Last year, the movie American Made told the story of a middle man pilot who got duped into becoming a drug mule for the Colombian mob and then embraced it to claim CIA status and closetfuls of cash. Birds of Passage is the story of, essentially, the first leg of that journey, in Colombia itself from grower to middle man. Do watch as a simple peasant village transforms from shithole to desert palace and then back to shithole.
I suppose that’s not fair. Oh God, I’ve pulled a Donald, haven’t I? It’s not that their village is initially a shithole; the locals seem ok with it. They live in thatch hovels where a goat makes a good dowry. In the first chapter, the main couple is introduced in classic Wayuu tradition – a form of public twerking that doubles as coming-of-age and mating ritual. Teenager Zaida (Natalia Reyes) works the bird costume for the crowd but her distinctly underage suitor falls, opening the door for Rapayet (José Acosta), the man whom the locals have voted “most likely to be killed in gang war.” Rapayet is awfully sure of himself for a guy who can’t even meet the goat downpayment.
Ah, but life changes fast in an area where nothing happens … ever. Well, I guess it does. Or it did here at least when Rapayet scores some weed for some stupid Americans and then realizes there’s serious money to be made from this wasteland. Suddenly a bigwig and a car owner (!), Rapayet returns to the village with: “Oh yeah, baby, I got your goats right here.”
Naturally, in the world of drugs, nothing ever goes wrong and rustic prehistoric villages live in peace and tranquility forever, yes? What?! Trouble?! You’re kidding, right? Get this – turns out this thing goes good for about a chapter and a half and then it’s only a matter of time before literal shit-eating and corpse-filled roads occur. Huh, I didn’t see that coming except in the way in which I totally saw that coming.
You know, for a film I was told had a unique perspective, I’ve seen this. And I’ve seen it a lot. Oh, I suppose usually the backdrop is more often an empty warehouse or a gold polished mansion in the more familiar versions of the tale, but dudes shooting it out over shooting it up is really nothing new even in Colombian deserts. Perhaps we feel a little more for the folks because their lives were blissfully removed from issues when the land had but poverty to offer. If you want to make a big deal about a young woman wearing a colorful bird costume that brings all the boys to her yard, especially the one destined to destroy their “rural Colombia on two beads a day” way of life, be my guest. I need a more compelling heroine for my heroin tale.
The title Birds of Passage –I had to look this up as the movie wasn’t clear—refers to drug runners fleeting in and out of areas with little regard for others. I still prefer the term “mules.” I think the metaphor works much better. Overall, I think I’d feel more for the simple folk if I knew them better. Birds of Passage sympathizes with the villagers, but the film itself is quickly dominated by some fairly loathsome figures. The conclusion was forgone long before these “Birds” showed their true feathers, as was my empathy.
“We’re becoming kingpins! Spread the word”
Though farmer-to-drug lord seems absurd
With evil attacking
Juan Valdez is packing
And his passage is giving rivals The Bird
Rated R, 125 Minutes
Director: Cristina Gallegos, Cairo Guerra
Writer: Maria Camila Arias, Jacques Toulemonde Vidal
Genre: Drugs are bad, mm’kay?
Person most likely to enjoy this film: Critics, it would seem
Person least likely to enjoy the film: Me, it would seem
