Charan, a left minded young man, dreams of a better life for those around him stuck in poverty, though uncertain how to best use his influence to build towards that goal. Unexpectedly, the answer comes his way when he learns of an event that was part of the ‘Naxal Movement' of the 1970's in Kolkata. Inspired by this event, Charan realizes he must take on responsibility in the face of the odds being stacked against him.
“Dream Tree” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
To preface the review, it should be noted that “Dream Tree” is a production heavily inspired by a certain political movement and philosophy. Additionally, it is one which may be far, if not completely, removed from the knowledge of a western audience. With this in mind, the accuracy of the statements and understanding of what the beliefs entail will not be critiqued. The film does stand with a strong conviction that is seemingly altruistic in approach, but the glorification of the ‘Naxal Movement' will undeniably be a deciding factor in audience interest.
Putting larger narrative aside and focusing on the technical, “Dream Tree” presents a mixed bag of choices that act to both highlight and hinder the presentation. To speak to the positive, the production boasts some strong visuals in certain scenes. Standout moments include; a black and white sequence that frames the past event that would go to inspire the man, and a closing sequence that captures the intended profundity of the final statement. The score, while feeling slightly out of place, is catchy and upbeat, giving the production a deeper sense of identity.
Adversely, there is also a degree of fault within the visual and audio that reflect a lack of experience. As a result, for each scene that seems well framed and shot, there tends to be an equal amount of awkward cuts and bad camera positioning. The sound, while backed by a strong score, is poorly mixed and the voices often feel too loud and disembodied. Additionally, the film contains too much background noise, including one scene that sounds like an English speaking woman is giving acting cues. Overall, the production resonates the shortcomings of a first time director in equal parts to the potential of a future talent.
“Dream Tree” is a production greatly limited by its subject matter, further hampered by an inconsistent presentation. As a result, it will only appeal to a very niche audience that have an interest in “Naxalism”, almost guaranteed to fall completely flat outside of the target audience.
