The Film
A movie that includes slingshot slayings of little birds, explosions, charred flesh, and a super slutty, naked Charlize Theron seems like it would have Best Picture nom written all over it. It's not even close, but all of those elements are key parts of director Guillermo Arriaga's The Burning Plain.
Those familiar with Arriaga's written work (21 Grams, Babel) shouldn't be surprised that this film jumps all over the place. Those not impressed with a film that has more back-and-forth than a tennis match might have a hard time with this painfully dramatic tale.
Without giving too much away, Sylvia (Theron) is a slut and a bad mom. Apparently, she learned from the best, since her own mother Gina (Kim Basinger) had an affair with a married Mexican-American man (Joaquim De Almeida) in the mid-'90s.
Aside from that, we can tell you that the film opens with a blazing fire and spends the rest of its 107 minutes jumping between the tale of those two moms, but in different time periods. Also, there's a third story depicting Sylvia's troubled childhood -- a time when she went by the name Mariana (The Bill Engvall Show's Jennifer Lawrence).
Confused? It's very easy to be. That's the downfall of The Burning Plain. Straight up, the story seems pretty interesting and the two female leads do a wonderful job. Unfortunately, those two things, along with the birds, the self-mutilation and nudity just aren't enough. There's something about this movie that rubs us the wrong way. Arriaga just spends way too much time trying to be clever. Instead, it's very easy to get lost in his artistic process.
The Picture
Each of the stories in The Burning Plain seems to have its own color palette. For the most part, this 2.40:1 transfer displays all of them pretty well. There are a few soft shots, but detail is decent. It's nothing to throw up in a demo, since many of the colors are muted. However, that style really helps to set the tone for the film. Still, when you are least expecting it, you'll see plenty of colors popping, most notably during the fire or some of the film's other outdoor scenes. The film definitely benefits by being on Blu-ray.
The Sound
This movie could have easily flown under the radar, but this DTS-HD Master Audio track just won't allow it. Being an indie, we expected most of the sound to stick close to the front speakers. Instead, this film is filled with big, constant sounds from every angle; from the trailer flames to crashing waves to cropduster sounds to kitchen chatter. Despite the overstuffed soundfield, the dialogue is always crystal clear, but usually very soft. Overall, the sound is extremely impressive, not just for an indie drama, but for any drama.
The Extras
"The Making of The Burning Plain" is poorly shot, but contains a lot of interesting information about the movie. Right off the bat, director Guillermo Arriaga says that a childhood memory sparked (no pun intended) this story. He also talks about how the film was shot, which gives a little insight to the various tones used in the movie. It's a nice 45-minute sit down with the director, which is a decent trade-off, since there's no commentary.
Final Thoughts
The Burning Plain is a fairly entertaining movie -- if you can hang in there. Most likely, all of the jumping around will make average viewer pretty seasick. Despite a surprisingly impressive Blu-ray release and a naked Charlize Theron, this one is perhaps best served up as a rental.
Product Details
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