“Will the circle be unbroken, by and by, Lord, by and by. There’s a better home a-waiting, in the sky, Lord, in the sky.” The Broken Circle Breakdown begins in musical fashion, with five members of a bluegrass outfit gathered around a microphone and belting lyrics from the song “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” in soothing harmony. The upbeat vibe of the fiddle and banjo-wielding gentlemen clashes with the somber nature of the number, originally by the American folk ensemble Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; about a man coping with the death of a loved one, the tune portends tragedy and loss, and as such is a fitting entryway into this emotionally charged, 112-minute Flemish drama.

The Broken Circle Breakdown, which made its North American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this week, tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, banjo-playing cowboy Didier (played by Johan Heldenbergh) and punky, tattoo-covered Elise (Veerle Baetens). When Didier and Elise meet for the first time, the attraction between them is so apparent it’s as if Cupid were using the two Belgians as target practice. We see their relationship progress rapidly on screen: scenes of passionate embrace on the grounds of Didier’s farm are juxtaposed with tender duets on stage (after Elise becomes the band’s silky-voiced sixth member), a makeshift, bluegrass-style wedding (presided over by a comical Elvis-type character), and the birth of their daughter, Maybelle (Nell Cattrysse). Bliss is fleeting for the couple, however, as Maybelle falls seriously ill and the family attempts to cope, Elise finding solace in religion and Didier exhibiting a take-it-as-it-comes mentality that conflicts with his wife’s beliefs. Ultimately, the duo must fight to prevent their marriage from becoming unhinged, straining them to the breaking point as their differences begin to pull them apart.

Rousing performances from the powerhouse team of Heldenbergh and Baetens deliver a veritable one-two punch to the heartstrings, the raw emotion so genuine that the viewer can’t help but feel invested in the outcome of the domestic drama. Heldenbergh — who also appeared in director Felix van Groeningen’s well-received Cannes Film Festival entry The Misfortunates (2009) — and Baetens are clearly in their element in The Broken Circle Breakdown, both acting-wise and musically. Even the five-year-old Cattrysse is inspiring as the cute-as-a-button Maybelle, playing the role of sick, feeble patient and playful, inquisitive child with a dynamism that is rare in such an inexperienced actress.

On the opposite side of the camera, Van Groeningen, who co-wrote The Broken Circle Breakdown screenplay with Carl Joos, has succeeded in creating a complex romantic narrative that avoids the “clichéd love story” label. Through his clever manipulation of linearity, the tale bounces back and forth between past and present like a bobblehead doll, with the events occurring in the present progressing chronologically, but the flashbacks being severely disjointed in time, scattered about as if thrown into a high-powered blender. Indeed, we don’t witness the first encounter of the grizzled rancher and the inked-up blonde until over halfway through the movie. By the film’s final act, the patchwork meshes into a cohesive cinematic quilt spanning their joyful peaks and turbulent lows. It’s a smart way to weave together the account of these two lovers, one that makes the audience consider the interplay of specific events and piece them together like a jigsaw puzzle, adding tension and unpredictability to an already volatile relationship.

The Broken Circle Breakdown is further complicated by the subject matter it broaches, with existential ponderings intertwining with more political ones like the necessity of stem cell research. Didier, in one particularly long-winded and uncomfortable monologue, interrupts his band’s performance to rant to the crowd about the absurdity of religion trumping scientific advancement. Of course, characters transmit their ideological inklings through more sentimental means as well — one memorable scene sees a tug-of-war between Didier’s no-life-after-death nihilism and his fatherly inclination to support Maybelle’s belief in the deceased turning into stars. It is these kinds of philosophical layers added to the script that make for a rich, deep piece of filmmaking that is far from run-of-the-mill romantic fluff.

Acoustically speaking, framing The Broken Circle Breakdown’s narrative with loads of backcountry, bluegrass twang is a nice addition to the production that’s guaranteed to make viewers contemplate doing a hoedown jig in the theater aisle. More importantly, though, it’s a crucial aspect of the storytelling without which the script would fall as flat as a loose banjo string, the vocals evoking the movie’s overall mood, helping to access its underlying depth and channeling the emotions at play. The characters even seem to use music as a kind of all-purpose medicine, countering the flick’s heartache and sorrow with feel-good melodies that color even the most painful moments with a shade of cheer.

Rating : 3.5 out of 4 stars

“The Broken Circle Breakdown” opens to the public on Friday, April 19 at 9 p.m. at the AMC Loews Village 7-1 theatre in New York City, with additional screenings on April 22, April 23 and April 26. For time and ticket information, please visit http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival.

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Featured image: Veerle Baetens stars as Elise and Johan Heldenbergh as Didier in Felix van Groeningen’s film “The Broken Circle Breakdown.” Photo Credit: Thomas Dhanens