Latcho Drom: Amazon.ca: Video

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This majestic, French-made film wishes viewers a "latcho drom"--a safe journey--as it follows the roots of the Rom, traveling people better known as Gypsies. Stunning and evocative, it transcends language and culture, bringing together the best elements of National Geographic-style documentary and music video in a kind of anthropological MTV. Using only music and image, without any steady characters or plot, award-winning director Tony Gatlif (himself of Rom descent) tells a compelling story of Rom migrations from Northern India to Europe and the rest of the world. Beginning with a gathering of lavishly dressed nomads singing across the harsh deserts of Rajasthan, viewers are transported through the lush oases of Egypt into the ghettoes of Turkey, from the muddy lanes of Eastern Europe through lush French fields to the windswept coastal cities of Spain. Every step of the way, there are hypnotic reminders of the harshness and beauty of the Rom lifestyle: the rhythms of labor pounding into vibrant dance, the songs of Turkish flower sellers merging with the plaintive political satires of a gray-haired Romanian violinist. Music is everywhere--children barely able to walk dance alongside great-grandmothers--and covers all styles and subjects--from the wintry strains of an Auschwitz lament to a flamenco devotional in a Spanish shrine to a festive Dixieland number that borrows as much from New Orleans as from northern India. And wordless stories abound, told in the smiles of strangers waiting for a train or in the frowns of rifle-toting farmers come to evict travelers from their land. --Grant Balfour

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Customer Reviews

23 Reviews

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elegant, historical and current, Dec 20 2003

By

Alyssa A. Lappen (Earth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Latcho Drom (VHS Tape)

This is an astonishing film. It traces the Rom people from India to Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, France and Spain, through their music and dance. There is very little dialogue, and little explanation, except at the film's beginning, which briefly states that the Rom left India hundreds of years ago and made their way north, for reasons now unclear.

Further explanation is not really needed, however, as one can see for oneself the poverty, misery, and oppression that the Rom suffer worldwide, to this day. In one particularly poignant cut, an elderly Rom woman sings about Auschwitz. "In Auschwitz we had no bread," she sings. "The kapos were so cruel." She holds a small photograph, perhaps of her father or husband who perished, and one sees the number tattooed on her arm. Other songs remark upon the Roma's constant flight from hatred and oppression. One sees, here, in this film, as they are chased from camp sites, forced to move their caravans.

In the closing segment, a family is chased from abandoned buildings in which they had been squatting. They sing as the doors and windows are bricked up, and the police arrive. "Why does your evil mouth spit on me?" a chanteuse wails, in the same style and strain of music one had heard from her Roma compatriots at the film's beginning, in India. "Why do you treat me like a dog?"

Most remarkably, however, this film juxtaposes the Roma's dignity with their suffering. We see, firsthand, their poverty, the social ostracism they face ubiquitously. Yet we also see their ingrained joy of living, their indomitable spirit. The film provides a magnificent, delightful musical display of multi-lingual Rom genius, recounting in song and dance their history and the extent of their travels.

It is a gift to--and from--the Rom, to all humanity.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

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4.0 out of 5 stars Should be on DVD, May 6 2004

By

Louis I. Jaffe (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Latcho Drom (VHS Tape)

Others have amply described this film. I just want to note that it would be great on DVD, because unlike most documentaries, the production values are on a par with Hollywood feature films. It's shot in 35MM wide screen, beautifully staged and lit, with a high quality digital audio track. Seen on the big screen it has immense impact because it transcends the documentary genre.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Greatness, Jan 8 2004

By

"thisisrobg" (Sunnyside, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Latcho Drom (VHS Tape)

When I first saw this video I could not belive it. It is truly beautiful, the music captivating and soulful. Although I was stoned out of my mind (high as a kite) I really new this was greatness and went out to pursue the soundtrack. It is one of my favorites to this day. I'm patiently waitng for the DVD release because let's face it video cassettes blow....cassette... wow, is that how youreally spell cassette.... weird man..... wierd.

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Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't be misguided by the positive reviews
This is only a very VERY long music video. I expected more information on the life of gypsies.
If you would like to know more about gypsies this is not the documentary to... Read more

Published on Nov 6 2003 by Social Sciences Teacher

5.0 out of 5 stars Travel with the Rom
Latcho Drom ("safe journey") is a visually stunning video, with nice camera-work, and the sound quality is excellent. Read more

Published on Mar 12 2003 by Wendy A. B. Whipple