With contemporary cinema being increasingly tailored to fit short attention spans and inattentiveness, there are close to no movies able to escape being caught into this so-called trap.
Will Tavlin, a writer and fact checker based in New York, notes that Netflix screenwriters are encouraged to include sections where actors describe what they are doing verbally in the scene so that viewers are able to understand what is occurring without needing to look up at the screen, playing against the traditional rule of “show not tell” by telling and showing.
However effective this strategy can prove for casual viewing it can however diminish the experience for attentive viewers, making the movie seem less enjoyable. Nowadays, Netflix’s power over the film industry has allowed for this second screen viewing to seep into the production of other movies, and while countless may still have theatrical releases, a successful film will inevitably end up on an important streaming service to be watched in environments most certainly containing more than one device.
One recent movie has been able to elude this trend: “Based on the beloved novella by Denis Johnson, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier (Golden Globe-nominee Joel Edgerton), whose life unfolds during an era of unprecedented change in early 20th century America.”
What sets Train Dreams apart from other movies is its capability of keeping the viewers hooked for the entirety of the movie, it allows for 102 minutes of complete originality and balance between dialogue and movement, showing, without needing a single word to translate the most complex emotions.
Breathtaking cinematography fills the film with countless scenes which extend beyond the simplicity of the shot, allowing an insight on the protagonist’s thoughts. The slower pacing of many moments allows the audience to reflect alongside him, gradually building layers and depth to the emotional weight behind his experiences and actions. At times it feels almost as though the viewer is seeing and experiencing fragments of his life alongside him.
And, at the very end of the movie, when we finally see him learn and accept his own reality, only then are we too capable of making peace with the story.
Joel Edgerton states: “(The movie) is about someone who’s ordinary but through that ordinary life you get to see that all of us I think, are extraordinary.” This observation proves true through the film: its purpose is not to tell the story of a legendary man but of an ordinary man. Robert Grainier is a simple being, he will not have statues built in his honour for his life will survive only in the memory of those who knew him. His life is not defined by dramatic events, yet through its quieter scenes the film reveals a deeper truth about existence itself: life is an act of defiance, and despite loss and hardship, we continue to endure it.
With the upcoming Academy Awards only hours away, Train Dreams has asserted itself as one of the most intriguing nominations, including the most prestigious: Best Picture. The question now is whether a slower and contemplative film will triumph in an industry increasingly dominated by loud and dynamic productions. Will the Academy award patience and emotional depth over conventional story-telling?
I’m betting on it.
Isabella Tanca