up to the beauty of its images and the pervasiveness of its mood may find himself intrigued - if not exactly mesmerized - by the experience. The film consists mainly of Gerardo staring soulfully either into the distance or directly into the camera, but Juan Carlos Ortuno creates such a brooding presence that we actually find ourselves touched by the universality of his character's plight. By providing little in the way of drama, dialogue and character interaction, writer/director Julian Hernandez gives the film the simplified form of a parable, turning it into a study of heartbreak and unrequited love, but one stripped of all the usual distractions and clutter.

Dreamlike in its imagery and pacing, "A Thousand Clouds of Peace" will remind you of any number of European art films from the 1960's. Take that as either a recommendation or a warning, depending on your own personal taste.