good kitty

Carroll Ballard was a contemporary and classmate of fellow filmmakers such as George Lucas, Walter Murch and John Milius. A fine filmmaker, he has never really been given the credit that he deserves. With a background in photography, all of his films are visually stunning and contain a beauty that is difficult to capture in words. His movies are few and far between (THE BLACK STALLION, NEVER CRY WOLF and FLY AWAY HOME), so you would think that when he releases a movie, people would notice, but when it came time for the release of his newest film, DUMA, last year, it was not only overlooked, but it was basically shoved to the side by the studio. The release was pulled and a straight to video release was planned until a handful of critics got a chance to see the film and gave it rave reviews and called for a theatrical release. What did the studio do? They released in on one screen in Chicago and only expanded it to a few screens before pulling it. Last week the film hit DVD and I got my chance to see it.

DUMA is a simple story, but one of unspeakable heart and beauty. It revolves around a young boy, Xan, who found and rescued a baby cheetah. The cheetah, Duma, was raised and cared for by the boy and his family, but the time came when it was time for Duma to return home to the desert and that is when the story really begins. Xan takes a journey with the now fully-grown cheetah into the heart of the deadly desert to return Duma to the live that he deserves.

This is a beautiful film.

There is the photography, which will take your breath away with the landscapes and vastness of the desert. There are no mechanical animals here. Everything is actually the cheetah, along with all of the other creatures throughout. This adds not only a documentary feel to the movie, but there is nothing to take you out of the film and remind you that it is not real. It is not a movie that you watch, but one that you experience.

The other aspect of beauty in DUMA that captured me was the story of the boy and his love for his unusual pet. Everything in Xan’s life is falling apart. He is trying to deal with the death of his father and a move from the country into the big city. When it comes time for him to let go of his best friend (Duma), he embarks on more than just a journey of destination, but more like one of self discovery. On this voyage alone into the desert, Xan becomes an adult. There is no doubt that the person he was has forever been changed. Over 100 minutes, you get to watch a boy become an adult.

It is a shame that DUMA was overlooked and I hope that it finds an audience now that people have the chance to check it out. It is not a great movie, but I really believe that it is a special one. Like him or not… know him or not… Carroll Ballard is a unique filmmaker who makes beautiful films. It is time for people to finally take notice of his talent.