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| Love defies cultural boundaries in new film |
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`Gadjo Dilo' offers an alluring alternative to American film
by Jett McAlister One of the wonderful things about foreign cinema is that it works almost always resist Hollywood formula. While this also applies to American independent film, movies from this side of the Atlantic still have to contend with Hollywood, and to a degree this can force indie flicks into their own formula. And while not all European film is strikingly different from Hollywood's, much of it is in a tradition totally apart from that of American cinema. Gadjo Dilo is an example of this, a totally European movie with no American approximation. A wonderful mixture of inventive story, compelling writing and solid acting makes Gadjo Dilo an interesting film. For anyone who values films that truly get under the skin of a culture, Gadjo Dilo will be a treat. Gadjo Dilo tells the story of a young Parisian, Stéphane (Romain Duris), who leaves France for Romania after his father's death to search for a Gypsy singer whom his father adored. He brings along a tape with her name, Nora Luca, scratched in it. The only thing he has to identify the singer, it immediately imparts an air of mystery over the film. After journeying across the snowy Romanian landscape, Stéphane happens upon a small Gypsy community, where he immediately bonds with an old musician, Izidor (Isidor Serban), over a bottle of cheap vodka. Although there is a language barrier between them (Stéphane speaks only French and Izidor only Rom), liquor and music help them communicate. Izidor claims to know Nora Luca and offers to help Stéphane find her. The next morning, Stéphane is confronted by the villagers, who considers him a gadjo dilo , or "crazy outsider." They treat him with the suspicion due a stranger to a group that is itself outside mainstream society, a group that must be cautious and wary of strangers to protect itself politically and economically. Ironically, the townspeople denounce him for the same things that they themselves are often stereotypically and falsely accused of: "Look, it's a thief!" they yell. "It's a bandit, he's going to steal our women." Of course, the language barrier also exists between Stéphane and the villagers. The only Gypsy who speaks French (or, as the Gypsies call it, Belgian) is Sabina (Rona Hartner), a mysterious woman who is herself somewhat of an outsider. Sabina is feisty and independent, alternately alluring and base. As time passes in the village, Stéphane and Izidor form a father and son-like bond pair (Izidor's own son is a political prisoner), and an intricate relationship develops between Stéphane and Sabina. All the while, Stéphane is still in search of Nora Luca. To give away more of the story would ruin much of Gadjo Dilo 's charm. One of the film's great strengths is that it is fresh and unpredictable, with a narrative force that keeps your eyes glued to the screen -- when I saw it, I hadn't slept for 27 hours, but it didn't put me to sleep. That in itself says a lot.102 The driving force behind Gadjo Dilo is Tony Gatlif, the director, writer and musical composer of the film. Following The Princess and Latcho Drom , Gadjo Dilo is the third in a sort of trilogy of films Gatlif has made about Gypsy culture. The film's fair treatment of the culture does not make Gypsies out to be a pack of superstitious, vagrant thieves. Rather, Gatlif concentrates on the culture itself -- its traditions, music and dance -- and, most of all, on relationships among individuals. Hartner, for her portrayal of Sabina, won the Best Actress prize at the prestigious Italian Locarno Film Festival. She gives energy to the role of the untraditional Gypsy woman, not afraid to leave her husband and flaunt her will against the wishes of her society by having a relationship with an outsider. Hartner's performance is truly outstanding; she is strong-willed, beautiful and seductive. Duris and Serban are a wonderful comedic duo from the first minute they are on screen together; however, the depths of their characters allows both actors to explore successfully many facets of their talent. Gadjo Dilo is a thoroughly excellent film and an educational look at Gypsy culture. It's one of the better films I've seen this year and a film I'd like to see again. Gadjo Dilo is more than just a love story or a juxtaposition of two cultures; it's both, and in it love and culture are intimately intertwined to make a funny, touching and never kitschy film.
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the October 16, 1998 issue. |
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