The festival darling turned foreign film Oscar contender, Colombian adventure drama Embrace of the Serpent, is undoubtedly one-of-a-kind. Borrowing from the distinctive black & white photography style of early 20th century South American visitors and neo-colonialists, the entire film paints the Colombian jungles with a distinctly colorless palette, giving every image a natural depth and mystery.

Two storylines follow the same protagonist Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and only survivor of his kind, guiding two different white men to search for a rare plant deep in the Colombian jungle. It is better to know going into the film that these are the same character roughly 30 years apart because it isn’t immediately clear and much can be deciphered from watching his differences as a young man (played by Nilbio Torres) vs. an old man (played by Antonio Bolivar). The inherent conflict remains the same in the parallel storylines: the world of the ancients clashing with the modern. Considering the time period the film covers is roughly 1909 and 1940, few differences can be made between the two time periods: this is deliberate, because in comparison to the ancient legacy of the native people, this is merely a blip. The parallels between the journeys become the most compelling part of the story.

At a dense two hours, Serpent can feel long at times because there is so much focused on the mood and the subtlety it doesn’t always leave the viewer with as much to grasp. Similarly, some details pass by quickly that need to be noted in order to comprehend later sections of the film. A few distinct languages are spoken, primarily Spanish and an indigenous language, but for non-speakers it can be hard to distinguish the subtle differences that carry thematic weight. Viewing becomes easier as the film unfolds and reaches more narrative moments. The film is more focused on the protagonist grappling with his place in the changing world. We never see the ‘civilized’ world that all viewers of the film are a product of, but its weight is felt in profound contrast to the images of this ancient jungle, and the stories told by the indigenous peoples.

That being said, the photography is a true innovation and feels unlike anything we’ve ever seen in a narrative film. Press images may have you fooled into thinking this is a documentary because of the intentionally shot images that feel like archival work even though everything was shot for this film. This is a prime example of using elements to capture the essence of what message the film is trying to convey.

Overall, Serpent isn’t as emotionally moving as some of its fellow foreign-language nominees, like last week’s Danish drama A War, but it makes its mark in how unique of a look it has compared to any other recent release. Those who prefer a more clear narrative may not gravitate toward this film as it meanders like the rivers the characters follow, but audiences who love mood and thematic displays will undoubtedly embrace every picture that comes on screen during this film’s runtime.

“Embrace of the Serpent” is now playing at the Nuart Theatre and is not rated.