While I am always interested in checking out films that push the proverbial envelope, Red Road is one of those fiims that seems more interesting to read about than actually see. Co produced by the Danish company Zentropa, Red Road incorporates some of the style of “Dogme 95″ films, with its emphasis on a kind of improvised reality, hand held photography, and live sound. And while I am usually patient for films that are deliberately paced, Red Road was bit too slow to get to its conclusion.

Andrea Arnold’s film is about Jackie, a woman who works for a security firm, watching the world, actually parts of Glasgow, on a bank of video screens. Jackie seems to live a lonely life outside of work, estranged from the rest of her family. When Jackie notices a man on one of the video screens, she starts following him both on camera, and out in the street. Eventually Jackie crashes a party hosted by the man, Clyde, being hosted in his run-down apartment. The two dance closely together until Jackie runs away. We eventually learn that Clyde is an ex-con attempting to go straight. Jackie seeks out Clyde again and the two engage in steamy coupling. It is not until later after Jackie forces a confrontation with Clyde that we understand more fully their relationship to each other.

The film is about the disconnection people feel with each other. It is also about how even when we observe people, there is not always an understanding of what is really being observed. Although the Scottish accents are not that difficult to understand, the U.S. release of Red Road includes subtitles for those who may have trouble with Glaswegian. While slowly making its way in select U.S. theaters, Red Road is available on DVD in Europe.

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