Dust to Glory

Dana Brown, whose surfing documentary Step Into Liquid made a big splash two years ago, moves from the sea to the desert in Dust to Glory, chronicling the exhausting 1,000-mile race on Mexico's Baja peninsula. What makes this contest distinct from others isn't just the length and treacherous terrain, but the fact that it's open to anybody and every sort of vehicle, from motorcycles and hugely expensive trophy trucks to dune buggies and ancient Volkswagen Beetles. From the purely photographic standpoint, the work of Brown and his crew is impressive, capturing the energy and innate danger of the event, from both driver's and rider's points-of-view, as well as roadside handheld and helicopter-shot footage. But the picture isn't as successful in providing much insight into the racers' psyches, and the narration, written and spoken by Brown himself, is filled with clichés and overblown panegyrics, all delivered with a gushing exuberance. Like the Baja 1000 itself, Brown's film is broad rather than deep, and though the race footage gets the adrenaline going, the effort to dig beneath the surface comes up short. An optional purchase. (F. Swietek)