The River (1960)

Against the backdrop of a hot and endlessly dry summer, four diverse stories of the frail lives of men become inextricably intertwined with the allegorical barrier of a broad and quietly powerful serpentine river--an insurmountable obstacle which defines the thin line between a short life and a quick death; a bleak reality and a fleeting illusion. Before this mighty adversary, three impious bandits with a priceless artefact attempt to cross the stagnant and unforgiving bog, while a reckless border guard believes that his music can tame the enemy. In the same fashion, a young runaway girl tries to escape a strict and emotionally abusive father, and a clandestine couple of star-crossed lovers face a tortuous trial by fire as they get trapped in a dense minefield. In the end, what is the price of transcendence?