What other movie gives you placid scenes of babbling brooks & dragonflies ...then WHACK! someone gets their head blown off ...then ahhh, tranquil mountaintop trees ...then WHACK! someone throws a pig carcass all over the dining room ...then ahh, pretty caterpillar on a leaf... etc, etc, etc.
This movie is unique, that's for sure. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The story presents the bipolar life of a gangster's son. Raised on violence but with a strong inner "goodness", he is torn between two incompatible worlds. His father is a ruthless criminal who, in his spare time, hunts wild boar as if they'd insulted his mama. His sister (mother figure) is a level-headed, sensitive person who, in her spare time, rescues dogs & kittens from the streets. Eventually our hero hooks up with a bunch of diaper-wearing, drum-beating freaks on a mountaintop, and that's when things start to happen. I told you this movie is unique.
Some parts are delightfully predictable--almost borderline sappy--but there are some clever plot twists as well. Really, though, this movie shouldn't be watched for its plot. It's about the spiritual journey we all face in life, whether or not we hook up with drum-beating freaks. The drums represent a primitive connection with oneself. The drums represent discipline & a return to sanity when we're bogged down with "too much mind". As the opening narration indicates, the first sound we ever hear is that of a drumbeat (the rhythm of our mother's heart), and this forges deep connection with our spirit. There are some very interesting thoughts presented on the subject, and while I was initially skeptical about how smacking a tom-tom could relate to a person's soul, I was gradually mystified and eventually convinced that there's something worth pondering.
If you're starting to doze off, don't worry. A few brutal murders, dismembered body parts & pig carcasses ought to wake you up again. This contrasts sharply against the serene mountaintop and calm disposition (not to mention vegetarian meals) of the zen drummers where the kid finds temporary refuge. One reviewer said that the contrast makes the film schizophrenic, and it certainly does, but in a deliberate way. It did strike me as a bit disjoint, though. I was expecting a film with slower pacing to allow us to digest it, but this flick comes at you pretty fast. As a result sometimes it feels like we're getting two halves of two different movies rather than an integrated whole. To me, this film could've easily been an hour longer, but I supposed 113 mins is pretty long for most audiences already.
The music is very nice, with a soundtrack performed by the great young cellist Trey Lee. And of course there's the fantastic performance of the "U Theatre" drummers (who play themselves in the film).
Overall, I'd say this film is like a blend of "The Karate Kid" & "Scarface" with a dash of "The Bird People of China". Similar films are: the Korean buddhist/gangster flick "Bittersweet Life", Takeshi Kitano's Japanese masterpiece "Fireworks" and an obscure but very enjoyable Vietnamese flick called "Buffalo Boy". All worth checking out.
