LATCHO DROM

Latcho Drom is a pseudo-documentary that at times had me enthralled, and at other times, feeling extremely restless. I say "pseudo" documentary because this film is definitely not an objective representation and hands-off capsule of the Roma people. It is obvious that the scenes are staged for the camera, with convenient camera angles to follow the "spontaneous" action. It would be better to call this film an extended music video... a greatest hits of the gypsy people, if you will.

Other than a brief introduction of who the gypsies (or Roma people) are, there is no dialogue in the film, just subtitles of the lyrics to the traditional songs. The film is a progression of songs, a musical journey geographically following the paths of the Roma themselves: through India, Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, France, and Spain. There is no linear storyline, but the scenes often have a contrived setup, like a white boy waiting with his mother at an Eastern European train stop offers a group of gypsies some coins to play a song. Of course they play for free, and are so exuberant that even the kid's grim-faced mother is forced to smile. These setups, probably there to add a bit of story to the scenes, backlashed for me. It just came across as pretentious.

But if you get past those weaknesses (and the fact that it goes on and on), Latcho Drom is visually gorgeous (consider the countries it visits), and the music is fabulous. I went out and bought the CD soundtrack right afterwards. When you view the film as a music video, it is easier to take. Sit back and enjoy the landscapes, music and costumes of a unique culture.