Train Dreams

Does beauty in itself possess an intrinsic value? In the movie Train Dreams, Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) plays a logging man living and working among the forests of Washington State. The natural beauty of his surroundings is a counterpoint to the struggle and sorrow of Grainier’s life, which is depicted as a test of endurance in a changing world.

Grainier meets Gladys (played by Felicity Jones) whom he marries, and together they build a log cabin in the woods. There is a genuine warmth between the two, especially when Gladys gives birth to a daughter, and we witness the tenderness of their family life together. However, this idyllic existence is interrupted by the need for Grainier to work. Unable to find employment locally, he must travel to where the loggers are, and the couple separate every logging season. 

Trains Dreams is a slow paced movie with a dream-like quality. Its success largely depends on the performance of Edgerton, who gives us a mostly sympathetic character to believe in. His face conveys a mixture of curiosity and incomprehension as he stoically bears the slings and arrows of life. The supporting cast come and go, but no one stays long enough for their character to be developed. Dialogue is spoken softly and without passion. 

This heavily praised movie depends a great deal upon cinematographer Adolpho Veloso. Shooting in 1:43 ratio, he artfully composes each frame with a painterly touch, enhanced by the use of “golden light”. Director Clint Bentley admires the work of Tarkovsky, whose influence is noticeable in a certain scene that is repeated throughout the movie. However, Train Dreams more closely resembles the movies of Terrence Malick, with its steady pacing and pervasive sense of impending tragedy. For all of its beauty, Train Dreams offers a bleak vision of the world.

In contrast to its visual beauty, the dialogue is disappointing, straining after profundity but often sounding corny. For example, when Grainier asks an old timer (played by William H. Macy) where the years go, Macy replies, “when you find out, let me know, there are a few I’d like to get back.” 

The screenwriters have also decided to signal on subjects relevant to contemporary audiences, such as immigration, environmentalism and feminism. Unfortunately, this works against the period realism the filmmakers have so meticulously crafted. In addition, the movie offers a shameful example of moral relativism, with two separate scenes depicting cold-blooded murders. The filmmakers want the audience to disapprove of one and accept the other.

However, when Train Dreams leaves aside the messaging and philosophizing, it is able to weave a spell and draw you into its world. In a recent blog, director Clint Bentley wrote that “I love silent cinema and am always trying to get to the place where the imagery of the film is doing the work with the audience…and transcends whatever you planned as a filmmaker.” He is a gifted filmmaker who understands the power of the image and the use of music to stir deep, spiritual feelings. 

This is a deeply sad movie. All film is, to some extent, a deception and a manipulation. When one becomes aware of the heartstrings being tugged once too often, the spell is broken. As for beauty, sometimes you can have too much of it. Watching a film with so many beautiful and wonderfully composed images is like eating your way through a box of candy. Less can be more. 

David Beresford