Train Dreams

Now and then you find a film that quietly sneaks up on you, then envelopes and moves you so completely that you know it’ll stay with you for a long time.

Train Dreams is a delicately poetic adaptation of Denis Johnson’s book of the same name. Set in the early 20th century in the Pacific Northwest forests of America. It follows the life of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who spends months away from his family to chop the trees that build the railroads.

We meet Robert as an orphaned child on a train. He has no knowledge of his parents or where he’s come from and we watch him grow up into a hardworking man devoted to his family.

His job as a logger is a high-risk, high-reward profession. Shown by the opening shot of a pair of working boots nailed to a tree – a sign of respect when a logger is killed in an accident at work. It all comes with the greater sacrifice of being away from home for huge periods of time, we see him struggling with feelings of estrangement from his family, particularly his new daughter.

The contrast between his work and family is made dramatically clear early on, when Robert is a witness to a racially motivated murder. A Chinese logger is thrown off the bridge next to where they’re working. While Robert shouts out after the assailants, he can’t stop them. It’s a moment that haunts and shapes him, and to which Joel Edgerton’s performance of Robert carries such weight so effectively. He may sport a beard that covers most of his face, but all you need are his expressive eyes.

It isn’t the most joyous experience, but it’s the film’s profundity and poignancy that makes it worth seeing. Finding poetry in hardship, amplifying the humanity by mixing emotions of love, loss, and grief with this style of filmmaking gives the film a distinctly real and poetic feel.

Shot digitally on the Arri Alexa 35 camera, it has a more naturalistic tone. Very Terrence Malick vibe, specifically The Tree of Life. In comparison, the Tree of Life felt overly indulgent with a 2h 19m runtime. Train Dreams is a sharper 1h 42m that feels more considered and intentional. 

The sound design keeps you in the woods, while the Arri Alexa 35 captures the natural soft lighting with a lived-in clarity. Sharpening the cruel irony that one of the film’s most beautiful elements is the exact thing Robert is forced to tear down for his family.

The approach keeps the camera close to the cast’s faces, demanding more from them with tight close-ups. You get a front-row seat to the best performances I’ve seen from them, so in turn you become much more emotionally attached and invested. It lingers to capture all the emotional beats, deliberate slow pans and a Steadicam glide to make you part of the moment – we’re there with Robert, in the horror, love, and grief.

You feel how much this life takes its toll. With men working into their 60s, their minds go, accidents happen as trees become dislodged and roll down hills killing workers, while others are struck by falling branches.

But these older men serve a greater purpose than just logging. They share stories and act as the point of reflection. Offering insights into age: as you get older, how do you remember treating your elders? Were you as cruel as the new generation? Or were you just as bad in your youth? It’s only through time that you appreciate those around you so much more.

And on mass consumerism, the loggers fell forests for bridges, and infrastructure, the assumption is made by the younger generation that they’ll regrow for the next generation. It’s only the wisdom of the older men who know this isn’t true. It’s just said enough to feel true.  

The film only says these insights once, so they can flourish through observations in the motifs and themes of the film.  

With hardship, there comes enormous empathy and an abundance of love from Robert and his family, his wife Gladys (Felicity Jones). The aesthetic of their cosy retreat provides the perfect contrast. From the leather of their boots and harsh sawing noises of his labour to the soft wools and meditative sounds of running water of his home. They also have the most beautiful and delightful little girl. I love all their interactions, their devotion to each other, and their hardships; it makes their lives that much more impactful.

There are so many thought-provoking and enriching layers here, weaving themes of politics, racism, environmental issues, family, and life, love and grief, through keen observations of life and the glorious nature of this period – it leaves you spellbound.

We watch Robert’s work carving a way through the world and evolve from primitive railroad tracks to cars and cities. Capturing life.

Train Dreams has now been nominated for four Oscars, including Cinematography, Best Original Song, Best Picture, and Adapted Screenplay – I can see why.

Train Dreams is available on Netflix.