Cocaine Cowboys is a documentary centered around the importation of illegal drugs from Colombia and the Medellin cartel into the United States through Miami. This importation funded much of the illegal activities of the Medellin family and also flooded the Miami economy with capital. Although much of the money ended up in the hands of the Colombians, a large majority of it stayed in the United States and ultimately trickled down and was reinvested into local businesses and land in and around the Miami area. This influx of capital resulted in a expansive skyline and countless new banks opening to hold this money. The excess money made from drugs was deposited in these banks and exceeded the average amount taken in annually by six hundred million dollars at one of the banks featured in the film. This is compared to a bank that took in between ten and twelve million dollars total the previous year. Seeing this kind of increase in just a single year clearly points to some sort of illegal activity that is bringing all this income to a certain area.
The infamous family behind this import business that exploded onto the scene in the 80's was Ochoa Vazquez along with his brothers and Pablo Escobar. The reason Pablo Escobar and many of Ochoa's close relatives were seemingly the head of the organization was because they were much more active in the enforcement and day to day activities and concerns of the organization. Leaving Vazquez behind the scenes while he called the shots and collected the money. One of the main reasons this was allowed was due to the families close ties to the community and overwhelming influence they possessed because of there reputation and the money they brought into the city of Medellin.
The import business started in the 60's with the importation of marijuana but really exploded in the late 70's and 80's with the arrival of cocaine. The demand for this product was unparalleled and rivaled every other commodity that was coming into Miami at the time. Obviously with this much money comes an increase in crime because of the inability to resolve conflicts through legal avenues. This inability to come to an agreeable ending resulted in the highest number of murders that Miami had ever seen. One of the main themes in the movie is that with that much money inevitably comes corruption. In the words of Jon Roberts, "Everyone has a price." This seemed to be the case in regard to the Miami of the seventies. In the article, Contras, Cocaine, and covert operations, there is an excerpt from the Kerry Committee stating that "Senior U.S. policy makers were not immune to the idea that drug money was a perfect solution to the Contras' funding problems." Whether the corruption was at the street level with police officers or at the highest levels of the U.S. government these large sums of illicit funds proved to be too much of a temptation for anyone involved.
This is clearly not just a problem that can be fixed overnight. The challenge is to restore morality and to elect officials who care about their communities as a whole and how they interact with one another and not those who can be bought with a check. Many people have settled into this way of life and accepted the fact that drugs will always make it into the country and will forever be a part of our society. People like to just look the other way and pretend that the problem does not exist. When in reality the problem stretches from poor to rich, through all walks of life, and from country to country. The damage has been done through years of looking the other way or sweeping the problem under the rug, which has led to a mild acceptance all the way to the highest levels. The dfficulty with this point of view is the problem is not going to go away and has already caused irreparable damage to countless families. The article on collateral damage talks about the harm this has done to the government and local communities. Youngers' goes on to say that drug trafficking has "corrupted and further weakened local governments, judiciaries, and police forces and rends the social fabric, particularly in poor urban areas where both drug abuse and drug-related violence are rampant." Whether the harm is simply financial, the ruined lives of the addicted, or the murder of an innocent young child, it all relates back to the drug trafficking industry.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Bus 174
Bus 174 is a dramatic look at the problem of street children and the results of this problematic situation. The story is about a young boy named Pedro who has fallen into this way of life simply because he had no other choice. He was forced into a life of begging and stealing just to get through the day. The movie is just as much about the epidemic of street children as it is about the hostage situation and Pedro's horrific story. The film also goes beyond that and raises questions about Brazils corrupt and seemingly ill-equiped police officers and shows the tragic living conditions inside the prisons. A sad reminder of where many of these street children pass through or stay for a lifetime. Pedro's story is a perfect example of this because his story speaks for all the "invisible" children living in the streets around the world.
The main focus of the film was around the epidemic of street children and the environment in which they are forced to survive. In every major city in Brazil there are favelas surrounding the outskirts. These favelas are the slums that many of these generations of kids frequent and grow up around. The article "I saw a City Invincible" sheds light on how this type of urbanization may have started. Explaining that the "Spanish conquerors of the new world rapidly established themselves as urban lords, and in the process, sought to erect barriers between themselves and the masses of Indians that surrounded their enclaves". This is now a widespread reality that can be seen with little effort from the high rise buildings in major cities such as Rio de Janeiro.
It is important to take a step back and look at the events leading up to the Bus 174 incident before making any judgements. Pedro was a perfect example of the treacherous lives that many street children have to face day after day. These kids are on the streets twenty four hours a day and are forced to figure out a way to get by. Putting so much pressure on young kids will inevitably lead to crimes of necessity. These are crimes that a street kid might commit to have food for that night. This is the sad reality that has to be faced when a community has such a high number of street children. Pedro was like most street children and had never known his dad. His mother, brutally stabbed to death in front of him at a young age. These alone seem traumatic enough to explain nearly any behavior. Unfortunately, Pedro fell right into the glue sniffing culture that is part of the street children phenomena. Many of them using it to escape reality and hunger pains that are a constant reminder of their dire situation.
Hearing Pedro's story from the friends he made in his life and his loved ones, it is almost impossible to see him in the position of hostage taker. It seemed as though he wanted his story to be heard and hopefully shed light on how monumentally important it was that something was done about it. He asked for a gun and grenade which was never going to be given to him but other than that had no requests. It seemed quite clear that he wanted to let the world know his situation and the unfinished story of The Candelaria church massacre. This put even more pressure on the police officers to resolve the situation peacefully and without incident. Unfortunately, this was the farthest thing from what did occur. After a botched police shot that struck the hostage in the head, Pedro shot three times striking the women in the back. Bringing unparalleled heat directed towards the local police and court system. The Candelaria Massacre had still not been solved before the Bus 174 incident occurred which inevitably led to a public outcrying. It is extremely unfortunate that this is the way that the issue was brought back to the public eye but it certainly needed to be dealt with. In the end all someone can do is learn from the mistakes of the past and try to correct this growing problem around the world.
The main focus of the film was around the epidemic of street children and the environment in which they are forced to survive. In every major city in Brazil there are favelas surrounding the outskirts. These favelas are the slums that many of these generations of kids frequent and grow up around. The article "I saw a City Invincible" sheds light on how this type of urbanization may have started. Explaining that the "Spanish conquerors of the new world rapidly established themselves as urban lords, and in the process, sought to erect barriers between themselves and the masses of Indians that surrounded their enclaves". This is now a widespread reality that can be seen with little effort from the high rise buildings in major cities such as Rio de Janeiro.
It is important to take a step back and look at the events leading up to the Bus 174 incident before making any judgements. Pedro was a perfect example of the treacherous lives that many street children have to face day after day. These kids are on the streets twenty four hours a day and are forced to figure out a way to get by. Putting so much pressure on young kids will inevitably lead to crimes of necessity. These are crimes that a street kid might commit to have food for that night. This is the sad reality that has to be faced when a community has such a high number of street children. Pedro was like most street children and had never known his dad. His mother, brutally stabbed to death in front of him at a young age. These alone seem traumatic enough to explain nearly any behavior. Unfortunately, Pedro fell right into the glue sniffing culture that is part of the street children phenomena. Many of them using it to escape reality and hunger pains that are a constant reminder of their dire situation.
Hearing Pedro's story from the friends he made in his life and his loved ones, it is almost impossible to see him in the position of hostage taker. It seemed as though he wanted his story to be heard and hopefully shed light on how monumentally important it was that something was done about it. He asked for a gun and grenade which was never going to be given to him but other than that had no requests. It seemed quite clear that he wanted to let the world know his situation and the unfinished story of The Candelaria church massacre. This put even more pressure on the police officers to resolve the situation peacefully and without incident. Unfortunately, this was the farthest thing from what did occur. After a botched police shot that struck the hostage in the head, Pedro shot three times striking the women in the back. Bringing unparalleled heat directed towards the local police and court system. The Candelaria Massacre had still not been solved before the Bus 174 incident occurred which inevitably led to a public outcrying. It is extremely unfortunate that this is the way that the issue was brought back to the public eye but it certainly needed to be dealt with. In the end all someone can do is learn from the mistakes of the past and try to correct this growing problem around the world.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
City Of God
Cidade De Deus is a movie that portrays the real life events of a suburban neighborhood in Rio De Janeiro. Although the title of the story is the City of God, you should not be fooled by it's peaceful sound. In fact the Cidade De Deus is anything but peaceful. The violent story of these slums is told through the eyes of a young boy whose nickname is Rocket. The story focuses around the real life struggles of those living in these lower income sections of the city. Rocket, the son of a fishmonger, is just trying to make a living and survive throughout the better portion of this film. The film starts by showing a group of chickens being prepared for a meal when one sneaks out and the local gang chases after it. The chicken ends up running into Rocket in the middle of the street where the gang and police each arrive simultaneously. From here the film quickly flashes back to ten years earlier to explain how Rocket managed to get himself in this position.
A local group of kids known as the "Tender Trio" are involved in petty crimes such as holding up local convenient stores and truck drivers bringing gas through the small town. In turn Clipper, Shaggy, and Goose (Rockets brother) take some of the stolen money and share it with the towns people. This causes them to gain approval because of there robin hood like approach to petty theft and also protection from the locals who refuse to tell the police anything. Even if a robbery occurred in broad day light in front of a group of people it was extremely unlikely that anyone would report seeing anything at all when the police showed up. This is not only because some of the towns people were given money, but also because of there economic status and role in the community. In low income areas the cooperation with police and local law enforcement is extremely low for a number of reasons. These range from police corruption that leads to distrust among the community and a feeling that the local law enforcement have failed them. This is because the people living in these slums see the gangs every day and have to deal with them more often than the police. Putting the gang in a position of power higher than that of the police officers who watched over the town. Also there helping out the very poor and redistributing the wealth allows them to gain favor among a majority of those living in the slums.
As the tender trio continue on there path of petty crimes, Lil dice, decides to step up the action. Although Lil Dice is not part of the trio, he convinces the crew to hold up a motel and its occupants for a much larger score than in any previous robbery. Lil Dice is put on watch outside the hotel despite his desire to get in on the action. Due to his impatience he fires the warning shot that sends the trio running. Finding out only later that this was all a diversion so Lil Dice could go into the motel after they had left and execute the remaining occupants. This causes a backlash of problems for the trio who, for the most part, get out of the game of serious crime and go about a more honest way of life. This leaves a power vacuum for Lil Dice to step up and later take control of the slums by extremely violent means. Usually this meant murder for the unlucky drug dealers that he saw as an obstacle.
Lil Dice decides to take part in a shamanistic type ritual that symbolizes his birth into his new role and violent life-style. Stephen Hart covers this topic in his article on the film. He says that this ritual is Lil Dices "baptism into a new religion of hate". This is a complete role reversal of a Catholic baptism because Lil Ze leaves his old name behind and takes on his new identity. The film is all about the idea of going full circle. No one in the slums is safe and the corruption and violence is not limited to the people living there. The same level of corruption is present in the police department, who is actively involved in racketeering and other types of shake downs. Much like Rockets path leads him smack in the middle of the police and Lil Ze's gang, anyone in the town can get caught up in this full circle of violence. This was true for a majority of those living in the town, whether someone wanted to be involved or not. In one way or another everyone is involved in the violence or drug dealing aspect that controlled the area. Whenever there is that much money flowing into an impoverished community there will be violence present to control this influx of income. Ultimately Lil Ze is murdered by the group of kids known as the runts. This was an act of revenge for Lil Ze killing one of there own earlier in the film. Showing exactly how this violent cycle will never end as long as the drugs and corruption are present.
A local group of kids known as the "Tender Trio" are involved in petty crimes such as holding up local convenient stores and truck drivers bringing gas through the small town. In turn Clipper, Shaggy, and Goose (Rockets brother) take some of the stolen money and share it with the towns people. This causes them to gain approval because of there robin hood like approach to petty theft and also protection from the locals who refuse to tell the police anything. Even if a robbery occurred in broad day light in front of a group of people it was extremely unlikely that anyone would report seeing anything at all when the police showed up. This is not only because some of the towns people were given money, but also because of there economic status and role in the community. In low income areas the cooperation with police and local law enforcement is extremely low for a number of reasons. These range from police corruption that leads to distrust among the community and a feeling that the local law enforcement have failed them. This is because the people living in these slums see the gangs every day and have to deal with them more often than the police. Putting the gang in a position of power higher than that of the police officers who watched over the town. Also there helping out the very poor and redistributing the wealth allows them to gain favor among a majority of those living in the slums.
As the tender trio continue on there path of petty crimes, Lil dice, decides to step up the action. Although Lil Dice is not part of the trio, he convinces the crew to hold up a motel and its occupants for a much larger score than in any previous robbery. Lil Dice is put on watch outside the hotel despite his desire to get in on the action. Due to his impatience he fires the warning shot that sends the trio running. Finding out only later that this was all a diversion so Lil Dice could go into the motel after they had left and execute the remaining occupants. This causes a backlash of problems for the trio who, for the most part, get out of the game of serious crime and go about a more honest way of life. This leaves a power vacuum for Lil Dice to step up and later take control of the slums by extremely violent means. Usually this meant murder for the unlucky drug dealers that he saw as an obstacle.
Lil Dice decides to take part in a shamanistic type ritual that symbolizes his birth into his new role and violent life-style. Stephen Hart covers this topic in his article on the film. He says that this ritual is Lil Dices "baptism into a new religion of hate". This is a complete role reversal of a Catholic baptism because Lil Ze leaves his old name behind and takes on his new identity. The film is all about the idea of going full circle. No one in the slums is safe and the corruption and violence is not limited to the people living there. The same level of corruption is present in the police department, who is actively involved in racketeering and other types of shake downs. Much like Rockets path leads him smack in the middle of the police and Lil Ze's gang, anyone in the town can get caught up in this full circle of violence. This was true for a majority of those living in the town, whether someone wanted to be involved or not. In one way or another everyone is involved in the violence or drug dealing aspect that controlled the area. Whenever there is that much money flowing into an impoverished community there will be violence present to control this influx of income. Ultimately Lil Ze is murdered by the group of kids known as the runts. This was an act of revenge for Lil Ze killing one of there own earlier in the film. Showing exactly how this violent cycle will never end as long as the drugs and corruption are present.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Motorcycle Diaries
The Motorcycle Diaries follows two young men across much of their homeland of Argentina and parts of Latin America. The beauty of the story lies in the two mens attitude toward their adventure and their background, that has led them to where they are now. Guevara experiences many personal transformations throughout his long journey across Argentina, that left him as a renowned hero even to this day. Che Guevara became internationally known for his efforts in the revolution and his marxist ideas. One obvious characteristic of Guevara was his outgoing attitude towards life and his unsettled nature (Eduardo 20). Along their travels, Guevara and his friend Alberto, encounter the indigenous people of the country and see their impoverished conditions. They run into countless people that Guevara diagnoses with several medical disorders throughout these impoverished part of the countryside. This shows a clear insight into what the 23 year old Guevara saw while traversing the Latin American landscape.
Che was undoubtedly influenced by his family and the environment he grew up in. He had a broad knowledge of the classes of people in his country and an overall complete worldview at an early age. This eagerness to learn was just magnified and became more obvious once Che and Alberto began there adventure. Filled with humorous scenes, the underlying tone of the film were much more serious. Guevara's early life added to his world view and no doubt gave him the inspiration to take this adventure and find out as much about his homeland as possible. As a child Guevara's parents housed ex-combatants from the Spanish Civil War who shared there stories of struggle (Eduardo). Hearing these stories of heroism and bravery may have given Che the attitude and outlook towards life that he needed to achieve his later goals and aspirations.
Ernesto is openly saddened by the mistreatment of the impoverished people he meets along his journey. He feels a need to be very honest with the people he encounters if they have some obvious medical problem. These range from a tumor on a mans neck to the atrocious conditions that the men at the copper mine are subjected to. The real change in Ernesto's attitude came when he arrives at the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru. He is astonished at these incredible ruins high in the mountains of Peru, and wonders how such a civilization was replaced by the current urban decay of Lima. The most important scene comes near the end of the movie when Ernesto enters a leper colony and sees first hand the literal division of society. The lepers were kept on one side of the river while the staff lived on the other. This surely angered Ernesto to no end and had something to do with his willingness to interact with these lepers without the use of gloves. This shows his true kind nature and reaffirms that Ernesto just wanted to help people in the end.
Che was undoubtedly influenced by his family and the environment he grew up in. He had a broad knowledge of the classes of people in his country and an overall complete worldview at an early age. This eagerness to learn was just magnified and became more obvious once Che and Alberto began there adventure. Filled with humorous scenes, the underlying tone of the film were much more serious. Guevara's early life added to his world view and no doubt gave him the inspiration to take this adventure and find out as much about his homeland as possible. As a child Guevara's parents housed ex-combatants from the Spanish Civil War who shared there stories of struggle (Eduardo). Hearing these stories of heroism and bravery may have given Che the attitude and outlook towards life that he needed to achieve his later goals and aspirations.
Ernesto is openly saddened by the mistreatment of the impoverished people he meets along his journey. He feels a need to be very honest with the people he encounters if they have some obvious medical problem. These range from a tumor on a mans neck to the atrocious conditions that the men at the copper mine are subjected to. The real change in Ernesto's attitude came when he arrives at the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru. He is astonished at these incredible ruins high in the mountains of Peru, and wonders how such a civilization was replaced by the current urban decay of Lima. The most important scene comes near the end of the movie when Ernesto enters a leper colony and sees first hand the literal division of society. The lepers were kept on one side of the river while the staff lived on the other. This surely angered Ernesto to no end and had something to do with his willingness to interact with these lepers without the use of gloves. This shows his true kind nature and reaffirms that Ernesto just wanted to help people in the end.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Soy Cuba
Soy Cuba is a visually stunning film, especially for it being filmed in the early sixties. The plot line focuses around four distinct chapters that work as a roadmap of sorts; showing Cuba's journey from a U.S. influenced dictatorship to the communist outpost it is today. The stories are obviously subtle metaphors of the role the U.S. played in Cuba's turbulent history. It portrays the mistreatment of the Cuban citizens and how this ultimately led to an all out revolution in the country. The film shows the increasing poverty and escalating unhappiness that dominated most parts of Cuba. These stories of individual Cuban's, and the impact that the corrupt government has on them helps to give the viewer an idea of what these people were going through. This certainly makes it easier to understand there struggle and see just what led to the Cuban revolution in 1959.
The first of the four chapters in the movie depicts a club scene in Cuba with a relatively exciting looking nightlife. One of the first noticeable aspects of this scene was that the nightclub was full of American men, who were portrayed as somewhat power hungry and acted as if they usually got what they wanted. This certainly had something to do with the wealth and power the Americans held in the film. They were portrayed as having enough money to buy whatever they wanted including the girls at the nightclub. One girl catches the eye of the American men and he ends up following her back to her home in the slums. He proceeds to try and buy a crucifix off the young women because he said he collected them. This scene was seemingly full of metaphors and open to interpretation. The loss of the crucifix could signify a loss of purity or even the loss of her religion and god. A good parallel is the view of the American people in the eyes of Cubans during this time period. They saw us as a rich, powerful country that ruthlessly controlled other smaller nations (Chasteen 260). This is once again played out through the film when the Cuban children begged the American for money as he left the slums.
This film increases in intensity from each story to the next. Each story is filled with more despair and hopelessness than the one before. They go from a young girl who is used for sex by a hypocritical, pompous American tourist onto the next scene of a sugarcane farmer who loses his sugar cane and land. The work is hard and the days are long with little incentives given by the land owners to the workers. Eckstein's article talks briefly about how this unfair relationship between the "peasants" and the land owners was turned around in the post-revolution era. This second unfortunate story follows a plantation worker who loses his land to the United Fruit company. Pointing the finger of blame strictly at capitalism, this scene shows the point of views of the citizens and gives insight as to just how a revolution could be the only solution in the peoples eyes. They saw that this form of government could legally take the mans land through the use of corporate power. This clearly would leave many asking for change even if that change would only come through action and force. In a show of spite for the government that had abandoned him and his best interests, the man burns all of his land leaving nothing but black burnt ground. This is the ultimate sign of scorn and disapproval for a government that has turned there back on the owner of the plantation.
The plantation owner was a metaphor for all the Cuban's who had been left behind or forgotten by the government. This disapproval for the current government in place led to two dominant philosophies. Nationalism and Marxism were the dominate philosophies held by the Cubans during the time of the Cuban revolution (Chasteen). This way of thinking meant that many Cubans believed that the turmoil they were experiencing was a direct result of American economic system. Leading them to revolt and unite under Castro. This film does a good job of accurately portraying the varying living conditions and many underdeveloped land areas that make up Cuba. It shows the country from an ideological perspective while scattering anti-american themes and metaphors throughout the film. This is done in a tactful manner that still does an adequate job of showing the seriousness of the situation while wrapped up in a symbolic gesture.
The first of the four chapters in the movie depicts a club scene in Cuba with a relatively exciting looking nightlife. One of the first noticeable aspects of this scene was that the nightclub was full of American men, who were portrayed as somewhat power hungry and acted as if they usually got what they wanted. This certainly had something to do with the wealth and power the Americans held in the film. They were portrayed as having enough money to buy whatever they wanted including the girls at the nightclub. One girl catches the eye of the American men and he ends up following her back to her home in the slums. He proceeds to try and buy a crucifix off the young women because he said he collected them. This scene was seemingly full of metaphors and open to interpretation. The loss of the crucifix could signify a loss of purity or even the loss of her religion and god. A good parallel is the view of the American people in the eyes of Cubans during this time period. They saw us as a rich, powerful country that ruthlessly controlled other smaller nations (Chasteen 260). This is once again played out through the film when the Cuban children begged the American for money as he left the slums.
This film increases in intensity from each story to the next. Each story is filled with more despair and hopelessness than the one before. They go from a young girl who is used for sex by a hypocritical, pompous American tourist onto the next scene of a sugarcane farmer who loses his sugar cane and land. The work is hard and the days are long with little incentives given by the land owners to the workers. Eckstein's article talks briefly about how this unfair relationship between the "peasants" and the land owners was turned around in the post-revolution era. This second unfortunate story follows a plantation worker who loses his land to the United Fruit company. Pointing the finger of blame strictly at capitalism, this scene shows the point of views of the citizens and gives insight as to just how a revolution could be the only solution in the peoples eyes. They saw that this form of government could legally take the mans land through the use of corporate power. This clearly would leave many asking for change even if that change would only come through action and force. In a show of spite for the government that had abandoned him and his best interests, the man burns all of his land leaving nothing but black burnt ground. This is the ultimate sign of scorn and disapproval for a government that has turned there back on the owner of the plantation.
The plantation owner was a metaphor for all the Cuban's who had been left behind or forgotten by the government. This disapproval for the current government in place led to two dominant philosophies. Nationalism and Marxism were the dominate philosophies held by the Cubans during the time of the Cuban revolution (Chasteen). This way of thinking meant that many Cubans believed that the turmoil they were experiencing was a direct result of American economic system. Leading them to revolt and unite under Castro. This film does a good job of accurately portraying the varying living conditions and many underdeveloped land areas that make up Cuba. It shows the country from an ideological perspective while scattering anti-american themes and metaphors throughout the film. This is done in a tactful manner that still does an adequate job of showing the seriousness of the situation while wrapped up in a symbolic gesture.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Que viva Mexico!
This film was probably one of the most interesting and unique films so far. Que viva Mexico is an intriguing film that delves deep into the heart of Mexican culture, going back to the times of the pyramids through the Mexican Revolution. Sergei Eisenstein does this in a way that is quite unique and not like many other movies out there today. He goes about this difficult task by using no actors or script, with a simple but straight forward and informative narration explaining Mexico's past up to the present. This gave it the feel of a true Mexican style film. Eisenstein truly wanted to capture the essence and beauty that is Mexico. It took Sergei much longer to collect the film he wanted and settle on a specific idea for the plot. This had to be funded by a small group of investors including Upton Sinclair who together founded the Mexican Film Trust. Running on a smaller budget and behind schedule Eisenstein settled on a four-part film that focused on different key eras in Mexico's history. This ended up being seven different sections in the final product. The idea was to not focus on a central character or story line and instead find the underlying ideals and themes that have occurred time and time again throughout the Country's history. Even though Eisenstein was not able to complete his work, Grigory Alexandrov published the work in 1979. Grigory did his best to follow Eisenteins original planning and theme and did an excellent job of portraying the real story of Mexico and it's rich cultural history.
The first section of the film focuses on the incredible Aztec temples that were constructed by the ancient ancestors there. This was an incredible feat for any civilization to accomplish, but even more so for the time period it was constructed. The film focuses on the culture and people that inhabited this land, and more specifically on their changing beliefs throughout the course of history. Eisenstein uses camera angles and dramatic backdrops to express his views of societal rank, while moving from one section of film to the next. A good example of this is the man filmed from below sitting on the edge of the pyramid next to a carved face that resembles his features remarkably well. The upward facing camera angles exemplifies the high ranking status of the Aztec man without using any words. It is a perfect reminder of where Mexico came from and where they are going. Much of the culture that was around in the time of the Aztecs was adopted and shaped in with the modern day Catholicism that dominates the area today. As the film moves on to it's latter sections the film focuses on a hacienda complex being run by workers. According to Meyer and Sherman in their writing, The Course of Mexican History, this was a very accurate portrayal of the laborers that would have worked on any hacienda. Meyer goes in depth telling of the mistreatment received by the laborers and virtually intolerable conditions they had to live in day in and day out. He even speaks of "Corporal punishment and sexual violations of young women is common place on the haciendas".
Unfortunately the film was quite an accurate portrayal of what actually occurred during this period of turmoil in Mexico's past. Eisenstein is ultimately trying to show that the power of the country lies in the individual, not just the elites that have run Mexico ruthlessly in the past. This is done by showing the revolt on the hacienda in the sixth scene, and eventually onto the revolution that took place in Mexico. Ending with the Day of the Dead was a symbolic reminder that the laborers had not lost the battle and would be remembered forever for their heroic actions. The Day of the Dead is a yearly celebration that reminds the current generation of the past struggles and ultimate victory over their former oppressors. The film ends with an inspiring notion that it is up to the people today to share there voice and step up to make Mexico the country they truly want it to be. In the end this film was a very accurate picture of how Mexico has evolved as a whole, and tells how they have come to where they are today. Ending the film by showing the strength and influence that the women and children of the country hold, shows that the future of Mexico is firmly within their own hands. Although Eisenstein did not get to finish the film himself, Grigory did a great job of showing the amazing people and rich history that make up Mexico's story.
The first section of the film focuses on the incredible Aztec temples that were constructed by the ancient ancestors there. This was an incredible feat for any civilization to accomplish, but even more so for the time period it was constructed. The film focuses on the culture and people that inhabited this land, and more specifically on their changing beliefs throughout the course of history. Eisenstein uses camera angles and dramatic backdrops to express his views of societal rank, while moving from one section of film to the next. A good example of this is the man filmed from below sitting on the edge of the pyramid next to a carved face that resembles his features remarkably well. The upward facing camera angles exemplifies the high ranking status of the Aztec man without using any words. It is a perfect reminder of where Mexico came from and where they are going. Much of the culture that was around in the time of the Aztecs was adopted and shaped in with the modern day Catholicism that dominates the area today. As the film moves on to it's latter sections the film focuses on a hacienda complex being run by workers. According to Meyer and Sherman in their writing, The Course of Mexican History, this was a very accurate portrayal of the laborers that would have worked on any hacienda. Meyer goes in depth telling of the mistreatment received by the laborers and virtually intolerable conditions they had to live in day in and day out. He even speaks of "Corporal punishment and sexual violations of young women is common place on the haciendas".
Unfortunately the film was quite an accurate portrayal of what actually occurred during this period of turmoil in Mexico's past. Eisenstein is ultimately trying to show that the power of the country lies in the individual, not just the elites that have run Mexico ruthlessly in the past. This is done by showing the revolt on the hacienda in the sixth scene, and eventually onto the revolution that took place in Mexico. Ending with the Day of the Dead was a symbolic reminder that the laborers had not lost the battle and would be remembered forever for their heroic actions. The Day of the Dead is a yearly celebration that reminds the current generation of the past struggles and ultimate victory over their former oppressors. The film ends with an inspiring notion that it is up to the people today to share there voice and step up to make Mexico the country they truly want it to be. In the end this film was a very accurate picture of how Mexico has evolved as a whole, and tells how they have come to where they are today. Ending the film by showing the strength and influence that the women and children of the country hold, shows that the future of Mexico is firmly within their own hands. Although Eisenstein did not get to finish the film himself, Grigory did a great job of showing the amazing people and rich history that make up Mexico's story.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Camila O'Gorman
The film Camila is set in 1847 and is focused around a young girl named Camila O'Gorman. A well respected socialite, Camila belongs to a family that has close ties with Juan Manuel de Rosas. Rosas is an Argentine dictator in the 19th century running a federalist dictatorship. The film focuses on Camila's longing for a husband who she respects and can truly love. Although she is engaged to Ignacio she is not really in love with him and soon meets a jesuit priest who she falls for quickly. Even though her friends insist that she stay with Ignacio because of his wealth and social status she openly speaks out against this and rebels against her friends and family's wishes. Camila makes the initial advances on Ladislao after hearing him speak about the death squads which he denounced. This is speaking openly about a subject Camila felt passionately about in the film. This also is an issue she was looked down upon by her father for speaking openly about. This was due directly to the close ties of Camila's family and support of Juan Manuel de Rosas.
Although Ladislao tries his best to stay true to the church and not start an affair with Camila, he quickly falls to her advances and they start their affair. He even goes as far as to whip himself in order to punish himself for his feelings, but nothing will stop his persistent longing for her. The underlying storyline focuses around Ladislao's constant struggle between his love for the church and his love for Camila. Even after they escape the hacienda, and Ladislao gets a new profession posing as a school teacher, his feelings for the priesthood did not fade. Eventually his desire to receive penance for his actions and return to Buenos Aires results in the couples arrest. This is where the absolutely atrocious part of the movie plays out. Camila's own father asks Rosas personally to pass on the death penalty to his daughter and Ladislao. Even though Ignacio tries to talk Adolfo out of this decision he is too caught up with her slandering his good name to listen. This is scary to step back and realize that with political power and the church hierarchy behind Adolfo O'Gorman, his actions were backed up one hundred percent. His power was nearly limitless because of his political influence and the church's support. Even after Camila realizes she is pregnant with Ladislao's child, this does not stop her imminent execution. Despite the law that no pregnant women may be executed in Argentina her case was overlooked and swept under the carpet. This is a very scary thought that such an atrocity could occur and even scarier that the word came from her father.
It makes sense that this film was widely successful, and was even nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film. Releasing the film after Argentina had been under a ruthless military dictatorship no doubt added to its mass appeal. Luisa Bemberg brings an element of feminism to the film and questions the patriarchal authority that is commonly practiced throughout Argentina. Patriarchal authority can be practiced and seen openly throughout a few avenues. The main three patriarchal themes that come to mind are in the state, church, and obviously the family perspective. All three of these play a major role in the story line. Ultimately, the family and church corner the state into doing exactly what they want by executing the two lovers. In the end this was an eye opening film that invokes questions of loyalty, family, and right and wrong on a larger scale.
Although Ladislao tries his best to stay true to the church and not start an affair with Camila, he quickly falls to her advances and they start their affair. He even goes as far as to whip himself in order to punish himself for his feelings, but nothing will stop his persistent longing for her. The underlying storyline focuses around Ladislao's constant struggle between his love for the church and his love for Camila. Even after they escape the hacienda, and Ladislao gets a new profession posing as a school teacher, his feelings for the priesthood did not fade. Eventually his desire to receive penance for his actions and return to Buenos Aires results in the couples arrest. This is where the absolutely atrocious part of the movie plays out. Camila's own father asks Rosas personally to pass on the death penalty to his daughter and Ladislao. Even though Ignacio tries to talk Adolfo out of this decision he is too caught up with her slandering his good name to listen. This is scary to step back and realize that with political power and the church hierarchy behind Adolfo O'Gorman, his actions were backed up one hundred percent. His power was nearly limitless because of his political influence and the church's support. Even after Camila realizes she is pregnant with Ladislao's child, this does not stop her imminent execution. Despite the law that no pregnant women may be executed in Argentina her case was overlooked and swept under the carpet. This is a very scary thought that such an atrocity could occur and even scarier that the word came from her father.
It makes sense that this film was widely successful, and was even nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film. Releasing the film after Argentina had been under a ruthless military dictatorship no doubt added to its mass appeal. Luisa Bemberg brings an element of feminism to the film and questions the patriarchal authority that is commonly practiced throughout Argentina. Patriarchal authority can be practiced and seen openly throughout a few avenues. The main three patriarchal themes that come to mind are in the state, church, and obviously the family perspective. All three of these play a major role in the story line. Ultimately, the family and church corner the state into doing exactly what they want by executing the two lovers. In the end this was an eye opening film that invokes questions of loyalty, family, and right and wrong on a larger scale.
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