BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
What is film if not a tangible manifestation of one’s innermost personal thoughts and struggles? With BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, director Alejandro G. Iñárritu tests this philosophy and pushes the medium to its limits. The film follows the life of Mexican journalist/documentarian Silverio Gaucho in the days leading up to receiving a prestigious American award for his work as a said journalist. Being named the recipient of this award has sent him into a midlife crisis - questioning his integrity as an artist, mortality, relationships, and identity. Told in a surrealist manner, what ensues is a deeply personal and raw reflection of an artist grappling with his legacy.
Iñárritu is no stranger to depicting the harsh reality of an artist nearing the end of his life what with Best Picture winner Birdman but in BARDO, it’s evident that the film emerged from the depths of his soul. The prevalent themes of nationality and Silverio’s struggle with finding belongingness as a Mexican-American make the protagonist an obvious self-insert for Iñárritu himself. This is only furthered by Silverio's journey of grappling with the ethics of his societal status as a renowned artist. However pretentious this and even the execution of the film might be, it is never not fascinating to see the master of a craft at their most transparent and use their talent to create an expansive cinematic experience.
The film starts off with the “unbirthing” of one of our protagonist’s children. A start to BARDO’s elements of magical realism and surreal symbolism. This presentation on Silverio’s loss lets us know of an unreliable narrator and that the audience is in for an uncanny ride. The uniqueness of Iñárritu and Nicolás Giacobone’s screenplay makes for a trippy nearly three-hour viewing experience that never once feels dull. Self-referential and constantly blurring the lines between reality and fiction, Iñárritu and Giacobone keep viewers on their toes and reward them for their attention. For all of the themes the film juggles, Iñárritu and Giacobone give each one enough time and depth to create an emotional impact worthy of the film’s runtime.
Khondji’s sweeping cinematography capturing the essence of Silverio’s (Daniel Giménez Cacho) sprawling celebration of his documentary.
These elements are propelled by Darius Khondji’s grand-scale cinematography. Keeping in tune with The Revenant and Birdman’s long takes, Iñárritu leans more into the wide shots of the former but trades the desolate forest terrain of the Americas for the varied landscapes of Mexico - arid deserts, packed dancefloors, a beachside mansion, historical monuments - captured by Khondji’s wide lenses. Accompanying this vast, extensive imagery is complex blocking that is enamoring. The imaginative ways the camera interacts with the environment elevate the cinematography from being long take after long take for the sake of the spectacle. Straying away from becoming a gimmick, the technique is used with restraint and only when needed.
Daniel Giménez Cacho carries the film effortlessly as the leading Silverio Gaucho. Cacho has no issues with handling the subtle emotional weight of a midlife crisis and portraying what it looks like when the weight has been lifted off one’s shoulder. The supporting cast does what is required of them well but given that the film hinges on the singular experience of the protagonist, not much time is given for them to shine.
Where BARDO might fall flat for many with its perceived pompousness, it is in this that I find appreciation for it. Nowadays is the existence of a film so unabashed and careless of what people think rare. As time passes, it feels like there are going to be fewer opportunities to see a director run rampant with their ideas and have them all strewn out on the screen for the world to see. However flashy and self-aggrandizing it may be, BARDO is Iñárritu’s stream of consciousness in its purest form. It’s an artist wrestling with his creations and the process of creation. It’s about finding one’s identity and reconnecting with your roots. It’s someone coming to grips with life after death and the legacy they leave behind. If not for anything else, BARDO is a director displaying his deepest, most introspective thoughts and using the medium of film for what it is for - vulnerability.
Verdict: In all of its surrealism and borderline narcissistic moments, I can’t help but award BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths a Nick Pick for its audaciousness and commitment to its vision.