Film Reviews

Le Quattro Volte

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring:
• Details: Italy / 88mins (G).

Goats. Here's a tip on how to avoid certain types of movies: for the mainstream folk, pay heed to the likes of '…starring Rob Schneider'; the arthouse crowd should be wary of a goat on the poster (although that works for the mainstream too: The Men Who Stare At Goats?) Once this particular type of bovid pops up you can expect one thing: nothing.
That's been a little harsh on Le Quattro Volte, Italian for 'The Four Times', as something does happen here. Just not a hell of a lot. It's title sums things up nicely. Divided into quarters, this docu-drama opens with an elderly goat herder on a mountainside before giving over the story of a kid who gets lost in the shadow of a tree. That tree then becomes the focus of the local village's yearly celebration and its remains is then transformed into a charcoal kiln and sold back to the village. In between these moments are long ponderous shots of village byways, mountainsides and goats. Lots and lots of goats.
It's a nice idea to think about – the way everything depends on everything, the harmony of nature and humans - but it's another to spend a tenner and watch ninety minutes of it playing out in front of you. There's no dialogue to distract the viewer for the admittedly beautiful Italian countryside that director Frammartino captures, but the movie is far from silent. Along with the goats and their bells, there is the rustling of leaves in the wind and the sound of an active village (but only during the celebration – the place is deathly quiet all year round). It can be touching too: a kid loses its mother when it can't climb out of a ditch and its anguished cries can be quite moving, as is the death of the elderly herder.
Similar to a vignette taken from Baraka and buffed out to feature length, Le Quattro Volte doesn't have the material to warrant its running time. Repetition and pace isn't something Frammartino is worried about but boredom can set in if one isn't in the mood and one's mood is essential if one is to enjoy this. But is anyone ever in the mood for goats?

Review by Gavin Burke