Movies

An inspired filmmaker takes us on a ‘Grand Tour’ of a colonialist past and a vibrant present

BBG News

The latest movie from Portugal’s Miguel Gomes, titled “Grand Tour,” is enamored with the past, captivatingly so, but the present subtly intrudes and demands attention. Unlike other filmmakers who may reminisce fondly about a bygone era or an outdated cinematic style, the director of “Tabu” and “Arabian Nights” challenges our understanding of what we refer to as “the past.” In this film, different time periods seamlessly blend, creating a hypnotic narrative.

As a devoted cinephile, I must say that Gomes’ unconventional love story in “Grand Tour” left me utterly captivated, even though it often leaves you questioning reality and time. Its daring audacity is what makes this film stand out, wrapping you up in an immersive drama that transcends the usual. Each part of this movie is not just a piece of the whole, but they’re also exceptional on their own, making “Grand Tour” a truly unique cinematic experience.

In January 1918, Edward (Gonçalo Waddington), a common civil servant for the British Empire, finds himself on the run. On the verge of marrying Molly (Crista Alfaiate), his long-lost fiancée, Edward experiences cold feet and decides to flee Rangoon to avoid her. The movie’s initial hour follows Edward’s anxious escape journey by train and boat from Singapore to Saigon to Shanghai, while the latter part concentrates on Molly’s lively pursuit of Edward, which is one of many elements in Gomes’ film that appear intentionally outdated. With a silvery black-and-white palette, scenes filmed on sound stages, and performances imbued with a deliberate theatricality, “Grand Tour” resembles an old silent film that’s been revived from some forgotten archive.

Right from the start, Gomes occasionally breaks off his narrative, creating room for the bustling energy of contemporary life to seep into the storyline. Scenes from various Asian puppet shows captured in today’s documentaries are seamlessly integrated with vibrant street images, offering a contemporary view of the places where Edward and Molly’s love story unfolds. The movie cleverly uses off-screen voices to provide context for the 1918 narrative, matching modern visuals to actions described, such as showing a current Japanese noodle restaurant when Edward enters one in the film.

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The unexpected blend of past (then) and present (now), featuring fiction and real-life documentaries, creates a captivating, almost addictive experience for the audience. This unique mix encourages viewers to reflect on the continuous flow of time and wonder about smooth temporal shifts. Subtly, the technique often undermines the perceived significance of Edward and Molly’s similar journeys. Viewed from our current perspective, their once significant lives have been overshadowed by the hustle and bustle of modern city life – traffic and daily noise that have taken their place.

In a similar vein, the era of British colonial rule over that region has come to an end. Those close to Edward can feel the breeze of transformation.

He’s predicted that the fall of the empire is unavoidable, happening within a few years or even months at most. Regrettably, we might depart from this place with little comprehension of its mysteries.

The origins of this film were unintentional; they stemmed from a short story in W. Somerset Maugham’s 1935 travel writing compilation, “The Gentleman in the Parlour.” In this work, Maugham narrates a tale he heard about an Englishman attempting to evade his upcoming wedding by traveling across Asia, always one step ahead of his bride-to-be. Interestingly, Gomes was also planning a marriage when he came across this book. However, instead of initially crafting the narrative of Edward and Molly, Gomes and his team replicated the journey of this Englishman, following in his footsteps even though the story might have been fictitious. With the assistance of Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, a regular cinematographer for Luca Guadagnino and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, they filmed their experiences along the way. Upon examining the documentary footage, which was captivating without stereotyping the locations, Gomes and his co-writers developed the period story centered around that visual material.

The movie presents a fascinating conversation between the 20th and 21st centuries, with their boundaries often blurring so much that it becomes hard to distinguish between past and present. After three viewings, I’m still unsure if a ringing cellphone in one scene is modern or a clever anachronism slipped into a 1918 segment. This seamless transition of time periods, rather than being an abstract artistic endeavor, offers a delightful immersion into the joy of storytelling, as effortless and whimsical as those enchanting puppet shows that Gomes occasionally revisits.

In their roles as actors, Waddington and Alfaiate are not bound by timelessness, rather they seem to exist outside of it. They breathe life and nuance into the classic characters of the shy man and his bold companion from silent films. Remarkably, “Grand Tour” manages to expose the artifice of its own trappings while still respecting them, drawing upon our common understanding of the unrealistic nature of cinema’s portrayal of reality. Although the struggles faced by the characters may appear insignificant in the grand scheme of history, director Gomes, who was awarded the directing prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, imbues them with such grace that they become almost mythical: a poignant fable exploring cowardice and devotion, tinged with tragedy. The scenes may feel like dreams, but they are our collective dream of being captivated by the magic of movies.

Occasionally, Gomes deliberately emphasizes that what we’re seeing is fabricated. (A subtle nod to the audience towards the end of the movie is captivating.) Despite being mentally engaging, “Grand Tour” primarily resonates as a deeply emotional, exhilarating experience. It’s also fun. Few filmmakers would dare to borrow one of cinema’s most iconic and parodied pieces of music, Strauss’ “Blue Danube” waltz, associated with “2001: A Space Odyssey”, and breathe new life into it. In this movie, the music beautifully orchestrates a remarkable sequence that encompasses a grand ball in 1918, fishing boat adventures, and slow-motion motorcycle caravans. Throughout “Grand Tour,” past and present are seamlessly intertwined in a beautiful dance, giving birth to something fresh and vibrant from remnants of the past – echoes of times gone but not forgotten.

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2025-03-28 00:01

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