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jivefishter
Reviews
Once Were Warriors (1994)
Just incredible.
Once Were Warriors is a heartbreaking film about a family that is being torn apart. At first, you wouldn't think they were - it's pleasant enough at first. But then we see Jake continually drawn in by alcohol and he doesn't even realize it. Beth starts as a completely passive woman who is spurned into action - and by action, I mean leaving Jake - by her daughter's, Grace, suicide. Not only is it a film about family that's dealing with alcoholism, abuse, rape, and suicide, it's also dealing with their Māori heritage. Two of their children, Nig and Buggie, both go about it different ways, but in the end, they grow from children to men through their culture. But really, it's Beth's assertiveness in the end, where she tells Jake that she's leaving him to go back to her village with their children, that makes such a strong case for her identity. She knows who she is and knows that it's because of her Māori heritage that gives her the strength to leave Jake.
This film sheds some light onto a people that are mostly known (as far as I know) for their tattoos: Tā moko. It's a beautiful, yet incredibly violent film that showcases the Māori people and their culture. If you have a chance to see the film, I saw go for it. You really won't regret it.
Los olvidados (1950)
Brilliant.
In a previous review, someone mentioned how you can't watch the original cut of the film from the original DVD & that you have to find a pirate copy - trust: I had the hardest time finding this online. Despite that tedious search, I really have to say that it was worth it. Los Olvidados is most definitely one of the most influential international films I've seen. Right from the start, the music just grabs your attention and, well, it's just really rather foreboding. In general, the story follows a group of children who grow up in the slums of Mexico City. It focuses on the repercussions on those who are affected by poverty and fear, as well as a lack of love.
For someone who isn't exactly well off, but not that desperate to find means to survive the day to day, this was a little hard to watch. Considering I go to school in Santa Monica, where most of the student population tends to be spoiled by their parents - seeing these children beat defenseless people... the only thing I can say is 'perspective.' We realize how lucky we are that we don't have to go through that. This film tackles the never-ending cycle of poverty and despair, and it does so in an incredibly realistic way.
La otra conquista (1998)
Relevant no matter the time period.
History has always intrigued me - I blame the amounts of Carmen Sandiego games I was deeply entrenched in during my childhood. But as I grew up, I realized that most of history that is taught is never told from both sides, as it were. I found that ironic, especially since we're always told to learn both sides of the story. That being said, La Otra Conquista was a film I found interesting - and for once, I'm not using that term sarcastically.
La Otra Conquista is a film about a historical event that we all learn in school, except it's shown in the eyes of the conquered, not the conquerers. It's a story of a people struggling to survive to be able to pass on their traditions while another culture is in the process of taking over what they know as their world: their religion, their traditions, their identity, and what they believed to be true. We're taught as children growing up that the colonizing the indigenous peoples of the Mexico, Hernando Cortes was the correct thing to do but to what extent? Why is a good thing when Cortes and his soldiers massacred thousands of people? The film follows Topiltzin, one of Moctezuma's illegitimate sons as he is captured and forced to give up everything that defined the world he grew up in, with no real hope for tolerance or acceptance that, again, we are taught share, no matter what. He is forced to convert to Catholicism and to give up the religion of his peoples.
This is a film that is relevant, no matter what the case. It tells a story of a people rarely heard but should be heard more often. Maybe, just maybe, we can be more accepting of other people, no matter what they are, who they love, or how they grew up.
La battaglia di Algeri (1966)
Amazing.
I've always liked war films but I think The Battle of Algiers shoots up to the top of my list of favorites. This film is based on the events that took place while the French colonial rule in Northern Africa during the Algerian War, most notably the Battle of Algiers. What I really love about this film is that it takes you into the mindset of a normal citizen and you understand why they become a terrorist/insurgent. It's a little terrifying, to be honest, to see what lengths they'll go to in order to insure their freedom. But at the same time, their reason behind the actions is justifiable. True, it leaves you questioning both the French and Algerian for their actions; it's like an unrefined chess match, each move escalating the tension until it just snaps and the violence just reaches an all new high.
It's shot beautifully in black and white, leaving viewers under the impression they are watching a piece of news reel. It's brutally realistic and you can't help but wonder how they shot the explosion scenes. The film is raw and it pulls at the barest of human emotion. You feel empathy for the Algerians, under a rule they no longer want. It's an amazing piece of art and comes highly recommended.
White Dog (1982)
Interesting... to say the least.
When I first watched White Dog, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. I understood that it was a film about racism and that it questions whether or not racism is a treatable or incurable condition. At the time, I felt like I needed to just let it soak in, to just absorb it all and wrap my thoughts around it.
It starts like this: a young actress, Julie, is driving along a dark road and accidentally hits a white German Shepherd dog. After she gets the dog treated at a vet, she takes him home whilst trying to find the owners. The dog protects her one night and she decides to adopt it, not knowing that the dog was trained to attack African Americans. After realizing that there's something not quite right with the dog, she brings him to a dog trainer, Carruthers, whom, at first, tells to kill the dog. But another trainer, Keys (who is African American), undergoes the task of retraining the dog.
So can the dog be retrained or not? To be completely honest, I couldn't completely buy into the story. Yes, I find it believable that a dog can be trained in such a way, but at the same time, the reactions from the characters just threw me off. Take Julie, for instance, she's rather defensive of a dog that just attacked her coworker. I get that she has an emotional attachment to the dog, especially since he protects her from a rapist. But I don't really understand why it doesn't seem to strike her as odd when the dog comes back one night, covered in dirt and blood. Don't you think if your dog came home looking like that, wouldn't alarm bells start going off in your head? Truthfully, I found the film interesting. I wouldn't put it up there with my favorites, but at the same time, I wouldn't knock it down either. I just wish the characters were a little more developed. But other than that, I would suggest it just for the question of whether or not learned hatred can be cured.