Review: River (2021)

 86/100

It is a feeling that one cannot describe, and others would just say, "Oh, that is so beautiful!" Maybe one would think it's beautiful, but beauty is hard to be appreciated when it is not in sight. Medan, my home city, is known for its notorious Deli River, whose color is as brown as cappuccino, and is awash in garbage. Meanwhile, in my home, we're watching a film, and a shot of the Mississippi Delta shines the whole living room. "Look", my dad said. "And then look at that stupid Deli. Ugh, Medan is truly incurable." Rivers are something I have grown to appreciate (I am currently making a film whose motif revolves around them). One of the latest efforts to up my level of love for nature is with the 2021 documentary of the same name.

I know people will scoff at the premise as cliche and almost propaganda-esque, but I don't see that at all. River never goes to the radical, instead exploring what does happen, and what will happen, taking science and transforming them to glory. One of the stages of scientific inquiry is curiosity, and by combining cinematography with geology, River becomes a kind of train of thought. Risking a few banal moments here and there, it overall feels like an exploration of the scientific mind, how curiosity can really reference such splendid things... before our exceeding curiosity ruins it. But also, how we can use our minds correctly to rejuvenate them.

As Willem Dafoe's narration said, "[humans] worshipped [rivers] like gods." And to really understand the significance of River, you have to understand the human behind it. Australian Jennifer Peedom released a documentary called Mountain in 2017, which would become the country's highest-grossing doc and be released in IMAX. It is a wonder (and I can't wait to look at it). Peedom's overall filmography is really close to nature, and I think it was during Mountain that she truly understood how amazing the collaboration is. With stunning worldwide shots, a thought-provoking narration, and elegaic-yet-graceful music by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Peedom sought to explore another part of nature that could fit in. In a scene, it is said that rivers dried up mountains. A new era in Peedom's career begins.

And also literally, with the film being produced amid the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. I myself am also filming amid the pandemic, and the struggles I truly share with Peedom. There becomes no timetable in doing things, it's all just going with the flow. But amid that flow, I think Peedom really harnessed the power that is remaining. They don't need to buy a shit ton of plane tickets, for they can hire various cinematographers worldwide, a scope that even Peedom's pre-existing team could not have covered. With the pandemic also making people struggling to touch grass, I too think that River is a kind of exploration by Peedom to find what remains in the beauty and chaos of rivers. It is truly a wonderful reminder.

I'm not sure how much direction was given to them, but the cinematographers did a fucking cool job. And it is one of those first impressions upon starting River. Even on a small laptop screen, the natural aesthetic overwhelms your senses; even without an IMAX screen (where this film, unfortunately, didn't screen at), it really immerses you into the lushness of this unsung god. The camera fixes in a location to evoke a reflective feeling, pans in slo-mo whenever the film demands keen observation, and moves freely whenever it wants to overstimulate us with all three. One shot early in the film shows us the early formations of rivers, whose freeform movements make it the best scene. This, combined with the film's other aspects (like Dafoe's narration), makes the film quite a ride, though not just audiovisually, but knowledgeably too.

Which is why the Australian Chamber Orchestra really worked well for this film too. Aware of the power their elegance can elevate an already-escapist experience, they decided to pour their hearts on River too. There is a saying that you have to imagine things to make an amazing work, and even if the ACO didn't intend to sync their scores and repertoire with the film, it still works, because the orchestra itself is a journey. Akin to a lot of the iconic tone poems, the music, like the film, feels like an exploration of life, death, and the future. The vivid and the eerie combine so well, that you won't notice the borders between them. A piece called "Water" is continuously used, evoking a sense of eternal life, as rivers are and should. Radiohead also fits in so well in the film, complementing the ACO's works with a fitting, more contemporary atmosphere, giving River a kind of timelessness.

Yet Peedom doesn't use all her time just for shots and cellos; the film had to tell a story verbally, not boring audiences with the usual arthouse, Koyaanisqatsi-esque tropes. Dafoe narrates it with precise pacing and fitting tone, however, this alone doesn't fix the banalities the film has, which unfortunately could've been fixed had they have taken just a little bit more time to re-evaluate. For one, the film doesn't provide the solutions they claim to offer: sure, there is destroying dams and not throwing trash and all that jazz, but the root isn't delved into a lot. It merely explores the root which we can see above the ground. Dams are being condemned but also acknowledged as having any benefits, yet those benefits weren't looked into more; had they did, they could've amplified their message more. I understand that films are not meant to be a one-size-fits-all campaign, and neither are documentaries. But River claims to provide that, and the lack of directness sort of disappoints me, no matter how much I want to give this film a 95/100 score.

But even if it doesn't satisfy me completely, I'm glad that River exists as a torchbearer for more future, relevant films. In the end, a film is flawed, and I'm nevertheless grateful that River is here to remind me of the things I almost forgot, especially in these troubling times, both for humans and the river. Peedom has composed a love letter to nature that has very poor handwriting but has a beautiful message. There isn't really much to say about this film, because (forgive my apparent pretentiousness) you have to experience it yourself. It is an indescribable feeling, as I said earlier, and you have to really "go into it" to truly appreciate it... or not so much.

To watch River, consult its website