The Power of Confinement in Storytelling
The art of storytelling has long relied on a timeless strategy: placing characters in confined spaces and watching as they confront their deepest instincts, fears, and desires. Whether it’s a lifeboat adrift at sea, a eerie hotel with no escape, or a private island far from civilization, confinement has a unique ability to strip characters bare and reveal their truest selves. This principle is particularly effective in genres like mystery, thriller, and horror, where isolation amplifies tension and forces characters to confront not only their surroundings but also one another. In such scenarios, the boundaries between camaraderie and conflict blur, and the human condition is laid bare. The Québecois writer-director Philippe Lesage’s film Who by Fire embraces this tradition, transporting viewers to a breathtaking yet remote Canadian wilderness where old friends and new acquaintances gather. What begins as a serene retreat quickly becomes a stage for emotional, psychological, and spiritual reckoning.
A Remote Paradise in the Wilderness
At the heart of Who by Fire is a picturesque waterfront property nestled deep in the Canadian wilderness. Accessible only by seaplane, this slice of paradise is as stunning as it is isolated. The film unfolds over a series of days, the boundaries of time growing blurry as the story progresses. The characters find themselves in a world where the rhythms of nature and the echoes of their inner lives dominate. They spend their days reading, listening to music, and enjoying the beauty of their surroundings. They dance, laugh, and share wine-soaked dinners filled with lively conversation. Yet, beneath the surface of this idyllic retreat lies a darker exploration of themes—namely, Lesage’s profound and often heavy ideas about masculinity and the ways in which men navigate their identities. As the characters engage with the natural world, they also attempt to dominate it, mirroring their struggles with one another. Here, the wilderness becomes a metaphor for the untamed landscapes of the human psyche.
A Haunting Opening and the Journey Within
Lesage opens the film with a striking and hypnotic sequence: an old, boxy Mercedes car making its way along a remote highway. The car is a small, steady presence in the distance, its journey accompanied by droning electronic notes that rise and fall on the soundtrack. The dense, mountainous forests pass by, and the absence of extraneous sounds—no wind, no engine noise—gives the scene a surreal, almost dreamlike quality. This opening immediately immerses the audience in a world that feels both familiar and distant, timeless yet grounded. The lack of cellphones and a few old-fashioned flourishes suggest that this is a memory piece, a story rooted in the past yet resonating with universal truths. The car belongs to Albert (Paul Ahmarani), a screenwriter en route to a friend’s house with his adult daughter, Aliocha (Aurélia Arandi-Longpré), his younger son, Max (Antoine Marchand-Gagnon), and Max’s friend Jeff (Noah Parker). This journey marks the beginning of an emotional odyssey, as the characters prepare to confront their inner demons.
The Host with the Heaviest Baggage
The destination of Albert’s journey is a remote getaway owned by Blake (Arieh Worthalter), a successful director with an Oscar to his name and a small plane at his disposal. Blake’s home is a place of luxury and isolation, but it’s also a space burdened by his personal history. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Blake carries more than just the weight of his past successes. His dead wife, his unwieldy ego, and his fraught relationship with Albert all contribute to the emotional baggage he carries. When old friends Blake and Albert reunite, the initial warmth of their meeting—filled with smiles, bear hugs, and a sense of camaraderie—betrays the deeper tensions between them. Before long, the group finds themselves aboard Blake’s plane, heading toward what promises to be a confrontation as intense as it is cathartic. The plane becomes a symbol of both escape and confinement, a vehicle that transports them to a place where the boundaries between self-discovery and self-destruction blur.
The Interplay of Nature and Human Nature
The Canadian wilderness in Who by Fire is more than just a backdrop; it is an active character in the story, shaping the dynamics of the people who inhabit it. The film captures the duality of nature as both a source of beauty and a force of potential danger. As the characters engage with their surroundings—whether hiking through the forests, swimming in the lakes, or simply sitting by the water—they are constantly reminded of their own fragility and resilience. The natural world mirrors their internal struggles, with the calm and chaos of the environment reflecting the ebbs and flows of their emotions. Lesage’s direction emphasizes the interplay between nature and human nature, using the vastness of the wilderness to underscore the complexities of the characters’ relationships. Here, the boundaries between the self and the external world dissolve, allowing for moments of introspection and confrontation.
A Cinematic Exploration of Identity
At its core, Who by Fire is a film about identity—specifically, the challenges of masculinity and the ways in which men grapple with their roles in the world. Through the characters of Albert and Blake, Lesage explores the tension between vulnerability and dominance, the ways in which men struggle to express their emotions, and the fragile bonds that unite them. The film’s title, a nod to Leonard Cohen’s famous poem, suggests a journey of self-discovery and transformation, one marked by the fires of both suffering and redemption. Lesage’s approach is both nuanced and unflinching, capturing the subtleties of his characters’ interactions while confronting the larger questions they face. With its haunting visuals, eerie sound design, and deeply human story, Who by Fire is a cinematic experience that lingers long after the credits roll—a reminder of the enduring power of confinement and the unflinching truth of human nature.