‘The Burning Plain’ is Guillermo Arriaga’s first film as both writer and director. For anyone who found ‘Babel’ a bit too slick, this film is both familiar and comes as something of a relief. However, it is not entirely a success – Arriaga’s development of his central female character, a damaged single woman played by Charlize Theron, is flawed. Less flasy and full of tricks than previous works, it remains compelling and at its best possesses a creepy, intimate sexuality.
Most familiar is Arriaga’s presentation of disparate storylines that evolve gradually; interrelated like common cousins at a wedding. Only this time, the fragmentation is temporal as well as geographical: the film operates over two distinct periods, each about 12 years apart, enabling us to witness the same characters at two wildly different stages of their lives. This is refreshing and makes for curious viewing. A little more nuance would have been welcome – but overall Arriaga has delivered a compelling and entertaining debut that stays true to his earlier interests.
Dave Calhoun