Mattie Do might have steered away from the horror dome in her third movie, The Long Walk, but supernatural elements still haunt this muted family drama set in a rural Lao village. Yannawoutthi Chanthalungsy plays an unnamed old man (“old” as in someone who has seen some things, but can still kick it on a motorbike) who is able to contact the spirits of the dead. Similar to her previous works, The Long Walk uses that communication crossover between the dead and the living to propel the emotional burdens of her characters. On the request of Lina (Vilouna Phetmany), the Old Man is tasked with speaking with her mother and to investigate how exactly she died. While the plot seems straightforward, it becomes thickened with layers of mystery, including the Old Man’s ability to interact with his younger self (Por Silatsa) from fifty years ago and another unnamed woman (Noutnapha Soydara) who is unseen by anyone else but the Young Boy and the Old Man. Their timelines are indefinite; the Old Man is able to interact with his mother, who is still alive but is slowly destabilized from tuberculosis. What he does or says to the boy is unclear on how it affects the future. Nonetheless, there is an unseen, but felt, gravity of dread throughout the movie. The Old Man might seem like the unsung protagonist that can see and know all, but even he can’t predict what’s coming to him.
In addition to these reality-blurring bits, there is on display a disjointed relationship between technology and the co-habitants of the countryside. When the Young Boy stumbles upon a group of Westerners installing solar panels in his backyard, the father mentions that they will be difficult to upkeep. The villagers use an advanced RFID-based wallet implanted within their wrists, but seem to make most of their income through simple crop-selling. These little installations of modernity don’t remove the characters from their humble livings, nor do they create a stark contrast. It somehow blends in, giving the movie an even more timeless feel. Is it meant to take place today? Ten years from now? The sci-fi aspect neatly settles into the story without causing question, tacking on another complexity. I’m reminded of The Endless, in that its innovative uniqueness lies in showing, not telling.
All of this is to say that The Long Walk is a fully realized film, told with specific vision to detail and motive. Do makes it so that we are given exactly she wanted, and is self-assured in her characters and story. In his silent daily rituals and somber demeanor, Chanthalungsy portrays self-control well; it would relieve the white-savior situation if he was cast in Clint Eastwood’s character in Gran Torino. The phenomenon of this movie is that Laos does not have a lot of film predecessors. If you looked up movies set in Laos, Do’s three films will probably be in the first ten results. Hailed as the first female director of the country (and a horror one as well), Do’s impact will most definitely run beyond The Long Walk.
The Long Walk
2019
dir. Mattie Do
116 min.
Available digitally and on demand Tuesday, 3/1
