The Royal Road

Jenni Olson's cinematic essay addresses many subjects that are sewn together into an unwieldy whole. On the one hand, The Royal Road offers an impressionistic portrait of the present-day California portion of El Camino Real, which once connected Spanish missions in Mexico with those in the north. The film also includes a historical sketch of the region's colonial past, with special emphasis on the life of Franciscan Friar Junipero Serra, who is lionized as a saintly missionary by some but seen by others as a symbol of brutal Spanish imperialism. Most importantly, however, Olson's documentary represents a reflection on her own life, focusing on love, particularly a journey she undertook from San Francisco to Los Angeles to see a woman named Juliet, the most recent “crazy girl” for whom she had fallen. Olson interprets much of her life in terms of the classic films she adores, the most notable being Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, set in the same area and also revolving around the theme of obsessive, doomed love. Striking images and affecting moments are scattered throughout, but the various narrative strands never completely cohere, and the film is weighed down by Olson's monotone commentary. Ultimately, The Royal Road may act as emotional catharsis for the filmmaker, but viewers are likely to find it more self-indulgent than illuminating. Still, there is enough of interest here to make this a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)