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The Story of the
Weeping Camel
Directed by:
Byambasuren Davaa & Luigi
Falorni
Starring: Janchiv Ayurzana
Genre:
Foreign
Run Time: 87
min.
Release Date:
February 2004
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
After watching the first half of this rather slow docu-drama,
I felt my eyelids growing heavy. There wasn't a lot of action to keep
the viewer involved, and the story is told completely from a Mongolian
perspective with no voice-over narration nor explanations as to why
certain things are the way they are. And this is both a strength and a
weakness of the film; its strength being a complete submersion into
Mongolian life without any Americanized influence, while its weakness
being the confusion some might feel when cultural things happen for
reasons unknown.
For those who want a fast-paced narrative, you're certainly not going to
find it here. But if you hang in there, the last 20 minutes of the film
will reward you beyond any expectations.
If you're a lover of music, then you're in for a heart-rendering and
absolutely phenomenal climax, too.
The story is about a group of nomadic Mongolian sheep herders who one
day discover that the last camel in their harem is about to give birth
...but all is not going well. The birth is long and painful for the
mother, and human intervention is a must in order to save the colt. And
as the colt emerges from the womb, it appears different: it's completely
white. The mother rejects its offspring and refuses to allow it to
suckle, thus threatening the colt with starvation.
We watch as time and again the sheep herding family try to get the
mother to nurse the newborn, but there seems no hope. The colt may die
...unless they can convince the music teacher of a nearby town to come
and perform a special ceremony involving a Chinese violin. So off to the
city go two young brothers, and convince the teacher to come and help
the mother and colt bond through an incredible musical display.
The one thing that struck me was how sound-oriented camels are. I had no
idea, never having spent much time around these humpbacked giants. But
the Mongolian natives, who've grown up for centuries with these beasts
of burden, know much more about them than most outsiders could ever
imagine.
And, again, don't give up on the film. Watch it to its conclusion and
you won't be disappointed. I promise ...
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Image from The Story of
the Weeping Camel
DVD cost: $18.86
Purchase:
Tower.com
Film Review Stew
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Newsworthy:
National Geographic World
Films—movies without borders—is an initiative of National
Geographic Feature Films, created to showcase great movies from around
the world.
Movie Quote: "Mama,
if the baby doesn't get its milk from its mother will it die?"
Other Actors/Actresses
from The Story of the Weeping Camel
 |
