The Milk of Sorrow (2009) User Reviews

A touch of magic realism

[birthdaynoodle · 9/10 · 3 October 2010]

Writer/director Claudia Llosa loosely adapts the premise of old-time classics 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Faust' to contemporary Peru. Fausta, beautifully played by Magaly Solier, is a solitary, indigenous girl whose heart is gripped by fear. Her mother, who we see on her deathbed at the start of the film, was raped and scarred for life by The Shining Path (a radical Maoist organization that terrorized Peru during the 80s and early 90s). According to their indigenous culture, the terror felt by Fausta's mother was passed on to her through breastfeeding, a condition they call 'The Milk of Sorrow' (in Spanish, 'La Teta Asustada', which translates to 'The Frightened Tit'). Fausta is deeply suspicious of people around her, particularly men, and expresses her repressed emotions only through singing, as she performs her daily chores. Desperately in need for money to bury her dead mother, she begins to work as a housekeeper for Aida, a musician who is preparing for a concert and becomes interested in her songs of sorrow.

Llosa observes the social realities of Latin America (post-colonialism, class division, political violence), but avoids providing facile solutions. Instead, she focuses her attention on Fausta's more personal need for spiritual freedom. She does so with quiet, subtle humor and an eye for striking, poetic imagery.

I highly recommend watching this Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film and winner of the Berlin International Film Festival.

Strange but Interesting

[billcr12 · 7/10 · 31 May 2012]

The Milk of Sorrow refers to the belief in Peru of the passing of a pregnant woman's suffering to her infant through her breast milk. Fausta is subjected to the violence of the military and the Shining Path radical group during the unrest of the 1980s

Fausta is a poor woman living in the mountains of Peru whose mother has died and because she cannot afford a burial, she puts her under a bed with a wedding dress on top of the dearly departed mom. Fausta was told repeatedly as a child growing up, of her mother's gang rape. She was never sure who her father was. As a result of the trauma, Fausta has inserted a potato into her vagina as a protection against rape; I am not making this up.

Fausta is hired by a wealthy pianist to work as a servant. The employer hears her singing songs learned from her mother. She offers her a beads from a broken necklace, but when the woman repeats the music at a concert and receives applause, she fires Fausta without giving her the pearls promised. Magaky Solier plays Fausta in a very subdued, low key manner, which fits the cold and dark tone of the film. The subject matter is grim, but it is based on reality, so expect ninety four minutes of a sad but compelling story.

A masterpiece by Claudia Llosa

[dg-op · 9/10 · 7 March 2010]

Young director Claudia Llosa (Madeinusa) has won the Golden Bear and a dozen of other prizes around the world for her second work, The frightened tit, its original Spanish tittle.

Though the plot itself may seem awkward, the movie is a group of 95 minutes rich and beautiful images. The pearls, the potato, the dog, the wedding, the impoverished suburban Lima, everything is accurately directed and carefully thought by Ms. Llosa.

Fausta (outstanding Magaly Solier) is suffering from The frightened tit, an illness that she caught through her mother's breast-milk since her pregnancy happened during the 1980s and 90s terrorism and State violence in the Andes. Now in Lima, Fausta is afraid, she's put a potato in her vagina in order to protect her from being raped, and after her mother dies she finally has to deal with the real life and face her fears,starting to work in a high- class house as a made.

The plot of the movie is fictitious, but it lies on a cruel and past reality of Peru's modern history, combining it with a delicate halo of surrealism, magic realism and sometimes ironic humor. The image of the potato -all time Peruvian ingredient for cuisine- involves the subject of a war and a fear that affected an entire country, though our differences may not accept it yet. The scenes in Fausta's home are the opposite where she works: though the high-class house is in the same impoverished area (another reference to Peruvian social differences), over there is no gray, no dust: there are plants, color, life.

At the end, Fausta realizes that in the root of her fears is the solution of them. The movie, indeed, is presented as a cure for the unhealed wounds of a terrible and recent war that happened on Peruvian soil.

Burying the dead

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 20 October 2010]

Fausta, the young Peruvian of Indian extraction, is suffering from a strange malady. When taken to a clinic to be examined, the doctor examining her, determines she has a growth in her vagina, he compares it to having a potato growing up inside her. The uncle explains to the doctor it is a condition deemed to be 'the milk of sorrow', something that was passed from her mother as she breast-fed Fausta when she was an infant. Many women were violated by the rebel groups that preyed on the Indian communities. In order to prevent being violated Fausta is carrying a potato in her vagina, something the science man cannot begin to imagine.

As the story begins, we see her with her mother who is singing a strange song, in Quechuan. Nothing seems to indicate she is suffering from an illness, but as the singing stops, the lady dies. Fausta is shocked when she realizes what has just happened. After accepting the fact about her mother, she must bury her. The uncle has already started to dig a spot in back of the house to serve as a tomb. Fausta does not have a lot of money. A visit to the undertakers prove to be useless, for she cannot afford to even buy the cheapest kind of funeral. In spite of that, Fausta and the women relatives, prepare the body by wrapping it in a sort of a shroud.

With the problem still at hand, Fausta is engaged as a maid in the home of a lady pianist. Her instructions are not to let any strangers in the house. The place is adjacent to what seems to be a public market. Fausta, a shy woman is amazed by what she finds in the fancy home, but she never gets close to the lady of the house. The breaking of a string of pearls, brings the maid to help the lady, who promises to give Fausta the pearls, eventually. The only person that is closer to the girl is the gardener, a man that, at times ogles the young girl with more than necessary, but nothing happens between them.

We witness a few garish weddings happening at the compound where Fausta's uncle lives. The family makes extra money by preparing these weddings, catering them, and providing entertainment. Sometimes Fausta helps serve the guests. After Fausta gets the pearls, her desire to bury the mother comes a possibility. We watch her and the relatives as they travel to a desert near the Pacific. Fausta knows exactly where will be her mother's resting place. The final shots of the film are full of symbolism. Fausta finds a small pot where two potatoes have flowered into a small plant.

Claudia LLosa, the Peruvian creator of this film, sets her film among the poor classes in a Lima suburb populated by the destitute. The place is not a ghetto, by any means, the only thing in common with that, would be the poor housing where the people in the story live. The area is located in hills with steep stairs that are used by the locals to come to town. Fausta is a symbol of the oppressed classes by representing a small part of that culture. Ignorance and superstition are rampant among the population, where even a doctor is questioned when it is evident Fausta has something that will lead to a bigger problem if not treated properly.

In Magaly Solier, Ms. LLosa has found a girl that personifies the type of individual she is supposed to be. Not having seen this actress before, or for that matter, any of the cast, seems to be a triumph for the director in getting the results she wanted to present. The character of Fausta is an enigma to most viewers. She is an aloof presence in the film. It is through her eyes the story is seen.

Natasha Braier, the cinematographer captured the dreary locales in which the film is set with somber reverence. The music is by Selma Mutal, relying in the type of musical influence from the group at the center of the story. Ms. LLosa's film is highly feminine, showing an innate talent for great things to come.

After the war, the fear

[gardieca · 7/10 · 16 February 2009]

Winner of the first award at the Berlinale, La teta asustada is the second film made by Claudia Llosa, director of the brilliant and exotic Madeinusa. The movie shows an interesting picture of a village in Peru, the life of a family, the things they do to earn a living, and the fears of Fausta, a girl whose mother taught her the power of songs to send away tears.Fausta keeps a secret, and she wants no one to discover it. Meanwhile, he tries to save money to make a wish come true.Magaly Solier plays a gorgeous role, like she did in Madeinusa, and makes us share her feelings through her eyes and her voice. Besides, the film shows the customs of a family and the way every member helps doing his best with a smile. Don't miss it.

Good performances, nice theme

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 2 June 2009]

I can see that or why many people will like this movie. There is the very great portrayal of the main actress, there is running theme in here that speaks to many art-house fans (even those who may not know that they are).

The pacing might seem awkward, some twists in the story line and/or character arc, might not be accessible to some viewers, but all those things make the movie even better. At least that's how I see it. Still as this is a movie that provokes or encourages you to think a lot, there might come up a few questions, story-wise and or character-wise that might leave you with a slightly bad taste.

And although up until now the review the user GeneralGrievous gave hasn't received positive feedback, you have to cut the guy some slack. If you read his review, you can understand why he didn't like the movie quite as much. I thought his review was helpful, even though I don't agree on everything he writes, because he explains not only why he thinks that way, but he gives a few glimpses into his knowledge of Peruvian film-making.

Exotic but Boring and Unpleasant

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 18 July 2010]

Fausta Isidora (Magaly Solier) is a weird young woman that lives permanently scared in a poor community in Lima. Her mother was raped by many men when she was pregnant of Fausta, and raised her daughter with a morbid fear of men. When her mother dies, Fausta has a bleeding and faints. Her uncle takes her to the doctor that finds that she keeps a potato inside her vagina to protect her against intercourse. Her uncle tells to the doctor that in accordance with the lore of the locals, she has a disease called "La Teta Assustada" (meaning "The Frightened Teat" in English) transmitted by the milk of an abused pregnant woman. Fausta decides to bury her mother in her home village, but neither she nor her uncle has the necessary amount for the coffin and the transportation. Fausta starts working as housemaid in the manor of a pianist to raise the necessary money; she befriends the gardener that helps her and Fausta finally resolves her issues.

"La Teta Assustada" is an exotic but boring and unpleasant low budget movie. The story is developed in slow-pace and probably will please viewers of the First World that maybe have never seen a slum and poor people like the dweller of Fausta's community. Magaly Solier has a great performance and her exotic beauty is impressive. The translation of the title of this film to English ("The Milk of Sorrow") is ridiculous since the correct translation would be "The Frightened Teat". The summary in IMDb from Pusan International Film Festival is ridiculous and the author has certainly not understood the story; or maybe the translation from Spanish was wrong. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Teta Assustada" ("The Frightened Teat")

A Beautiful film

[yiuclaudia · 9/10 · 25 March 2010]

I was so touched by this film, which is obviously a low budget production. It proves that you do not need a multi-billion budget to make a good movie. I think only women can understand fully the pain and the fear the heroine had to go through. I wonder if they produce a sound track for the movie. The songs by the heroine and that sonata adopted by the pianist were beautiful. Solier is a great actress and her facial features, well, what can I say, is not the kind of glamour you find on screens. She has character, reflecting her heritage. I immediately take a liking of her from the first few scenes.I It is disturbing to find people snubbing such a beautiful movie but I guess everyone to his/her tase.

A Movie full of Rhythm, Intimacy and Fear

[jfag_co · 17 February 2009]

Our heroine is called Fausta, a girl who is full of fear. "The Milk of Sorrow" or, more exactly "The Frightened Tit" is, in the Peruvian-indigenous tradition, an illness, is being condemned to be a coward. Peru's late History was influenced by guerrilla's warfare and state brutality. Women (like Fausta's mother) were raped, and raped women got sick... of fear. through her mother's milk Fausta is afraid of life, but she is by no mean a coward, because after her mother dies, her struggle is by herself. This movie is beautiful, it combines a very, very strong performance from Magaly Solier, and a universal human struggle in a very typical Latin American city.

Safe As Milk

[valis1949 · 9/10 · 1 September 2013]

THE MILK OF SORROW (dir. Claudia Llosa) The central conceit or literary metaphor of this mesmerizing film is that mothers who have experienced the horror of rape pass along this trauma to their daughters through breast feeding. Fausta is a Peruvian peasant who has been deeply affected by this abnormal syndrome, and when her mother dies, the film documents Fausta's journey to bury her mother, and then confront and heal the psychological damage done to her by her mother's tragic past. The film has the tone of a hypnotic yet horrifying folk tale that explores the pagan or atavistic undercurrents within lower-class Peruvian society. Nominated for numerous international awards. MUST SEE.

Hollywood, Bollywood, Globbywood

[Pitumisio · 8/10 · 17 February 2009]

A realistic portrayal of the impoverished suburbia of Lima, Peru is the frame-set for this fantastic story. Fausta, daughter of a woman raped by terrorists some 25 years ago, assists her mother's death and decides to take her remains back to her hometown, in the high Andes. But, apart from having to work hard to collect the money she needs for it, Fausta has a reason, deep inside, that prevents her from enjoying life or accepting her outstanding physical beauty as a normal girl.

Mastery at low-budget cinematic skill should be credited to Bollywood (the Mumbai-based Hindi language film industry) films, which may not be the most groundbreaking in technical or screen writing terms, but contain music in the form of song-and-dance numbers woven into the script in order to appeal to all segments of the audience and maximise box office receipts. Since Hollywood's multi-million budgets would never have helped shoot realistic and colourful, but rough Brazilian imagery, 'Central Station' (1998) and 'Cidade de Deus' (2002) garnered indisputable acclaim at renowned film festivals after being funded on their own. The example set by off-Hollywood movie makers' efforts have become heroic in countries where movie industry budgets are, to say the least, scarce.

This is the case for LTA. It could have been more on par to Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire' if it wasn't for the Peruvian-Spanish meagre budget available to Peruvian young director Claudia Llosa. If you expect to see acting beaus or beautés, famous screenwriters and crew, expensive car explosions or CGI, go elsewhere. LTA is neat magic-realism, a territory where people may be poor but not disgusting, where their houses are mere recreation centres for fantasy and everyday life to play happily together. Only time will tell if the trend keeps up, spreads globally, and ends up being called Globbywood.

This is a well-told tale of hope where only two professional actors are involved. And this was as clear to Berlinale judges as it is for the general public -those with a thirst for veritable, honest, witty craftsmanship at film-making.

The poetry of fear and freedom

[sl-pierce · 7/10 · 9 March 2011]

Claudia Llosa writes a peculiar, but captivating story of a young Peruvian girl living in a constant world of fear on the outskirts of Lima. Fausta is believed to be suffering from a rare disease, "La teta asustada," or the "Milk of Sorrow," which was transmitted from her mother's breast milk after she was raped by terrorists during the time of Sendero Luminoso. Facing her mother's death, Fausta is forced to overcome her fear and work in the Big House of a limeña musician. While both the music and filming are stunning, I feel that the film lacks much action or thick plot. I found it to be more of a journey, one that led Fausta from her fear to a glimpse of her freedom. Furthermore, as a viewer who has lived in Peru, the film was very nostalgic for me and I felt that it portrayed Lima and the "pueblos" with a profound sincerity.

If you are looking for a poetic and beautiful journey of a story, this film is exactly that.

Not all art house movies are masterpieces

[SebaZava · 4/10 · 4 May 2009]

I had some really big expectations for The Milk of Sorrow. I mean, when was the last time a Peruvian motion picture, a movie made in my country by filmmakers from my country won such a prestigious award as the Golden Bear? I expected this film to be something really special, something that could make an impact in me and, fortunately, most members of the audience in the packed theatre I found myself in. The subject matter was undeniable interesting and full of possibilities, and director Claudia Llosa could undeniably use this movie to try to affect her audience both emotionally and intellectually.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. I went with three friends. None of us really enjoyed the film. The rest of the audience? The best description I have of the expressions in their faces when the end credits started to roll is the following: "wtf?" Some of them even left early or the moment the credits started, not even waiting to see how had directed or performed in the film. As much as it saddens me, The Milk of Sorrow is proof that not only "artsy", independent movies are masterpieces, and that one doesn't always have to agree with the members of a jury giving a supposedly prestigious award.

The thing about The Milk of Sorrow is that it's got a premise, but that's it. No story. No narrative. It almost seems as if Llosa wanted to start something but didn't know how, and instead preferred to chronicle the life of her young protagonist. This might seem all right, but all that we're doing is witnessing the way she lives and deals with her problems. The movie goes nowhere. We know she's afraid of going outside, of being alone; we know she's got a potato inside her vagina acting as some kind tampon, and that she believes in the "milk of sorrow" disease. We've got issues, but nothing else. The film almost seems like a documentary in that there's very little narrative to speak of, and that it seems more concerned in watching these characters instead of making the audience sympathize with them.

Magaly Solier is not a bad actress. Although I didn't enjoy Madeinusa that much either, she was pretty good in it, but here she's wasted. It's not that she gives a bad performance, it's that her character is poorly written. How can one sympathize with her and her situation when Fausta has virtually no personality? She almost seems like a zombie walking through the world, barely talking and barely expressing herself. I know there are people like that, and I know she's supposed to be traumatized and fearful, but that doesn't mean she's stopped being a human being. She is a woman, and Llosa is supposed to make the viewer believe in the fact that she's a real woman. But this doesn't happen. I liked when she sang – it's not only a great cultural thing, but it also gave a little characterization to Fausta – but I hated the way she was underwritten.

I know many people will say I didn't get the movie, and that's why I didn't like it. Well, I must say I actually got it, that's the point. Besides, there's not much to get. It's not a terribly complex film, which is good. It's a psychological and sociological analysis of the trauma that these people experienced due to Sendero Luminoso and the armed forces, and the beliefs they have. It's a very interesting cultural study and it all feels real because it is, but that doesn't mean it's a very good film. Maybe if it had been done in the form of a documentary it would have worked better, but as a supposed narrative, it doesn't really flow because there's no plot to speak of and characters are boring. There are themes and ideas, to be sure, but does that mean it's got to be an amazing picture? Technically, the film's really good, I guess. Unlike other Peruvian productions, it doesn't look as if the film was shot with a video-camera. The 35 mm film does the movie a lot of good, giving it a very dreamy, serious look. It's all very realistic, but at times it's very beautiful too. Llosa's slow-moving, sometimes very still camera is appropriate for the material, but the film's pacing is off. I have nothing against slow films (actually, some of my favorite movies are very slow ones) but The Milk of Sorrow is just too slow, and for no apparent reason. It definitely gives the movie a dreamy sort of quality, but the filmmakers also risk losing their audience. The movie is only 94 minutes long, but it surely feels a lot longer. Did the film need to be slow? I don't think so.

I really wanted to like The Milk of Sorrow. Technically, it's superior to other Peruvian productions, and performances are solid, but the movie's main problem is that it doesn't work at all as a narrative. There's very little plot to speak of and characters – especially Fausta, the protagonist – are zombies. I appreciate what Claudia Llosa tried to do – actually, I admire it, mainly because, from watching the film, it's apparent a lot of effort went into the making of the production. But the fact that I admire the filmmakers and what they were trying to do doesn't mean I have to like the movie. Unfortunately, although many independent and/or artsy movies are really, really good (a pleasant change from Hollywood's loud and noisy productions), not all of them are as good as one would want them to be. La Teta Asustada had lots of potential, but sadly it didn't fulfill them. Hopefully, Llosa's next film will be superior.

La teta asustada

[EdgarST · 8/10 · 17 June 2011]

Fausta, the main character of "La teta asustada", has the disadvantages of being a woman, an Indian, and poor, in a society that in its essence is not too different from others in any corner of the world, no matter what the intelligentsia or UNESCO may say about social, economic, ethnic or gender vindication in the past century. Fastua's mother raised her according to quechua tradition and convinced her that she was infected with a disease called "the frightened tit", as a result of the mother being raped while carrying Fausta in her womb, and because she fed Fausta with her poisonous milk. Although she is very beautiful, the young Fausta has grown into a men-hating, always frightened, and laconic woman. She is also sick, because she has found a most revolting way to avoid rape. In part, the fact that Claudia Llosa belongs to the privileged, white (or not-Indian) sector of Peruvian society, works against her work, and a few of the incidences seem too foreign to her appreciation. Luckily, she slowly develops the story in settings and circumstances that do not seem completely real. Although based on facts, much of the action belongs to the realm of fantasy. You don't have to be a woman, an Indian or poor to appreciate this film (though it would help). It just takes a bit of sensibility and compassion. A good, necessary film.

sorrow

[magnuslhad · 5/10 · 7 May 2015]

Fausta's aged mother passes away, singing a song that tells of horrific suffering in the not-so-distant past. That suffering has been passed on to her daughter through, according to local folklore, her mother's breast milk. With a potato inserted in her vagina, Fausta hopes to ward off the ugly indignities inflicted on her mother. Fausta's poverty, both material and spiritual, is thrown into sharp relief when she gets work as a housekeeper at the home of a wealthy and celebrated, but arid musician. The musician draws Fausta's song from her. And so, she begins to sing. This is a slow-burn film that offers startling images at time, and is strongest in its representation of the rituals of courtship, marriage and death. There is a rhythm and intensity to these scenes, a beguiling charm, that is disarming. Less successful are the long takes of Fausta (Magaly Solier) staring off into space when in the throes of her existential plight. The film goes after an imagistic rather than narrative experience and only partly succeeds. A dense film, in fact impenetrable at times, it offers strong symbolism, gritty ethnographic authenticity, but ultimately demands patience that it fails to completely reward, Magaly Solier's intensity failing to compensate for the plodding pace.

Definitely an original movie

[r-albury · 6/10 · 25 May 2011]

This movie had a truly original plot that at times felt a little unbelievable. The characters themselves were believable and an interesting twist was that half of the movie was in a local dialect rather than Spanish. The protagonist, Fausta, believes that she is condemned to a life of fear because her mother was raped while she was pregnant with her. This fear was transferred to her from her mother's 'teta asustada' according to Peruvian superstition. Some parts of the movie, like her mother's burial, are drawn out for longer than they should and do not add to the storyline. The songs that Fausta sings are a nice addition to the soundtrack and add an interesting subplot. It is a movie that I am glad that I watched but I don't think I'll watch it again.

Only death is mandatory

[Mun7eanu · 8/10 · 13 October 2018]

The rest is our choice. A transgenerational trauma, transmitted not only from mother to daughter but from the Inca's violence mixed with the Spanish Catholicism. A syncretism of traditions that hardly can be digested by the modern man. Poverty also is a factor in the slow and differentiate modernisation of these traditional societies and in overcoming myths that make life difficult. Life and death are inseparable, spirits walk the streets and harm the living, children are transforming a grave in a swimming pool. Take out the potato from me, my dead mother from the house, break the link with the sorrow padt and try to live your life. The only choice we have.

Our Flowering of Hope in the Burial of Our Fears

[aj-290 · 9/10 · 27 October 2011]

© A.J. Malouin 2011

(Rating: 3 by A.J. Malouin.) (See our side-bar page "How We Rate Movies" at www.What-To-See-Next.com)

(2009/Spain/Peru. Directed by Claudia Llosa.) Here's a film that could sustain its Best-Foreign-Film Academy-Award nomination on the basis of its cinematography alone. Beautiful in composition and execution, "La teta asustada" ["The Milk of Sorrow"] is -- from first shots to last -- a joy to view.

This is a fine thing, because the film is a tad slow-moving until we get totally into it.

It opens with a beautiful, singing set piece of a young woman's mother dying.

It ends with that same woman leaning over to enjoy the fragrance of a flowering potato plant.

In between, the young woman undergoes an visually intoxicating journey from fears of the past to hopes of the future.

It's such a beautiful journey that, 24 hours after viewing it, this writer dreams of viewing it again. <!--more-->

"La teta asustada" is a story of fact and fable.

It's a fact that the young woman's mother was raped during warfare while she was pregnant with the young woman. It's a fact that the mother taught the young woman to create and sing little songs whenever she is frightened. It's also a fact that the young woman is frightened much of the time. She has taken drastic measures to overcome her biggest fear.

What is fable is that the young woman's fears were inherited from her mother by suckling that mother's breast milk.

The film is full of everyday scenes of how the poor live on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. It's also full of scenes that take place inside and on the grounds of "the big house" where the young woman has gone to work as the night maid.

"La teta asustada" is full of native Peruvian ceremonial courtship and wedding customs, beautiful Peruvian song and music, and exquisitely composed shots of the Peruvian landscape.

Overriding it all, however, is the tangible, taste-able sadness and fear of the young woman. Over the course of 94 gorgeous minutes, that sadness and fear is gently, soulfully left behind, at the seashore, in a hospital operating room, and at the hands of a gentle gardener who comes to see the beauty in the wonderful simplicity of a flowering potato plant.

As with all of our most rewarding film experiences, it's difficult to put into words all the emotions and images this film releases in the heart of its viewers.

Once you've seen "La teta asustada," however, simple things like pearls, potatoes, sand, and stairways will never look the same to you again. Don't deny yourself these sad, simple, beautiful pleasures

Pensive and Moving

[brittleake · 7/10 · 26 November 2017]

La teta asustada is not, quite understandably, everyone's cup of tea. It is a slow, pensive, drawn-out film that almost feels like an ominous daydream. There is much that goes unsaid, and if you are not familiar with the Sendero Luminoso insurgency in Peru and the enormous amount of political violence perpetrated by both rebel and government forces, the underlying forces driving the film will not make that much sense. This is particularly the case with the rather disturbing opening scene and the graphic account of the rape of the protagonist's (Fausta) mother. There are also dynamics of class, gender, language, and race at work in this film, and the interplay between them is best understood with some prior knowledge of Peru, or Latin America more generally. The opening scene and the revelation that Fausta has placed a potato in her vagina to protect her from rape would be enough to turn many people off from the beginning of the film, and for good reason. Yet this film, to its credit, in my view, refuses to be anything other than what it is – an exploration of the legacy of trauma and fear of the Sendero Luminoso insurgency and the violence that came along with it. I enjoyed this film, but I appreciate films that are slow, melancholy, and leave plenty of time for pondering. It is not necessarily a feel-good movie, but felt more like a gloomy, ambiguous French film. It had more sad moments than happy ones, although that is only fitting of a film with such a dark topic at its heart. Yet there was something bizarrely hopeful about the film, and regardless of how bad Fausta's situation may have seemed, she showed admirable courage, and a faint light does appear at the end of the tunnel.

languidly paced, handled with restraint

[gregking4 · 5/10 · 7 May 2010]

Claudia Llosa's drama The Milk Of Sorrow is an award winning film that has toured the festival circuit and was also Peru's entry for the 2010 Foreign Language Oscar. The central character here is Fausta (played by Magaly Solier), who has grown up hearing her mother's horror stories about rape and the atrocities committed curing the violent 1980's in her native Peru. Traumatised and sexually repressed, she plants a potato in her vagina, which is meant to ward off potential rapists. Fausta has been suckled on "the milk of sorrow", which basically means that the horrors endured by her mother whilst Fausta was in the womb have been transmitted on to her through breast milk. When her mother dies, Fausta has to try and raise some money in order to transport the body back to her home village and pay for the funeral. She lands a job as a maid to the imperious and emotionally stolid Mrs Aida (Susi Sanchez), a singer preparing for a concert. The dark and eerie home on the outskirts of the city is symbolic of Mrs Aida's own sterile and empty life. When the woman hears the shy Fausta sing, she offers her pearls from one of her necklaces in exchange for the occasional song. Fausta also strikes up a friendship with the gardener Noe (Efrain Solis), who shares his passion for flowers with her. The garden is a metaphor for growth and freedom, and becomes hugely symbolic as Fausta slowly begins to reconnect with the world and discovers that even the most withdrawn and traumatised of women can flourish. The Milk Of Sorrow is the second film from director Llosa, and she handles the material with restraint. Llosa draws a strong and surprising contrast between the humour and beauty of life in the slums and the fear and isolation that permeate life in the city. The film also offers some insights into the culture, traditions and superstitions of village life in contemporary Peru. Peru's recent history of violence, particularly under the Shining Path, and war inform this contemporary drama, and the events of the past cast a muted shadow over the events. Even though these horrors are a distant memory for most they still resonate strongly for many of the characters here. Solier, who also appeared in the director's first film Madeinusa, gives an understated performance as Fausta. Natasha Baiers' cinematography is beautiful, and Selma Mutais' haunting music score enriches the film. However, the film is languidly paced, and its slow pace means that many in the audience will fail to connect emotionally with Fausta's journey. It is easy for audiences to somehow remain detached from the whole thing.

Thoughtful depiction of the inequality in a modern society

[alexrene-80054 · 7/10 · 27 November 2017]

The film begins with a horrifying story of rape and violence told through the song of an elderly woman who lays dying on her bed. She describes her horrific experiences during the years of the conflict in Peru between Sendero Luminoso, a left wing guerrilla group, and the Peruvian government. Though she has lost much in the conflict, including her husband whose emasculation and murder she describes in her song, she has left behind a daughter, Fausta, who becomes our protagonist. Fausta and her family do not have money to bury her mother or return her body to their village, so Fausta accepts work in the home of a wealthy white pianist. Fausta and her family are indigenous, and live in poverty in Lima, Peru where wealth, class, and race are all still intertwined. Fausta shares her mothers penchant for composing songs and her boss, who is struggling to complete a piece by her recital date, encourages Fausta to sing for her. When Fausta finishes her song, the boss performs it to a standing ovation in a packed theater. When tries to have her work acknowledged she is left abandoned on the dark streets of Lima, a terrifying fate for Fausta who has a crippling fear of men and is afraid of being assaulted like her mother was.

What Claudia Llosa has done perfectly here is capture the undertones of race, sex, and class that define so much of most modern societies. Fausta fears rape and this fear is especially valid given that she is an indigenous woman. If Fausta were not both indigenous and a woman, the threat of rape or any other form of violation would not be so understandable. Native people in Peru are often limited by a governmental/societal system that not only devalues them, but actively targeted them in the recent past. Though Fausta's fears stem from the past treatment of indigenous woman in Peru, her boss's duplicity is a product of a modern social structure that has not changed too drastically from previous decades. This is the context that makes her boss's strong reaction to her quiet comments so powerful. How dare Fausta, a poor indigenous woman, try to take any credit for her own work? Fausta attacked Peru's system of societal system by simply acknowledging it, when quiet acceptance of the creative theft was the expectation. In La Teta Asustada, Llosa displays the two extremes of oppression. The first being violence, and the latter silence.

Excellent perspective for non-Peruvians

[jamieperu · 8/10 · 8 August 2009]

(This comment lists potential spoilers in so far as vague descriptions as to how the movie ends).

As an American living in Lima, Peru for 2 years, I try hard to immerse myself in the language and culture here - as many expatriates also do. I think native Peruvians may see this film as not having an overwhelming theme or not ending with definitive answers to difficult issues.

What I think this film does do very well is give a unique perspective into the life of a class of person that many middle and upper class people are curious about. For me it was a slice of a person's life in which I could experience first-hand, alongside the protagonist. It is unlikely that in real life, could I visit these same places, step into their houses, share their conversations and experience their most intimate thoughts.

Personally I like the fact that the film does not close with a sense of some deep satisfaction that a difficulty has been resolved and people are now free to live with closure. Often times this can give an audience false assurance that all is well, no need to act, everything is now OK, if the problem can be resolved in the movie, it will take care of itself in reality. Instead, Llosa gives us a mere slice of life for these Peruvian characters and it is up to the audience to decide if or how to participate solving these issues in reality, and those issues are many fold.

The budget was not expansive, but the true beauty was the characters. This is a movie where I believe Llosa didn't intend to spell everything out, but make the viewer have to think and ask questions.

Fear and history in "La teta asustada"

[lmirandalcii · 6/10 · 27 November 2017]

La teta asustada (2009), directed by Claudia Llosa, tells the story of Fausta—an indigenous young woman who is subject to the poverty presently dominating much of rural Peru in the aftermath of heinous crimes that surged throughout most of the country during the second half of the twentieth century. Set in the outskirts of Lima, Fausta's story is one in which the protagonist undergoes immense character development as she faces various obstacles after her mother's death (at the beginning of the film). These trials challenge her several fears, including her extreme aversion towards men and her seemingly excessive fear of being raped.

The film's title stems from the commonly held belief that Fausta suffers from a disease transmitted to her from her mother during breast-feeding. Prior to her death, Fausta's mother sings about the horrible violence she endured earlier in life. She and her family believe her mother's fears were thus transmitted to Fausta. This "illness" manifests itself through various "symptoms," such as Fausta's reluctance to go out and do anything without the company of an individual she trusts, as well as through her shocking decision to place a potato inside her vagina in hopes of preventing rape.

Overall, the plot revolves around Fausta overcoming these fears, in addition to her marginalized role as a poor, indigenous woman, in order to obtain enough money to afford a proper burial for her mother's corpse.

The main criticism I offer regarding this film is that it falls short of providing both insight into and a brief history of the horrific violence that surged through Peru in the late 1900s. In providing the audience with a world-view likely unfamiliar to them, Llosa assumes that the viewer is familiar with this violence, which may lead to confusion at various points. Without background information, it is easy for the viewer to assume Fausta's fears are completely and utterly irrational, which I believe can be detrimental to the viewing experience.

A different perspective of Cinema by Peru

[jaovitu · 10/10 · 26 January 2020]

A film that makes the spectator afflicted all the time about the suffering of a girl given birth in a rape during a dictatorship. The sonoplasty, all sung by the main character, is calm in the rhythm but intense and heavy in the meaning. What increases the tension of the movie. Different stories are told, but all of them are well connected in the subjective and methaphorical meaning and are related subtly with the Peru's dictatorship. The movie show a heavy stories mixed with Peru's ancient culture by the eyes of the country's way of shooting a movie. A different perspective and way of develop a plot.

sour milk alright

[gromit-17 · 2/10 · 13 March 2010]

I don't understand why this movie was nominated for the Oscar (which is the only reason i decided to check it out, and I've seen four of the Oscar nominees of this year). the movie was so painfully slow (yet it's going nowhere) and uninteresting. a movie about a girl with a potato grows in her virgina? were film critics aroused by the idea of it while voting?! Peru looked equally unattractive and culturally bleak (weddings after weddings) as a country as the movie itself. if any competition has to have some bad ones to make the good ones look good, this movie did its job admirably. American Academy wanted us to believe, with all the movies made all over the world outside the US. this is one of the five best movies to be acknowledged? i don't know if that is arrogance or insult to film makers/artists all over the world or what.