Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #58. Waiting for the Barbarians (2019)

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"So, to me, Joll is a series of very strong protective walls he's built to ward off feeling, to escape feeling. I mean, what does he do when he's alone? He may weep in a closet. I don't know. To me he seemed like he was ready to pounce on anything that penetrated his armor. I think Joll is, in a sense, a victim on his own." Johnny Depp on Colonel Joll

"He was very charming and across the camera was very present and focused. A lovely person to act with. He brings up a kind of great vulnerability." Mark Rylance on Johnny Depp

Why are we waiting for barbarians?

The daily routines of a magistrate (Mark Rylance) managing an isolated outpost of an unnamed empire is disrupted by a visit from Colonel Joll (Johnny Depp), who demands a report on the current state of affairs amid growing concerns of an impending uprising by the local nomads or — as the colonel refers to them — the barbarians. His cruel interrogation tactics toward them makes the magistrate question his loyalty to the empire over his conscience. Director Ciro Guerra's Waiting for the Barbarians is a thought-provoking film based on the 1980 novel, written and adapted by Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee. 

I haven't read this novel, but both Johnny and Mark Rylance immediately connected to the story's relevance. "The shocking thing for me, which was the beacon that stayed there, was the fact that it felt all true and relevant to today in many ways in a lot of different places in the world," Johnny explains. "Power begets power, and there are those who decide who follows or who is disposable or unnecessary, and all those decisions are made by the people at the top." Mark Rylance adds, "The way the novel can be extrapolated to almost any circumstance in the world, to any point in history, is staggering." 

Who are the real barbarians here? 
Because of the pandemic, Waiting for the Barbarians was released to streaming services, and I ended up watching it at my desk on my iMac. I prefer a trip to a movie theater for the big screen, but it was nice to be able to prepare my own snacks (hot chocolate and strawberries) and click play on YouTube whenever I was ready. 

I was afraid to watch this movie because I already unintentionally saw headlines of mixed reviews that praised Johnny's terrifying performance. But that didn't stop me. Not only did I watch it, but I liked it! Of course, I prefer no cruelty or torture, but as a whole, I liked the look and feel of everything else in this film. Beautifully shot by cinematographer Chris Menges, it's got a meditative, slow pace and a great soundtrack by Giampiero Ambrosi to match.

The movie opens to this pulsating beat in an expansive desert, following a lone carriage surrounded by soldiers on  horseback.  Colonel Joll, a member of the police from the Bureau of State Security, has arrived at this random outpost to question the magistrate and locals about the current state of affairs. 

Johnny is sinister and stoic with a steadfast frown here: He has always been great at expressing everything with a look rather than a word, and this performance is a good example. He does have some great lines, but mostly, he instills fear by just looking official and menacing. With a nod or other minor gesture, he can get his underlings to spring into action. 

"I find the most interesting thing about bad guys throughout history, or characters like Joll, is that people don't wake up in the morning and decide while they are shaving: 'I'm going to be the meanest or worst human being. I'm going to cause as much havoc as possible,'" Johnny explains. "No, for me, playing Joll, he seemed very different to me than a bad guy. That felt like it would have been too easy. If you try to think about how a man like that is built, how he is turned, how a man like this arrives at that place: Is it really to be without emotion; is it sociopathy or psychopathy? Or is there somewhere in that guy that harbors a broken child in there or that has been hammered into a shape by his father or mother in his upbringing?"

Colonel Joll is a stark contrast to the magistrate, wonderfully portrayed by Mark Rylance. This quiet, thoughtful observer is kind, gentle and respectful toward the natives. Having witnessed the unnecessary pain and suffering that Colonel Joll inflicts on the locals without any real cause, you see the magistrate's frustration grow. The Colonel's explanation — "Pain is truth; all else is subject to doubt." — just doesn't cut it. As Colonel Joll's crew disturbs the peace and leaves the outpost in ruins, the magistrate's loyalty sides with the locals. It's a good thing, too, because these nomads will eventually get it together. 

I like that there's so little action in this movie that it's hard for me to describe. For example, one scene shows the magistrate falling asleep after hours of washing a local woman's injured feet with warm water. Watching this movie, I could focus on and see what the characters were thinking. How often does that happen?

The Kitties will put a stop to any barbaric behavior.

The best part of Colonel Joll is his cool shades. Johnny describes them: "When Ciro came up with the shape, they were threatening, menacing, somehow; and the fact that he wouldn't take them off, he would make the magistrate as uncomfortable as possible. He learnt some tricks over the years. Calmness, stillness and quiet, and holding your response to a question can be quite disturbing to the person on the other side of you. They are levels of maintaining the armor." 

Check out this sketch by production designer/set decorator Crispain Sallis. "Through that characterization, [Johnny] cut Colonel Joll back to the absolute bone, making any additional theatrical flourishes, such as the glasses or the swagger stick, things to absolutely relish," he explains. 

In my own illustration, I'm not sure the shades come across quite as menacing, but Colonel Joll (Gordon) also accessorizes his uniform with a golden hammer that he considers using to beat up the next barbarian. (Did I mention he's not a nice guy?) This is the only moment where Colonel Joll manages a slight smirk, pleased with the fear-induced power he has over these nomads. When the magistrate (Comet) speaks up, pointing out his evil ways, Colonel Joll's face and stance stiffen and his frown returns. Don't worry, Comet didn't get hurt in the making of this illustration. (Also, I realized after I finished this drawing that the uniforms are a deep navy color — not black — but it all depends on the sunlight, right?)

Check out this Crock of Gold!

In other exciting Johnny news, be sure to catch Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan, a documentary that Johnny produced about his friend and frontman of the Pogues. It is available now in the United States and Canada for viewing on home digital platforms and DVD. Additional worldwide releases are coming later this month. I am getting ready to watch it with the volume up. 

What's next? 
Look at me, all caught up with Johnny Kitties! Mark your calendars for February 5 to see Johnny as war photographer W. Eugene Smith in Minamata. I am pacing the floors for this one. 

All photos © Samuel Goldwin Films, except the glasses sketch, courtesy of Crispain Sallis, and the Crock of Gold poster, courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.