Tango

The film Tango was a powerful representation of many aspects of the Latin American culture. We were able to see the portrayal of music and dance, love between man and woman and the ever present military influence in the country. Music and dance were definentely the driving force in the film. The director uses all the influence of the Tango dance to set the direction of the film. The film is based around a man writing a "musical" based on the dance, music and power of the military. The use of lighting,props and stage effects was another interesting part of the film. He was able to use different colors of light to set the tone for the specific theme he was trying to show in that scene. The intensity of music grew as the film advanced. The theme of black and white colors were interesting. The director used this several times with the two main female actors dancing together, the younger girl had white clothes and the older woman had black clothing. Another use was with the male dancers wearing black and white, perhaps to contrast or to present good vs evil?

The presence of military depicted was very strong. It was evident that the director Mario must have been deeply impacted by the war that had occured in Argentina. He was very intent on presenting this history in his musical even if it cost him his job. I found the quote that he used interesting, "The past is indestructable: it keeps coming back up." Even though the owners wanted to forget about the past and the pain involved he was focused on keeping the memory alive as part of the history. This film was sometimes difficult to follow but it did encompass many aspects of the Hispanic culture.

Becky Bittinger

Carol's Journey

I found the film Carol's journey to be fascinating. I enjoyed this movie the best of all that we have viewed. I found myself amused with Carol and her free spirit. She definantely had a stubborn side which served her well as she endured the difficulties of being in a foreign country. She fought against the conventionalism of the country when she insisted on wearing clothes that were not feminine. She also rebelled as she was encouraged to go to religion school to embrace catholism. I was intrigued by the priest refusing to give her the first communion after the war ended. I wasn't sure if he felt like she did not deserve it because she didn't act like she cared about the classes. I found that an interesting aspect in the film. I thought that this religious part showed that she allowed her American background to interfere with her adapting to the culture. Overall I was impressed with Carol's journey in Spain as she endured many difficulties but found love and support through her family and friends.

Becky Bittinger

Volver

The main character of the film Volver proved to be an extremely strong and resiliant woman. She persued and survived through some of life's most difficult situations. I felt like she was constantly being thrown into hard, problems but she took them in stride and made the best of it. She had to deal with abuse, loss of her marriage and the death of a loved one. The dynamics of the film were interesting. It seems unimaginable to think that Raimandi could survive the life she had been dealt, yet she does it with strength and fortitude. I found it interesting that her daughter learns from the difficulties that her mother goes through. Their relationship grows stronger as they endure the death of Paco and having to make it on their own. Raimandi's turning point was when she took over the resteraunt and made her own living by cooking for the film crew. She was even able to enjoy singing again which is one thing she enjoyed as a child. The impact of her singing in the film reminded me how much music is part of the Latin American culture. Most all of the women in the film were portrayed with possessing strength and character when dealing with life's most difficult challenges.
When examining the superstitious beliefs in the film, it was evident that the Spanish culture holds to many of these ideas. It was striking to see the women in the opening scene cleaning off the graves of the family, "to keep the spirits happy." I found it interesting how the older women were teaching the younger to do this without questioning the belief and practice. Another example of superstition was how the "east wind" caused people to become crazy. It appeared that the characters in the film used the wind as an excuse for problems they encountered. There were several episodes when they blamed illogical things on the "wind."
Overall I found this film intriguing to follow. It showed once again that Spanish women are strong and industrious even when faced with inexcusable circumstances in life.
Becky Bittinger

Entre Nos

In the film Entre Nos we see the strength of a young mother as she is suddenly and unexpectantly forced to become a single mother. When Mariana's husband Antonio decides to abandon his wife and two beautiful children we see Mariana develop a strength that enables her to survive. Survival seems to be the key in this film. The first instinct that she has is to raise money to get to Miami to be with her husband. Upon learning that the fare for the trip is so costly she seems to forgo this idea and settles on caring and supporting her children. My impression of Mariana is that she is very smart and observant. She watches how people survive in busy New York City. She watches as Mr. Joe collects cans and bottles to make money. Then teaches her children to do the same. This resourceful way of getting money seems to pull her little family together as they work so hard in the summer heat to survive. Mariana is very conscientious of how her children see her. She seemed so saddened in the scene when she lies to her daughter about playing hide-n-seak. She is forced to lie to her so she can escape the house to try to go out and make money. We also see a change in Mariana's attitude when her daughter accuses her of not being funny anymore. As she is sitting in the window sill with Andrea contemplating her life, she is struck by the comment from her daughter. It appears that after that scene she starts playing and laughing with her children more. Almost as if she tells herself that she is going to make the best of the situation that she is in. We see the son, Gabi become very hardworking and helpful when he gets up early and goes out on his own to collect cans. He is learning that unfortunately he must become the "man" of the family.
We see the family learn to survive through this horrible summer of their lives. Even though the father has totally devastated their lives, they show an outstanding amount of courage and strength. These situations do happen often in America but legal citizens have government agencies that they can seek for help. Several times during the film I felt saddened by the plight of the family. If they only could have sought the help of a food kitchen or homeless shelter it could have been a little easier on them. Perhaps it was the fear of being illegal that prevented her from seeking help for her family from any organized institutions. It was encouraging though to see her not only survive, but secure shelter, food,employment and even an education for her son. What as inspiring family! Becky Bittinger

The Official Story

After viewing the film The Official Story I felt saddened by what the main character Alicia had to endure. As we watch the story unfold she is burdened by the fact from the beginning that she is unable to have her own children and instead adopted a little girl, Gabby. Her feelings are evident when we watch her and her husband, Roberto, at a dinner party where she feels like one of the women puts her down and makes light of her situation. This topic can be especially hard for people who have experienced the pain of infertility. Although it is evident that this is a burden to her, it is obvious that she and Roberto love Gabby their adopted daughter with all of their hearts. I feel that due to Alicia's position as a history teacher at the high school she finds herself questioning what is going on with the politics in her country Argentina. She is the type of person who questions and persues until she gets an answer to her questions. She is troubled by the signs for the missing children in her city and starts to question the people who are close to her. She starts with her good friend Anna who was kidnapped and tortured because of her affiliation with a man Pedro. She questioned her priest who is unwilling to give her direct answers. She also questioned her husband, who although he seems to love her very much is unwilling to tell her the truth about the situation with Gabby. She ultimately keeps digging until she finds the truth herself by going to the hospital and meeting Sara, Gabby's biological grandmother. It is through this encounter with Sara that I feel Alicia comes to accept the fact that Gabby is an orphan of parents who were murdered political prisoners. She finally comes to grip with it in the final explosive scene where she confronts Roberto about it. It is interesting that even through all of the pain she was feeling, she was willing to do what was best for Gabby. Unfortunately even though Roberto was devoted to Gabby, he seemed more concerned with his shattered life, business and political downturn. I thought the film portrayed a mothers love to the fullest degree. Becky Bittinger

Like Water for Chocolate

I found the film Like Water for Chocolate to be thought provoking. The characters,traditions and message of the film were interesting. Exploring the characters I found it intriguing how Tita remained very loyal and obedient to her mother even with all of the verbal abuse and strict tradition of having to always stay and care for her widowed mother. Tita proved to be a strong character in the film as she worked tirelessly to care for and prepare all the meals in the household. It was fascinating to me how she put so much of herself into the cooking and as she said, prepared the food with love. The kitchen was the main focus of the film as Tita cooked the meals for the family. She was even shown nursing Pedro and Rosareos baby in the kitchen as the wet nurse for the baby. It seemed Tita provided the nourishment and strength for the family as she remained the constant in the family. I thought it was interesting how Tita was portrayed as opposite Rosareo. Tita was thin, beautiful, able to sooth and care for the babies, an exceptional cook and most of all had all of Pedro's love and devotion. Rosareo on the other hand was portrayed as heavy, unhealthy, unable to care for her children and lastly did not interest her husband at all. To me the magical realism was shown as Tita used her skills in the kitchen almost as a type of magic to put some sort of "spell" over the family and situations. She used her "magic" when she cooked the quail in the rose petals that engulfed everyone with passion. Another example of this is when she seemed so jealous of Rosareo that she cooked food for her that seemed to give her severe gas and ultimately caused her death for the digestive disorder. The main message of the film was that love "wins out" Tita and Pedro remained faithful and strong to what they believed in even to the end if the story,

Motorcycle Diaries

The film Diarios de Motocicleta, Motorcycle Diaries was a very interesting look at the life of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, who becomes second in command with Castro to lead the revolution in Latin America. It is evident through the movie that he is being groomed by the life changing experiences that he has on this trip to become a great leader. As he sets out on this adventure of a lifetime with his friend Alberto they both seem to be influenced by the hardships that they encounter as well as being changed by the people that they meet along the way. Ernesto is a medical student with one semester left of school, when he decides to set out on this trip to see South America. There are many evidences in the film that shows his future potential to be a great leader. One aspect is in his continual honesty in dealing with the people he encounters in his travels. He decides early on that he will not even tell "white lies" to get what he wants even if it means going without food or shelter. I found it interesting that his friend was willing to lie to people many times to get his way or to appear agreeable. A striking example was in Ernesto's honesty with the Dr who wrote the book. I feel that the Dr. really respected Ernesto for his honesty in reviewing his book and telling him the truth of how he felt about it. Another vivid example of leadership was how he made people feel special when he met them. He was very genuine and personable when meeting people. He always introduced himself and wanted to know their name and learn of their lives. This aspect of his personality made him very likeable to the people he met. One example of this was with the Inca people in Peru. He was very intrigued with their lives and interested in learning their culture and difficulties. He even learned how to take the leaves "with two hands" as was their culture when eating. Overall he presents himself as a potential leader as he was such a "people" person. I feel that the main differences in celebrations in Spanish speaking cultures from the United States is in the dance. Several episodes in the movie involved dancing and music. The United States doesn't seem to have this heavy influence of music that Latin America does. I did find it interesting how the people in the leper colony wanted to celebrate Ernesto's birthday with him even though he only met them 3weeks earlier. This celebration of life is an important part of the Latin America people.

El Mariachi

The film El Mariachi was an interesting portrayal of many Mexican stereotypes. One of the main stereotypes seen was in the treatment of women in the film. Both the head drug-runner, Moco and his enemy Azul seemed to always have women surrounding them at their disposal. They obviously treated women as objects not with respect. In great contrast though we see the Mariachi show utmost respect for Domino, the owner of the bar who takes him in and helps him to hide in the new town he has encountered. Other stereotypes were the clothes, trucks, guns, drinking and drug war seen in the film. A stereotype that was amusing was in the bar where the bartender tells the Mariachi that he does not need a real Mariachi, he already has one. Then the man sitting in the corner complete with a colorful sombraro and heavy thick mustache comes out and plays a some sort of Mexican song on an electric keyboard. That scene was very stereotypical as well as entertaining. The violence shown in the film does seem to represent Mexican culture. Many parts of Mexico are so corrupt due to the overwhelming use and trade of drugs that the film is probably close to portraying the real side of how things are in parts of Mexico. The statement, "All he wants to be is a Mariachi", is evident in the film as we see the Mariachi go to extreme means to try to be the best Mariachi he can be. He travels long distances trying to find work only to encounter severe heart ache and even permanent physical damage, when his hand is shot. The Mariachi represented goodness, tradition and culture in the film. He longs to play the guitar as his ancestors did to bring entertainment and joy to the people. The Mariachi was able to accomplish this when he played in Domino's bar. It was obvious that the crowd was enthralled with his ability to play his music, which is what he hoped for. The role of music in the film was strongly portrayed, as the Mariachi gives his all for his music even twice in the film going back into dangerous situations to try to retrieve his guitar. It is evident that his guitar is his livelihood as it represents all that he is striving for in life. That is, to be the best Mariachi and be respected by the people because of his songs and music. El Mariachi proved to be an interesting look at the various aspects of Mexican culture.

Machuca: Socialism vs. Militarism in South America

In the film Machuca: Socialism vs. Militarism we are able to view a profound friendship between the two boys Pedro and Gonzalo. From the beginning of the film it is evident that they will become friends. At first Pedro is skeptical of the relationship appearing non-trusting but he is won over by Gonzalo when Gonzalo sticks up for him when the bullies start attacking the boys. Unfortunately they both become targets of the bullies and are repeatedly picked on but seen to take it in stride. The boys develop a special bond where they have each others backs during several incidences at school. Each boy seems to be very curious about the others lifestyles. I found the interactions when visiting each others families to be most interesting. Both boys showed great bravery when going to the others home. It was intriguing to me that both mothers were tolerant of the friendship but the other family members were not. Gonzalo had to experience much more ridicule than Pedro as he was constantly called a snob and rich boy even strawberry face,by a neighbor. I was impressed by the way the boys were very well aware of the differences between their social classes but did not allow that to stop them from being friends. The distinction between rich vs. poor portrayed in the film was very obvious and pronounced. As the country of Chile is in severe upheaval the whole city of Santiago seems to be participating in the demonstrations. I found it interesting how whole families were involved as they waved flags and petitioned either in support or opposition of the government. Towards the end of the film it was sad to see how the people of the city turned against each other by showing extreme prejudices against one another depending on their social class. Another example of class destinction was when the two mothers were expressing their opinions during the school meeting. As Gonzalos mother poses the question of "Why would you want to mix apples and pears?" voicing her oppostion to the new boys coming to the school. Pedro's mother then voices concern that she is gravely dissapointed that things are not different for her family in Santiago as they are still facing prejudices because they are poor. I summarize that the main message of the film is to portray how as a people we can try to overcome hate and prejudices for people who don't think and act as we do, but unfortunately for the most part these feelings can be so ingrained in our beings that it can seem impossible to overcome. This was displayed at the violent protest where Gonzolas mother became so angry and hateful towards Silvana a total stranger to her but one who reperesented a less important class in her eyes. I found the film to be moving and intriguing as we explored the differences in social classes during this time period of Chili's history.

Under the Same Moon

Under the Same Moon proved to be an insightful and intriguing lesson in perseverance and devotion.  Carlitos the son in the movie showed strong devotion and perseverance in his quest to be reconnected with his mother.  He showed devotion in that he was willing to do all he could to get to the U.S. to be reunited with his mother, even using his savings of money to get his way over the border.  His character was impressive in several areas of the film.  First, was his devotion and love for his grandmother as he cared for her while she was ill. Secondly, he showed strong character as he made his way to L.A., being very personable and outgoing with people he met along the way.  I was impressed by the way he introduced himself to the members of the band in the van. He displayed great maturity in that situation by "winning" the band over by sharing his life story.  A third way that he displayed strong character and perseverance was when he and Enrique were trying to find work.  He went into the restraunt,  secured a job with food and lodging not only for himself but for his friend Enrique as well.  Carlitos persistent character was evident as he continued to search for his mother, trying to find the phone that she may have used to call him.  I found his devotion to his mother and perseverance in finding her to be the most touching and profound aspect of the film.  Carlitos showed wisdom and maturity way beyond his nine years in his quest to be reunited with his mother.