Waiting for the Barbarians

My local Megaplex has a slew of new releases this weekend and I, for one, couldn't be more excited!  Last night I saw Waiting for the Barbarians and, once again, I was so happy to see something new on the big screen.  I have now renamed this movie Waiting for Robert Pattinson because he doesn't make an appearance for a very long time!  I really like him and, if I am honest, he was one of the main reasons I chose this movie.  In an outpost on the frontier of an unnamed Empire, the Magistrate (Mark Rylance) is deemed to be too benevolent an administrator so Colonel Joll (Johnny Depp) is sent to make an inspection.  He begins arresting and torturing the nomads who surround the frontier to coerce confessions about a nonexistent uprising by these so-called barbarians.  When he gets enough evidence, Joll leaves to get reinforcements to put down this supposed uprising but the Magistrate releases the prisoners and naively hopes that things can go back to normal.  He soon becomes obsessed with a young nomadic woman (Gana Bayarsaikhan) who was severely tortured.  He nurses her back to health and asks her to stay with him at the outpost but she begs him to return her to her people.  He undertakes this perilous journey through the desert with her and several of his soldiers and eventually has a meaningful encounter with a group of nomads.  When he returns to the outpost he learns that Joll and his aide-de-camp (Pattinson) have returned in his absence.  They arrest him and publicly torture him for consorting with the enemy which sets in motion a series of events which make him question who the real barbarians are.  Despite the fact that this movie is very slow and meditative it definitely has a powerful message about the evils of colonization and the inhumane treatment of indigenous peoples.  Rylance is amazing in an incredibly passive role while Depp is perfect in what could be described as a caricature of villainy (they are perfect foils to each other, even in the style of their uniforms).  They are captivating to watch.  Pattinson isn't given much to do but there is a moment when he seems conflicted after an interrogation that is absolutely brilliant.  The images on the screen are beautiful, especially the wide shots of the desert (it was filmed in Morocco), but sometimes brutal.  This will not be for everyone but I thought it was haunting and I recommend it to those who enjoy allegories.