Arabian Nights, Volume 2: The Desolate One

Having been impressed by a couple of earlier Miguel Gomes films, I have deiced to undertake the Arabian Nights trilogy. I have to admit that the first volume, The Restless One, was a bit of a chore to get through. Thus, I had a long hiatus between it and the second volume, The Desolate One (2015). I was worried that this volume might also be a chore with the first part of the film, "The Chronicle of the Escape of Siamo 'Without Bowels.'" It tells the story of Siamo (Chico Chapas) who becomes something of a folk hero by defying the much-hated authorities despite the six murders he committed. The second part, "Tears of the Jungle," feels as though it owes something to Jean-Luc Goddard in the mixture of politics, amateurish looking acting and props to make a political statement. A female judge (Fernada Loveiro) presides over crimes committed due the austerity of the government's policies. The final part, "The Owners of Dixie" is a compilation of vignettes centered around a dog named "Dixie"-this was my favorite part of the film. This is certainly a film only for the art film crowd.