Gondola

Gondola not only celebrates the medium of film with its beautiful visuals but also gives me one of the cutest romances I’ve seen in quite some time. And it accomplishes both these things with nearly zero dialogue.

In a small picturesque location, cable cars ferry various locals from the local village to a nearby, slightly larger town. This is where Iva finds employment. She’s trained in the noble art of gondola operation by Nina, who operates the gondola going the other direction. Iva has various interactions with the gondola passengers. She and Nina also begin to make the most of the moments when their two cable cars pass. The two put on increasingly elaborate skits or pranks for the entertainment of the other. Such skits also quickly become a form of flirtation. Silent, gondola-based flirtation.

While filmed with minimal dialogue, the sense of Gondola is that everyone here can and does talk, that’s just not what is happening when the camera is on them. The characters continue to develop off-screen and clearly exist even when the camera isn’t rolling. But when the camera is rolling, it chooses to capture the moments without words. This is such a successful experiment. Film is definitely a visual medium, and the visuals are suitably beautiful. But minimal dialogue doesn’t mean no soundscape. The sounds of Gondola also contribute to the bigger picture and don’t go ignored in place of visuals. This movie tells a story that doesn’t need dialogue. But that doesn’t mean the film disregards the sound portion of making a good movie.

I had a moment watching Gondola and thinking this is one of the most apolitical movies I’ve ever seen. Film, like any art is inherently political. But Gondola does have universal appeal which feels like it makes it less so. The lack of dialogue means the film could be from anywhere. And the story itself is one largely centered around human behaviour, joy and some beautifully scenery. It’s not like the films deals with the government opressing people or anything. So, I had the thought that Gondola was close to apolitical. Then I remembered that there are those who get angry about gay people existing. I was so caught up in the language-free beauty of gondola flirtation I forgot about homophobia.

It makes sense a movie called Gondola would be as uplifting as it is. This movie is a celebration. It luxuriates in beautiful shots and a quirky, charming romance. I love when having a crush inspires people to engage in flights of whimsy. That’s a lot of what this whole movie is. If a movie can be at once soothing and fun, that’s Gondola. I was so happy to be taken along for this picturesque ride.

Overall rating: 7.1/10

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