The Wind Journeys (2009)
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The Wind Journeys Movie Review
The Wind Journeys is a 2009 Colombian drama film directed by Ciro Guerra and starring Marciano Martinez. It is a culturally authentic, but slow movie.
The film follows the travels of vallenato musician Ignacio Carrillo who is followed by Fermín, a young boy who wants to be his apprentice, in a journey to return his instrument to his original owner, the man who once was his mentor. This functions as a Colombian version of a road trip movie with the addition of its cultural specificity and rich musical heritage.
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Colombia is a megadiverse country not just biologically, but also culturally. This is most evident in this drama, where we get to visit various different peoples in the smaller villages in the northern part of the country. The filmmakers went above and beyond to depict these people at full capacity with one village not even wanting to be filmed at first, but the end result was a big payoff as the movie is very unique and a great geography and cultural lesson.
My main issue with The Wind Journeys as a film itself is that it simply wasn’t particularly engaging to watch. The slow pace and a narrative that was too simple and relying on visuals way too much led to the feeling of disinterest throughout. The movie was in desperate need of more major plot developments and a sense of momentum.
Marciano Martinez is a musician in real life, so that led another layer of authenticity to his performance. Others failed to compare to him as the movie was rich in a number of different characters and personalities that it incorporated, but overall a sense of comradery and community was definitely felt in many scenes.
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The Wind Journeys is visually arresting thanks to gorgeous cinematography and a great eye to capture the beauty of the country and its people. The score is obviously terrific. I didn’t know much about this particular music, so the movie was eye-opening in that regard. The editing and directing are strong too, but the languid pacing and that lack of momentum really hurt the picture in the long run. Ciro Guerra’s other films (‘Embrace of the Serpent’ and ‘Birds of Passage’) were much more engaging.
The Wind Journeys is a Colombian road movie that is culturally authentic, adventurous and very visually appealing as it captured the beauty of the country so well. It’s a very interesting look into the many different cultures and peoples of this country, in particular focusing on their music, but the immensely languid pace and a lack of memorable plot points robbed the movie of a lot of its momentum.
My Rating – 3.5
This is the 21st film in my American Cinema Marathon where I will watch one film from each American country every day. Next up is 🇹🇹.
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