Waiting for the Barbarians (2019)
Ciro Guerra’s drama film Waiting for the Barbarians (2019) follows the story of the Magistrate, who rules an outpost on the desert frontiers of an unnamed Empire. For years, his careful management has maintained peace with only minor misunderstandings. However, everything changes with the arrival of Colonel Joll, acting on a mysterious plan from the empire’s center. Despite the Magistrate’s attempts to understand and befriend Joll, their relationship remains antagonistic. The Colonel insists on brutally interrogating an innocent man and his nephew for suspected sheep theft. He is determined to follow his own process for obtaining truth through torture. The confused Magistrate struggles to comprehend Joll’s methods and motivations as he watches him force the tortured nephew to lead a detachment of soldiers to his tribe. There, many women and elderly men are taken captive as ‘prisoners of war’.
The following day, Colonel Joll leaves and the Magistrate promptly releases the prisoners, allowing them to return home. Several months later, one of the former prisoners is seen begging on the streets with two broken ankles. The Magistrate provides her with food and shelter and attempts to heal her injuries. Some of the soldiers misunderstand this act of kindness as a sign of desire, assuming that the Magistrate wishes to keep the girl as a concubine. Upon learning of the girl’s suffering and loss – including the death of her father – the Magistrate invites her to stay at the fort, but assures her that she will be returned to her people if she prefers. Ultimately, the girl chooses to leave.
Date of download: 2015-11-11T17:22:34+00:00
Cast:  Mark RylanceMagistrate  Johnny DeppColonel Joll  Robert PattinsonOfficer Mandel  Gana BayarsaikhanThe Girl  David DencikClerk  Sam ReidLieutenant |
Greta ScacchiCiro Guerra’s drama film Waiting for the Barbarians (2019) follows the story of the Magistrate, who rules an outpost on the desert frontiers of an unnamed Empire. For years, his careful management has maintained peace with only minor misunderstandings. However, everything changes with the arrival of Colonel Joll, acting on a mysterious plan from the empire’s center. Despite the Magistrate’s attempts to understand and befriend Joll, their relationship remains antagonistic. The Colonel insists on brutally interrogating an innocent man and his nephew for suspected sheep theft. He is determined to follow his own process for obtaining truth through torture. The confused Magistrate struggles to comprehend Joll’s methods and motivations as he watches him force the tortured nephew to lead a detachment of soldiers to his tribe. There, many women and elderly men are taken captive as ‘prisoners of war’.
The following day, Colonel Joll leaves and the Magistrate promptly releases the prisoners, allowing them to return home. Several months later, one of the former prisoners is seen begging on the streets with two broken ankles. The Magistrate provides her with food and shelter and attempts to heal her injuries. Some of the soldiers misunderstand this act of kindness as a sign of desire, assuming that the Magistrate wishes to keep the girl as a concubine. Upon learning of the girl’s suffering and loss – including the death of her father – the Magistrate invites her to stay at the fort, but assures her that she will be returned to her people if she prefers. Ultimately, the girl chooses to leave.
