Worth: $16.00
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Intro:
...a unique film, which in its own understated way, transports us into another world.
Chinese director’s Zhang Yang latest film, Paths of the Soul, could most simply be described as a road movie, albeit an unconventional one. The film follows the journey of 11 Tibetan villagers who decide to make a 1200km pilgrimage to Lhasa to visit the city’s holy sites. They all have different reasons for making the journey. Some are atoning for sins, some are doing it for others who cannot make the journey, and some are doing it because they may not get another chance. However, it is the way they make this journey that makes the film so unique.
After loading up their supplies for the journey they set out on the road. However, every three or four steps, they drop to the ground to pray, prostrating themselves as a sign of their dedication to their Buddhist faith. Of course, this results in a slow and prolonged journey. However, the pilgrims themselves seem to take pride in their methodical progress. For them, the journey is just as fulfilling as the eventual destination.
While the film mostly follows their travels on the road through the awe-inspiring countryside of Tibet, the most moving moments of the film come when the group stops to rest. The film’s cinema verite style conveys a real sense of intimacy to these quite moments when the group gathers to share meals and stories. Despite the trials of the journey, there is a sense of joy that can be seen amongst them, and it is inspiring in an almost nonchalant way.
The film also skilfully blends documentary and drama, making it nearly impossible to tell what is real and what is dramatised. Indeed, if you didn’t know better, you could quite easily make it through the whole film without imagining the film was at all fictionalised. Filmed over the course of a year, and featuring only non-actors, the film well and truly commits to its style.
If there is one problem with the film, it’s that the characters are slightly underdeveloped. While we get many scenes of the group together, there are too few scenes which help us get to know the personalities of the individual characters. Nevertheless, Paths of the Soul is a unique film, which in its own understated way, transports us into another world.
