The Burning Plain

The Burning Plain

Their passion has marked them for life.

R 2008 · 111 min · ★ 6.6 · Drama, Romance, Crime

A trailer is burning in the middle of a plain. The bodies of two adulterous lovers are found. Scenes from both families, before and after the dramatic events, suggest an unusual connection between them. But what is their secret?

Directed by Guillermo Arriaga · Written by Guillermo Arriaga

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

fuboTVMagnolia Selects Amazon Channel

Rent or Buy

Amazon VideoApple TV StoreGoogle Play MoviesYouTubeFandango At Home

Cast

Trailers & Videos

Make it a double feature

4h 14m together

The Burning Plain

Babel

Both from Guillermo Arriaga.

More from Guillermo ArriagaSee all →

Amores PerrosAmores Perros · 2000
Amores Perros
7.62000
MovieDramaThriller
A fatalistic car crash in Mexico city sets off a chain of events in the lives of three people: a supermodel, a young man wanting to run off with his sister-in-law, and a homeless man.
The HireThe Hire · 2001
The Hire
7.62001
SeriesAction & AdventureCrime
BMW Films presents "The Hire", a series of nine short films produced for the Internet in 2001 and 2002, with a ninth short film following in 2016. A form of branded content, all nine short films feature popular filmmakers from across the globe, star Clive Owen as the "Driver", and highlight the performance aspects of various BMW automobiles.
A Wolf Among the SwansA Wolf Among the Swans · 2025
A Wolf Among the Swans
7.52025
MovieDrama
Thiago Soares is a young man from the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro who leaves hip hop behind and embarks on the world of classical ballet. His story takes on unexpected turns through his troubled relationship with his mentor, the Cuban Dino Carrera, who improves Thiago's talent until he reaches stardom by becoming the principal dancer of the Royal Ballet in London.
Upon Open SkyUpon Open Sky · 2024
Upon Open Sky
7.52024
MovieDrama
Two teen brothers and their newly-met stepsister take a road trip to the Mexico-U.S. border in a tense revenge journey to track down the man responsible for the accident that caused their father's death.
21 Grams21 Grams · 2003
21 Grams
7.32003
MovieDramaCrime
Paul Rivers, an ailing mathematician lovelessly married to an English émigré; Christina Peck, an upper-middle-class suburban housewife and mother of two girls; and Jack Jordan, a born-again ex-con, are brought together by a terrible accident that changes their lives.
Elephants Never ForgetElephants Never Forget · 2004
Elephants Never Forget
7.32004
MovieDrama
A man fails to acknowledge the teenagers he mistreated when they were small children.
BabelBabel · 2006
Babel
7.22006
MovieDrama
Tragedy strikes a married couple vacationing in the Moroccan desert, which jumpstarts an interlocking story involving four different families.
The Three Burials of Melquiades EstradaThe Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada · 2005
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
7.02005
MovieAdventureCrime
When brash Texas border officer Mike Norton wrongfully kills and buries the friend and ranch hand of Pete Perkins, the latter is reminded of a promise he made to bury his friend, Melquiades Estrada, in his Mexican home town. He kidnaps Norton and exhumes Estrada's corpse, and the odd caravan sets out on horseback for Mexico.
Powder KegPowder Keg · 2001
Powder Keg
6.92001
MovieActionWar
The Driver is drafted by the UN to rescue a wounded war photographer named Harvey Jacobs from out of hostile territory. While they are leaving Jacobs tells the Driver about the horrors he saw as a photographer, but he regrets his inability to help war victims. Jacobs answers the driver curiosity about why he is a photographer by saying how his mother taught him to see. He gives the Driver the film needed for a New York Times story and also his dog tags to give to his mother. When they reach the border, they are confronted by a guard who begins to draw arms as Jacobs begins taking pictures, trying to get himself killed. The Driver drives through a hail of gunfire to the border, but finds Jacobs killed by a bullet through the seat. The Driver arrives in America to visit Jacobs' mother and share the news of him winning the Pulitzer prize and hand over the dog tags, only to discover that she is blind.
On the Milky RoadOn the Milky Road · 2016
On the Milky Road
6.52016
MovieComedyDrama
Spring in wartime. Each day a milkman crosses the frontline on a donkey, dodging bullets to bring his precious wares to the soldiers. Blessed with good fortune on his mission, loved by a beautiful villager, a peaceful future seems to await him… until the arrival of a mysterious Italian woman turns his life upside down. Thus begins a story of passionate, forbidden love that will plunge them both into a series of fantastic and dangerous adventures. They have been joined by fate, and nothing and no one seems able to stop them… Two-times Palme D'Or winner Emir Kusturica directs and stars in this story of love and war, rich in emotion, comedy and adventure.
No One Left BehindNo One Left Behind · 2019
No One Left Behind
6.22019
MovieDrama
A group of American soldiers travel into Mexico for an unknown mission and they encounter a surprising world which changes their views.
From AfarFrom Afar · 2015
From Afar
6.12015
MovieDrama
Armando, a 50 year man, seeks young men in Caracas and pays them just for company. One day he meets Elder, a 17 years boy that is the leader of a criminal gang, and that meeting changes their lives forever.
A Sweet Scent of DeathA Sweet Scent of Death · 1999
A Sweet Scent of Death
6.01999
MovieDramaCrime
Ramón is secretly in love with Adela. One morning, he discovers her corpse among the oat fields
Words with GodsWords with Gods · 2014
Words with Gods
5.72014
MovieDramaComedy
The first of four installments in the groundbreaking Heartbeat of the World anthology film series. Comprised of several short films by some of the world's most exciting directors, Words with Gods follows the theme of religion - specifically as it relates to an individual's relationship with his/her god or gods...or the lack thereof. In Words with Gods, each director recounts a narrative centered around human fragility, as well as environmental and cultural crises involving specific religions with which each has a personal relationship; including early Aboriginal Spirituality, Umbanda, Buddhism, the Abrahamic faiths, Hinduism, and Atheism. An animated sequence by Mexican animator Maribel Martinez is woven through each of the film segments, with each segment narratively connected as a feature-length film.
Rio, I Love YouRio, I Love You · 2014
Rio, I Love You
4.82014
MovieRomanceDrama
The third episode of the Cities of Love franchise, Rio, I Love You is an anthology, created by 10 visionary directors from across the globe. The story line of each segment focuses on an encounter of love in a different neighborhood of the city, demonstrating the distinctive qualities and character of that location. The film serves to bridge gaps between cultures, educating and entertaining the audience, while celebrating unique and universal expressions of love.
The Night BuffaloThe Night Buffalo · 2007
The Night Buffalo
4.62007
MovieDrama
Unable to cope with the fact that his girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend, a 22-year-old schizophrenic sets an elaborate revenge plan into motion before taking his own life.

More Like This

Open HeartsOpen Hearts · 2002
Open Hearts
7.12002
MovieDramaRomance
Cecilie and Joachim are about to get married when a freak car accident leaves Joachim disabled, throwing their lives into a spin. The driver of the other car, Marie, and her family don’t get off lightly, either. Her husband Niels works in the hospital where he meets Cecilie and falls madly in love with her.
Italian for BeginnersItalian for Beginners · 2000
Italian for Beginners
6.42000
MovieComedyDrama
Several lonely hearts in a semi-provincial suburb of a town in Denmark use a beginner's course in Italian as the platform to meet the romance of their lives. The film, which unspools the connections and family drama shared between the students, complies with several aesthetic principles of Dogme 95 movement.
Forrest GumpForrest Gump · 1994
Forrest Gump
8.51994
MovieComedyDrama
A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.
American BeautyAmerican Beauty · 1999
American Beauty
8.01999
MovieDrama
Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.
Billy ElliotBilly Elliot · 2000
Billy Elliot
7.62000
MovieDramaComedy
County Durham, England, 1984. The miners' strike has started and the police have started coming up from Bethnal Green, starting a class war with the lower classes suffering. Caught in the middle of the conflict is 11-year old Billy Elliot, who, after leaving his boxing club for the day, stumbles upon a ballet class and finds out that he's naturally talented. He practices with his teacher Mrs. Wilkinson for an upcoming audition in Newcastle-upon Tyne for the royal Ballet school in London.
Time to LeaveTime to Leave · 2005
Time to Leave
6.52005
MovieDrama
Romain, 31, a fashion photographer with terminal cancer, elects to die alone, preparing others to live past him rather than prolong the inevitable with chemotherapy or be smothered in sympathy by those who know him.
CloserCloser · 2004
Closer
6.82004
MovieDramaRomance
The relationships of two couples become complicated and deceitful when the man from one couple meets the woman of the other.
Aimée & JaguarAimée & Jaguar · 1999
Aimée & Jaguar
6.81999
MovieDramaHistory
In 1943, while the Allies are bombing Berlin and the Gestapo is purging the capital of Jews, a dangerous love affair blossoms between two women – one a Jewish member of the underground, the other an exemplar of Nazi motherhood.
IndochineIndochine · 1992
Indochine
7.01992
MovieDramaRomance
In colonial Vietnam, dashing French naval captain Jean-Baptiste, wealthy plantation owner Éliane Devries, and her adopted Vietnamese daughter Camillevare form the three points of a cross-cultural romantic triangle. As the struggle against European imperialism sweeps Indochina, Jean-Baptiste and Camille have to choose sides and Éliane faces the emotionally difficult challenge of raising the child of her daughter and ex-lover.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter