BEYOND RANGOON
A film review by Eric Grossman
Copyright 1995 LOS ANGELES INDEPENDENT
John Boorman is a director who likes to take his audience on a harrowing adventure to a place they haven't been. Whether it's being chased by hillbillies through the backwoods of Appalachia (DELIVERANCE), following King Arthur as he fights for Camelot (EXCALIBUR), or taking a trip back to his childhood during World War II (HOPE AND GLORY), Boorman seeks out the exotic and pulls out all of the stops to envelop us in his story. BEYOND RANGOON, the director's latest effort, is not as solid as many of his previous works but despite its shortcomings, it is still an engaging picture.
Set against the Burmese civil unrest of 1988, the story centers around Laura Bowman (Patricia Arquette), a young American widower who has traveled to Burma with her sister, Andy (Frances McDormand), to try and put the recent murder of her husband and young boy behind her. Despite playing tourist, Laura cannot get past her tragedy which has left her in a state of emotional numbness.
One night, while venturing through Rangoon, Laura witnesses a protest led by Aung San Suu Kyi (the real life resistance leader played by Adelle Lutz), who fearlessly faces down soldiers despite having their rifles pointed at her. This event ignites a spark in Laura and she excitedly returns to her hotel where she unfortunately realizes that her passport has been lifted.
The situation in Burma quickly deteriorates and all tourists find themselves expelled, except for Laura who cannot exit without her passport. With her sister forced to leave, Laura soon finds herself alone in Rangoon. Her adventure begins when she meets U Aung Ko (a wonderful performance by a Burmese actor of the same name), a guide who agrees to take her into the countryside. There, through a series of events, she becomes swept up into the anti-government movement and through her struggles, finds the resolve to come to grips with her past.
The strengths of BEYOND RANGOON, are its interesting characters, exotic locales and suspenseful action scenes. Arquette gives a surprisingly strong but restrained performance that is crucial in keeping the film from becoming melodramatic. The supporting cast includes McDormand, who gives her usual credible performance, and Spalding Gray in an small role as the tourist guide. The real standout is U Aung Ko, who with his mix of authenticity and charm, really hooks us into caring about the warm-hearted ex-professor he portrays.
Where the movie fails is in its aim to be a political statement. Boorman, along with his co-screenwriter Bill Rubenstein, never elucidate the Burmese political scene and they are content to leave it at the level of army guys in green are bad, bald monks in robes are good.
While not one of his best films, BEYOND RANGOON still has many of the qualities that have made other Boorman pictures so captivating. We don't learn much about the reasons for Burma's problems but we certainly learn that there is a problem.
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