Gael García Bernal gets dangerous in the newest trailer for his upcoming Argentinian revenge thriller “The Burning,” which you might already know as "El Ardor." Written and directed by Pablo Fendrik (“Blood Appears,” “The Mugger”), “The Burning” stars Bernal as a mysterious stranger who emerges from the rainforest to help save Vania (Alice Braga) after her father is murdered and her family farm stolen.
“The Burning” debuted at Cannes last year and finds Bernal hurling bamboo spears, firing guns and hacking his enemies with machetes. Clearly this is one of the most viscerally aggressive roles the actor has taken on in his career.
The trailer itself hints at Fendrik’s aesthetic sensibility. He uses the natural landscape, as well as smoke, costumes and camera angles to obscure a lot of the visuals. It’s an interesting choice, especially given the subject matter (crazed, animalistic, discombobulating fighting), and could very well promise a visually inspired film. Even in the poster, half of Bernal’s face is hidden behind his hand, as he peers down the sight of a rifle. What is he hiding? What is Fendrik trying to say about the partial glimpses of characters he so often offers (at least in the shots that comprise the trailer)?
Check out the trailer below. “The Burning” opens on June 19th in limited release.
Seriously? Have you actually watched the film with open eyes? Indiewire reviews get worse everyday…