Kelly Reichardt is the contemporary director most influenced by the minimalist director Robert Bresson, especially Bresson's last four films in color (Susan Sontag once wrote that it is hard to imagine Bresson's films in color and his last four films were different in various ways from his earlier work). There are even scenes of ecological atrocities early in Reichardt's films that echo a slide show in Bresson's penultimate film The Devil, Probably (1977). Night Moves is about three idealistic eco-terrorists who decide to blow up a dam that is killing fish. Everything happens from the point of view of the terrorists: Josh (Jesse Eisenberg), Dena(Dakota Fanning) and Harmon (Peter Sarsgaard), to the extent one feels sympathetic to them when they almost have to stop the explosive timer when campers turn up near-by and when Josh and Dena are stopped by the police when driving away from the scene. The terrorists barely have a moment to celebrate their success when they hear that they accidentally killed a sleeping camper. Dena starts to freak out and Josh has to quiet her, as he and Harmon go into hiding, the focus staying on the three terrorists without ever showing any police investigation.
The title Night Moves is the name of the boat that is packed with explosives (fertilizer) to blow up the dam, though most of the film takes place in the darkness of night, away from the day jobs of Josh, Dena and Harmon, who are a lover's triangle that adds pressure to their relationship, as each member of the group has their own reasons for their actions. Reichardt effectively keeps emotional displays to a minimum as Josh, Dena and Harmon sit in their truck and hear the explosion.
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