Le Quattro Volte

Le Quattro Volte, the latest effort from Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Frammartino, is a film of quiet ambition and subtle execution. With this lovingly composed film, Frammartino slowly develops his ideas and asks audiences to consider large concepts through small events.

Le Quattro Volte (translated to “the four stages”) is divided up into four different segments. The first chronicles the lives (or perhaps the singular life) of an elderly goatherd, a newborn goat, a mighty tree, and the ashes and dust as a result of the tree’s burning. Each segment is given equal weight and equal treatment, positing that the life of the old man is no more or less important than the life of the goat, the tree, or the resultant ash. Each life (or stage of life) is equally beautiful and profound; giving audiences something to ponder long after the curtain has closed

These four segments clearly defined, but numerous visual clues communicate a belief in an overall connectedness of these differing life forms. Immediately after the old man’s body and coffin are slowly slid into the crematorium oven, the film shows the birth of the young goat. The old man and his death have been abandoned, reborn in the life of the animal. Similarly, the focus shifts from the goat to the tree upon the tragic passing of the newborn bleater. Finally, we directly see the ash pour from the ground as the mighty oak has been chopped and burned. This “circle-of-life” attitude may seem clumsy or trite on paper, but the film treats the material with such tact that the concept achieves a fresh beauty for audiences to silently consider.

All four stages of the film occur in an archaic, rural Italian village mired in tradition and slowly accepting modernity. The inhabitants of the town (the humans and the animals) move together in packs and processions. There’s a sense of community throughout, pointing to the circular nature of life. The subjects of each stage treat the subjects of the other stages with a certain respect. The elderly man cares for the goats, the goats seek shelter in the wilderness, the people of the town celebrate the life of the tree, and the ash stands in as the final link between the four.

The film meanders and wanders throughout these four different segments; all told artfully and poetically. The camera rarely moves, allowing the action to unfold and providing greater understanding of the naturalistic subject matter. Rather than brashly dictating, it assumes a status of quiet observation. Each shot is compositionally beautiful and is given due time to unfold and mature.

The film’s greatest strength is its decidedly slow pace. Not only is each shot given time to blossom, but each idea is presented with an allowance of time for digestion.

The film’s thematic content slowly builds and enhances – never shocking or deceiving. It’s a refreshing break to see something so obviously designed for internal contemplation and consideration.

Le Quattro Volte may not be for everyone. The complete omission of understandable spoken word, the static camera, and the unconventional subject matter may elicit complaints of boredom or restlessness. It is in those frustrated states that the film does its best work. Quiet contemplation is necessary throughout, and those willing to engage with the film’s slow pace and austere beauty will be amply rewarded.