Every story has three sides, so they say. Bombay Beach is three edges of a triangle that tell a tale of surviving, existing and living. With such subtle details to distinguish the three, sometimes the fine line between each blurs into the shape of your perspective. An idea no more apparent than in this surreal documentary about three lives in the dystopian desert shoring the Salton Sea. Their troubles are man-made, stemming all the way back to 1905 from whence the lake came to be, but the reality is that their growth here has or will shape them for life. There are few relics like Bombay Beach; places that voice themselves as a failed vacation destination from the 1950’s in the crumbling concrete that has now become a slab city, sprawling backyards that no longer serve as childish retreat but as a graveyard of a happier time. Yet as with all communities stricken by poverty, there is hope in the suffering and heart in the hardship of living. The story of Bombay Beach is one about trying to see the best side of life you can. And if you can dance while doing so, then you’ll be all the better for it.
Director Alma Ha’rel has a dreamlike vision that is married into a harmonious piece of film, as our protagonists personalities bring identity to an otherwise barren world. Home to the misfits of society as one puts it, it is precisely the oddities of their lifestyle that makes it so compelling to watch — A window of insight into a place born through special circumstances, but living in the same global connectedness that distinguishes our modern world. They are quirky individuals and at the same time, can be just as conventional as your neighbour next door, playing the xbox and drinking beer; a juxtaposition that almost seems strange, as the film wears an otherworldly veil the majority of the time. It is shot beautifully and the style, which defines the place as much as the story, is essential to creating plot in a documentary that decides to omit narration in favour of it. This can sometimes be to its detriment, as certain scenes do feel staged in the stylised narrative, but it’s this amalgamation in genre that gives the film its identity – and whether it is engineered into part fiction, the characters are unforgettable because of it. One such is Red, whose musings offer the reflection of a resident who has seen it all. He is a caricature of his environment with the conservative nature of his views, particularly those on segregation, but nevertheless acts a perfect role as a result.
The other lives followed include CeeJay Thomspon and Benny Parish. CeeJay never grew up in Bombay Beach and finds the setting boring, yet draws focus from the isolation and manages to channel his enthusiasm for life into dance. The future is uncertain and he champions its hope through his dreams, showing that it doesn’t necessarily matter where you are, or where you’re from, but how you approach it that matters. Benny isn’t so fortunate, as he suffers from the displacement of a family that is as loving as they are flawed. One of the film’s strengths is their honest depiction, sharing both tender and rough moments with them in front of the camera. But some of the best moments come when Benny warms the heart with his childish shenanigans – such as the scenes of him dancing and riding a fire truck , moments of artful wonder that emphasize his innocence perfectly.
On a final note, the soundtrack of Bombay Beach warrants a mention: Bob Dylan chiming to the disparity of an American dream, with sounds and lyrics that evoke emotions in poignant wavelength. And the music of Beirut, which explores the other end of the spectrum with the bohemian joy they are renown for, sounds and instruments that lucidly define the lighter moments. Overall, the choice of music reflects the fact that this a film focusing on the small details. Look for them and you will see things worthy of appreciation. It won’t be the best documentary you’ll ever see and it has it’s flaws, most of which present themselves in the authenticity of story elements, but these also allow it to adopt a style that’s beautiful, charming and appropriate for the unique nature of what’s on show.
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