ELDORADO
Belgium, 2008, 80 minutes, Colour.
Bouli Lanners, Fabrice Adde.
Directed by Bouli Lanners.
Eldorado is a very brief Belgian road film. It is something of a lower-level Waiting for Godot. Ivan is a mechanic who imports cars and discovers a thief in his house. After threatening him, he actually drives him to his parents’ house. However, along the way, they have a breakdown, see a man who collects vintage cars which have killed people, find the addict’s mother and work in her garden, see a naturist who helps them with the towing of the car and the cleaning of the car, get information about their future lives from the collector who has psychic powers. When they arrive in the city, the addict disappears, Ivan buries the dog that they had collected – something which the psychic man had foretold.
The film will appeal insofar as the central characters appeal (and that is not guaranteed). Their meandering adventures are basically good-natured and Ivan is a man who wants to help those in need.
1.The popularity of this film in Belgium, at festivals? Existential? Road film? Buddy film?
2.The Belgian countryside, the fields, the gardens, the roads? The musical score? The songs and the lyrics and their commenting on the characters and actions?
3.The title, the overtones of the search for gold? An elusive goal?
4.Ivan, rough-looking, bulky, his hair? In the car? At home, knowing someone was in the house, threatening Didier? His getting him out from under the bed, not calling the police? Giving him something to eat? Not answering the door? Driving him to the French border? Leaving him on the road? His going about his business, trying to sell a car, the garage mechanics and their saying it wasn’t suitable? His finding Didier on the road, giving him a further lift, stopping at the service station, Didier taking the money and the goods, Ivan following suit? Criticism of the unseen woman who would not serve them? The continued journey, his tying his hair to the top of the car so that he wouldn’t go to sleep? The crash? Sleeping in the woods, in the old barn? The passing van, the help, the naturist and his help, cleaning the car? Continuing to Didier’s home, the conversations with his mother? Their digging the garden and helping? The information from the psychic about their futures? The conversations, revelation of Ivan’s character? Going to the town, dropping Didier, his disappearance? Ivan burying the dead dog? Waiting?
5.Didier, in the house, the reasons for burglarising the house? Giving up his addiction? Wanting the money for the bus? His fears? Bedraggled, thirty years old? In the car, conversation with Ivan? The bond? His being dropped, picked up, stealing the goods? The crash, helping with the car? His mother’s home, his love for his mother, the clash with his father off-screen? Their continuing on, his disappearing in the town?
6.The collector, giving them a lift, helping them with the car, his psychic powers? His collecting cars that had been involved in fatal accidents?
7.The naturist, unconcerned, his help, towing, cleaning the car?
8.The people at the garage, Ivan trying to sell the car, their saying it wasn’t worth buying?
9.Didier’s mother, her concern about her son? Her response to their digging the garden?
10.Except for Didier’s mother, the glimpse of the prostitute in the town, the unseen seller at the service station, a womanless film and world?
11.The road movie and its conventions, in the limited space of Belgium, the comic touches, the conversations – the existential meaning?
12.The meaning of the prologue and its tone, the vagrant who thought he was Jesus, the Messiah, but not coming to be crucified? In what way was Ivan a Christ figure?
