The Bridge of San Luis Rey

This is a rather joyless and forgettable adaptation of a classic novel by Thornton Wilder, a story that meditates on the belief that 'everything happens for a reason' (or in other words, there you go but for the grace of God) and concepts of fate and free will. I'm sure it's a great novel and all, but this particular film version is full of it's own seriousness and importance whilst suffering from severe pacing issues. A lot of the time it simply just doesn't feel like a coherent piece of filmmaking.

It's 18th century Peru and the collapse of a bridge causes the tragic death of five vaguely connected individuals. A monk (Gabriel Byrne) witnesses the event and writes a book questioning God's purpose as a result - something that prompts a theological enquiry into the tragedy that involves the political machinations of colonial South America in relation to the theatre. I think. It's a bit hard to tell without prior knowledge of the novel as a lot of the plot strands are either too vaguely defined or too devoid of any semblance of cinematic spark.

I think the biggest problem is that it's hard to even see the point of the religious enquiry, let alone the point of the film. The Bridge of San Luis Rey is just so dreadfully boring, and it boggles the mind why so many great actors would agree to be in it. It might've been saved if the sub-Shakespearean dialogue had been moderated for the sake of accessibility or more naturalistic performances, or if any one particular character had been made into something approaching a protagonist. Instead it's just an seemingly-endless muddle that eventually stops.

Robert De Niro plays a lead-ish kind of character, the arrogant and corrupt archbishop who spearheads the monk's trial by Inquisition. He gives a deliberate, wry and passionless performance that puts the viewer in mind of an 18th century version of a modern lawyer. It isn't very interesting, though he does sport a rather funny-looking goatee. De Niro also doesn't seem entirely comfortable with the dialogue, which may explain why he has acted in so few period dramas throughout the length of his career. F. Murray Abraham easily gives the most watchable and believable performance as the spoilt viceroy of Peru, whilst Kathy Bates would be the most embarrassing castmember - her incongruous American accent cuts through the film like an electric carving knife at a sombre funeral feast.

Anyway, there's nothing to recommend this film, it's just boring and overblown. Avoid.