I must confess that I was unfamiliar with director Byambasuren Davaa's work before I sat down and watched The Cave of the Yellow Dog-Director of The Weeping Camel- so I have no measuring stick to compare against't this film. Even though, Cave stands well enough on its own.
The Cave of the Yellow Dog centers around Nansaa, A little girl in a family of five nomadic Mongolians. Her father is a sheep-herder, while mom helps with the care taking and feeding of her her family. One day Nasaa comes across a small dog hiding in a cave, which she quickly names Zachor (means Spot) and takes home (altough her father is most displeased about it) From then on the film centers mostly on the three children in the household, and Nasaa's relationship with the dog. This film is pure simplicity, in terms of plot, and is mostly about people living in a basic, if not normal, world. Far from the everyday rat-race of most people's lives.
Those of you who are fans of gorgeous, lush cinematography, won't be able to find fault with this film. The landscapes portrayed in Cave are of the Mongolian Highlands and are amongst't the most beautiful ever captured on film. I was constantly blown away by each successive shot. I really can't go on enough about how awesome the cinematography and landscapes are in this film. It really has to be seen to be believed.
The acting is especially well done, especially when you factor in the extremely Young age of the three children in the film (god knows how long it took for the director to capture many of the scenes). Mom and Dad (as the film never really lets you know their names) also did great jobs in portraying the lives of nomadic peoples.
The score is almost as beautiful as the landscapes featured in the film. The music features traditional sounding oriental flute and violin music, which sounds very melancholy and heart-wrenching.
My only reservation is that, I think a lot of people will find this movie boring, as it has a very slow pacing. And now there is no action or explosions in it. The film actually looks very low budget, as if it was shot on a digital camera. But why it may lack a huge budget, this movie has a big heart, as well as a very relevant political message.
So if a good family story is your kind of thing, or your interested in seeing achingly beautifully filmed shots of the Mongolian Highlands, or if you just want to bring home a movie your significant other won't complain about, absolutely see this film.
My rating 9 out of 10 (Worth Owning).
