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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
Only if you have a very high tolerance for grainy black-and-white sand and actors who talk like they are trying not to wake up a neighbor. If you want action, go watch something else because this movie moves like a turtle in a heatwave.
People who love old French cinema from the early sound era might find it charming in a dusty way. Everyone else will probably be checking their phone after ten minutes.
I found myself staring at the screen wondering how they got so much dust on the camera lens. It actually adds to the vibe, but I don't think it was on purpose.
The story is about a guy searching for his dad in North Africa. He ends up at this place called Barranco, Ltd, which is a mining company that feels very sketchy from the moment he arrives.
It’s one of those movies where you can tell the director was still figuring out how microphones work. The sound has this constant hum that makes it feel like you're watching it inside a beehive. 🐝
Rosine Deréan is in this, and she’s probably the best part. She has these big, expressive eyes that do a lot of the heavy lifting when the dialogue gets too stiff.
There is a scene where they are sitting in a tent, and the shadows on the wall are actually more interesting than what they are saying. I think it was supposed to be a tense moment about a map, but I just liked the way the lamp flickered.
It reminds me a bit of the atmosphere in The Devil's Garden, though that one had a bit more bite to it. Barranco, Ltd feels more polite, even when people are being lied to.
The middle of the movie just sort of... hangs there. It’s like the film forgot it was supposed to be a mystery and decided to be a travelogue about how hot it is in the desert.
I counted at least three scenes where people just stand around looking at the horizon. We get it. The desert is big. 🌵
One character, I think it was Tramel, keeps making these facial expressions that feel like he’s in a completely different movie. He’s almost too energetic for how slow everything else is.
The way they handle the 'company' mystery is also kind of funny. You keep waiting for some big reveal about the mining, but it mostly just involves people looking at ledgers and looking worried.
If you’ve seen The Vortex, you know how these early 30s dramas can sometimes feel like everyone is stuck in slow motion. This is exactly that.
I did like the outfits, though. Everyone is wearing these heavy-looking suits in the middle of a desert. I was sweating just looking at them.
The climax of the film happens, and then it just sort of stops. It doesn't really have a big 'ta-da' moment that clears everything up perfectly.
It’s a bit like Ariane in how it focuses on these specific personal connections while the world around them feels a bit empty. But Barranco, Ltd is much more focused on the dirt and the heat.
Is it a masterpiece? No way. Is it a fascinating relic of a time when movies were still learning to talk? Yeah, totally.
I think I liked it more because it felt so unpolished. You can see the mistakes, and you can feel the heat coming off the sets.
Don't go in expecting This Is the Night levels of wit or speed. This is a movie for a quiet Sunday when you have nothing else to do and you want to feel like you traveled back to 1932 for an hour.
One more thing: the music is very sparse. When it does show up, it’s loud and sort of startles you. It’s like the movie is poking you to make sure you’re still awake. 🎺
I honestly forgot most of the characters' names about five minutes after the credits rolled. But I’ll remember the way that one guy looked at his canteen of water like it was a piece of gold.
Overall, it’s a weird little piece of history. Not great, not terrible, just very... sandy.
IMDb —
1919
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