Reviews

The Other Conquest by Salvador Carrasco is a fascinating story about the aftermath of the Spanish colonization of the Aztec Indians. The first part of the film takes place in nature and jungle, the other within a monastery. This, together with the wonderful cinematography and its majestic soundtrack, will keep you entranced to, and also provide authenticity to, the world depicted.

We meet the protagonist Topiltzin who managed to survive a massacre, but he is later captured by the Spaniards. The leader of the conquistadors Hernán Cortés decides to spare his life by having Friar Diego convert him to Catholicism, thus changing his name to Tomás. Topiltzin/Tomás is bereaved from his language and religion and forced to learn Spanish and worship the Virgin Mary. What is the other conquest? If we exclude the Spanish conquest of the Aztec land, we have several possible answers. Could it be the conquest of their religion, their culture, language, or something else?

Religion and spirituality plays a big role in this film. Topiltzin discovers that his own religion, in which they worship the Mother Goddess, a deity not too different looking from the Virgin Mary statue, is very similar to Christianity. This film allows you to compare two very different religions presented. In one scene, we witness a human sacrifice made by the Aztecs to the Mother Goddess. A group of conquistadors happens to enter this holy site during the ceremony, and despises what they see. They find the sacrifice and cannibalism revolting, which is interesting considering Christianity is based on self-sacrifice and a symbolic cannibalism through the Holy Communion. What Salvador Carrasco this is trying to tell us is that there are more similarities than differences between these two cultures.

Needless to say, the conquistadors refuse to see these "heathen" Indians as equals. However, regardless of the ordeals that Topiltzin goes through and how much the Spaniards and the church try to impose their ways on him, he manages to keep his cultural integrity intact and preserve his own identity. So in the end Topiltzin has, in his mind, turned the statue of the Virgin Mary into the Mother Goddess. This way he was able to defy the intruding religion and at the same time conquer it, giving a whole new meaning to the title of the film.

This film is leaning towards formalism in the way it uses powerful imagery to convey a message, rather than using dialogue. For a film dealing with a topic so often associated with genocide we only see very little violence. There is a very memorable torture scene and we get to see the results of the massacre, and all this under the watchful eye of the sky, the sun. We see this beautiful recurring shot of the sun, which is symbolically important in the film. Not only because sacrifices in the Aztec belief were made to please the sun, but also in terms of story. When the sun sets towards the end of the film, it is an indication that not only is Topiltzin's time up, but also his people's culture with everything it includes.

With its captivating story, beautiful scenery, and stunning musical score, it is definitely a must see. It is also one of very few films that deal with the Aztec's point of view of the conquest. It deserves all credit it can get, I recommend it strongly.

In the wake of Mikhail Gorbachev's watchwords "Glasnost" and "Perestroika" comes a film from director Elem Klimov, Come and See. This is one of the most gruesome war films ever made. It is an exceptionally powerful film that does not in any way glorify the horrors people experience in war.

Set in Byelorussia, a small country that experienced mass killings in over five hundred villages during the Second World War. In one village, a young boy called Florya (Aleksey Kravchenko) joins with the partisan army to fight the Nazi invaders.

The film starts with Florya digging around in old trenches. An old man screams out in anguish that he must stop; however, blinded by his dream to become a soldier, Florya eventually finds a weapon. This discovery triggers his village's "participation" in the war.

The importance of not glorifying the concept of war is present as the movie is shot on real locations, without any special effects, and the actors are really on location when the action is going on. This provides a very explicit depiction of the war's many horrors, which makes you want to take cover behind your seat.

The portrayal of Florya's transformation through the one of two weeks this story spans is an amazing cinematic accomplishment. By the end of it all, Florya looks to have aged at least thirty years, and the soldiers that at first only referred to him as the "newcomer" have now accepted him as a fellow soldier. The fate of his family, the old man and the rest of his village are all very moving, it will remain with you for a very long time.

It is also fascinating how Mikhail Gorbachev chooses to portray the Nazis in this film. Their inhumane actions speak for themselves but yet he gives them such a menacing touch. It is almost as if their side of the war is one big celebration. They seem to have a good time together and are fully enjoying themselves as they massacre people. Shooting, burning and sexually and mentally abusing their enemies, this under constant laughter and cheering.

But wait there is more. Mikhail Gorbachev is not done with you just yet; he actually finds a way to masterfully affect all of senses through both visual and auditory means. At one point, due to the bombs, Florya loses his hearing. When he gets his hearing back and from this point on there is an almost constant background sound playing. This adds to the feeling of shell-shock and that he is now almost apathetic. This together with the very realistic violence and psychological terrors this kid is exposed to makes you turn in your seat in unease several times.

It is not my intention to scare anyone away from watching this film, on the contrary. I do wish that people would dedicate some time to watch this, and perhaps you will also be able to break free from the shackles of Hollywood's glorification of war. I feel that no review could ever do justice to this legendary work of art. You really have to experience it.

The Phantom of Liberty was directed by Luis Buñuel and is an anti institutional surrealistic movie. Luis Buñuel's episodic approach to this film makes it very entertaining; also many scenes are very Pythonesque-like in style.

What makes this film special is that there is not one major main protagonist; instead we get to follow a lot of different people around. Once the camera has locked-on to one character, we get to follow him/her until they interact with someone else whom eventually will carry the story forward from there. In that way we get to experience several episodes, which all deals with the world in a completely different surreal aspect. This episodic approach provides a feeling of rebirth every time we are introduced to a new character.

The film is full of critique against several of the fundamental institutions in society. The church is one of the first to be attacked. In the opening scene we see Napoleonic soldiers that plunder a church. They are drinking the communion wine and eating the sacramental bread. Later in the story a couple of monks swears, gambles and express gluttonous behavior thus breaking almost all of the deadly sins.

Not only is the church being criticized. Buñuel visualizes this highly dysfunctional classroom that is filled with adult police officers who act like ten year olds. They are constantly being interrupted by people coming and leaving the classroom as the teacher tries to lecture. In a few scenes before that, the military is seen hunting for foxes with a tank, clearly breaking with the purpose of the military. There is also a sniper that shoots people completely random and gets away with it, thanks to a highly questionable court system.

In this film, Luis Buñuel tries to make us question the social conventions that we all adhere to, whether we know it or not. To challenge our morals and the thoughts of what is considered right or wrong, good or bad. He tries to make us see that it is always highly subjective. The most interesting aspect of this film is that Luis Buñuel challenges the viewer's mindset. In a playground scene, an older man is seen handing out pictures to children. As a viewer you immediately jump to the conclusion that he is a pervert. It is fascinating in how Buñuel manage to show how quick we are to assume and stereotype. You are likely to catch yourself several times in this film, judging what you see before all the facts are in.

With its highly comedic and critical views on social conventions and institutions, Phantom of Liberty is really a little piece of gold. A perfect film that provide a surrealistic reality escape which not only entertains but also invites you to question why and how we do as we do.

The Yugoslavian film Time of the Gypsies from director Emir Kusturica tells a truly fascinating story about a young gypsy boy named Perhan, and the ordeals he goes through trying to help his sick sister. What makes Perhan such an interesting character is his telekinetic powers, his somewhat lack of moral, and rich dreams. Not only is the protagonist a vivid character. The entire film is filled with amazingly beautiful scenes and a tremendous soundtrack.

Emir Kusturica's take on the gypsies is a most interesting one. Not only does he portray them in the dirtiest, gloomiest, and most unpleasant place in society. Even though they reside in the slum area they seem to be unaffected by their fate, and starts playing on the accordion whenever life seems unfair.

It is an interesting concept that the film both starts and ends with weddings, although perhaps not in the exact way one may expect. Both the story arch and Perhan's character arch are just as moving as they are strong. The transition Perhan goes through, from an innocent boy, whose best friend is a turkey that he seems to be able to communicate with, to a slave trader who deals with children, is very gripping. Just as the story starts out in true Shakespearian manner as a comedy, and ends in a tragedy.

There is also a reoccurring theme of betrayal throughout the story. Perhan's mother was betrayed, his uncle was cheated on for his mother's attention which went to Perhan instead, and Perhan himself was betrayed several times, which ultimately made him betray people. Emir Kusturica uses this disillusionment to show that although they are living in this world with instances of magical realism; they are humans as well, fully capable of being broken, flawed, and cruel.

Emir Kusturica creates a universe that is vast, colorful, and contains many magical things. All masterfully presented in a natural and fully believable way. Not only do we have Perhan's psychic abilities, but his grandmother possesses certain abilities as well. Perhan's relationship with the turkey, a white veil flying in the wind, and several dream sequences, one which takes place on a river, are some of the most memorable in the entire film.

This film is one of the very few made with the authentic Romani spoken language in the majority of the runtime. Just this fact alone is worthy of more attention than received. All in all it is just a phenomenal film in its own category without comparison. A must see.

"Cries and Whispers" is a phenomenal film by director Ingmar Bergman, in collaboration with legendary cinematographer Sven Nykvist. The film deals with the surrounding events of a dying woman, Agnes (played by Harriet Andersson). Her two sisters Karin and Maria (Ingrid Thulin and Liv Ullman respectively) are thrown together in their sister's estate at the last dying moments of her terminal illness.

Ingmar Bergman made this movie while in an experimental period of his life. He extensively utilizes the color red throughout the film to create a symbolic meaning on many different levels. Perhaps one of the most meaningful interpretations is of blood and how it connects people together. Also the most memorable scene that will stick with you after watching this film involves blood, but in a more objective way.

The film centers around four characters, the three sisters and the house maid, Anna (Kari Sylwan), all which seems to be famished for closeness and touch. However, it is only Agnes and Anna that appears to be able to express these feelings and their relationship is a heart-robbing one. In contrast, the relationship between Karin and Maria is very complicated. We get to know that Maria was favored by their mother and this envy stays with her sister all her life. Karin seems to almost interpret her sister's attempts to gain some emotional comfort between them two as something sexual. While Maria is just trying to satisfy both of their starvation for touch. The catharsis of their final confrontation is a mighty powerful one, and masterfully deals with the sometimes so contradictory relationship that exists between two siblings.

There is a hint of an underlying tone of skepticism towards religion present. In a scene when Anna prays and in a way thanks the great lord for that he has bereft her of her child, she quickly starts to eat a red apple once she is done praying. This act entails to a somewhat mocking message. Even though she prays to the God she marks that she is not in need of him. Later in the film we see a priest that is strongly questioning the good lord's actions when he prays for a recently deceased, a very powerful scene let me tell you that.

Ingmar Bergman does successfully capture in this film a cavalcade of emotions, conflicts, and humanity, which is all over the spectrum. I believe that it would be difficult to find someone that would not be moved, in one way or another, by this masterpiece. This is not one of his more complicated movies, and it is far from a boring one as well. The camera-work from Sven Nykvist that generated an Oscar for Best Cinematography does not steal any of the film's influence, but rather adds to the holistic experience that makes this piece of art excellent.