Movie Review: Silent Light (2007)

The Nature of Love

Movie: Silent Light

Dir: Carlos Reygadas

On the surface, Silent Light tells the story of the dilemma and pain involved when Johann seriously falls in love with Marrianne while he is still married to Esther. Theirs is a very Christian family in which a day begins with a silent prayer before having their food (be it cornflakes in the dining table or tacos on the back of a pickup) and Johann is this family man who can't afford to be one with Marrianne for the sake of maintaining the peace of his own household.

The Mexican countryside is peaceful and the only turbulence that seems to be disturbing this state of calm is the turbulence of love. “Peace is stronger than love” says Marrianne when she opines that they should call it quits after a brief episode of making love, maybe for the first and the last time. The sensual and caring nature of touch gains it’s own significance, be it while Johann shampoos his kids, massages their feet or while tenderly caressing Marianne. I couldn’t resist myself from getting reminded of the beautiful landscapes and sensual tangibles of a Terrence Malick movie (it might also be because I am more acquainted with his films as this is my first Carlos Reygadas film as a viewer). But unlike a Malick film which is profuse with voiceovers and Lubeski's running camera, Silent Light makes us to observe the nature and its landscapes before asking us to root for characters and the ensuing action. It’s a kind of detached filmmaking that doesn’t want to disrupt the calm that is on display. My favourite bit of the film was the driving scene where the husband and wife has a conversation about how things have turned bad in their relationship, while the car is driving on amidst the cornfields, with a sky full of dark clouds ready to pour down. And it does eventually crash down mercilessly, in an attempt to be one with the emotional turmoil of the people involved, in a rather unpretentious manner, rather than being overtly dramatic.

In the end, Silent Light is a pleasant film about the agony of love and how no one can foretell or change what fate or the Grace of God( as Johann’s father states that everything works according to His plans) has in store. Barry Jenkins’s once went to the extent of praising it without any bounds and calling it the best film of 21st century. I watched it while it was raining outside (not that it should be watched in the rainy season alone 🤤) and the state of calm the movie induces drove me into a pleasant mood of gleeful brooding. It's a fine film.👍

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