The Violin
by Francisco Vargas
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DVD details
Actor: Angel Tavira Maldonado, Dagoberto Gama, Don Angel Tavira, Fermin Martinez, Gerardo TaracenaDirector: Francisco Vargas
Brand: Repnet LLC
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 98 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-05-27
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Film Movement
DVD Reviews of The Violin
DVD Review: Narratively Clichéd, but Visually Stunning.
Summary: 4 Stars
Writer/director Francisco Vargas doesn't cover any new territory in "The Violin", but he brings familiar themes to the screen in a particularly beautiful style. In an unnamed Latin American nation, three generations of the Hidalgo family travel the countryside as itinerant musicians. Don Plutarco (Angel Tavira) is a violinist missing a hand. His son Genaro (Gerardo Taracena) plays guitar, while grandson Lucio (Dagoberto Gama) collects the money. But Genaro has other reasons for leaving his village to vagabond: He buys arms for rebel guerilla forces. Upon returning to their village, the men find the population displaced and government solders terrorizing their comrades. But a stash of ammunition is still on the Hidalgo farm, undiscovered. Plutarco uses his violin in a ploy to recover it.
"The Violin" is black-and-white, reminiscent of Italian neo-realism in its style and its politics. It proceeds at a measured pace, lingering on sights, sounds, and faces, with spare dialogue. Although it reminded me of Italian neo-realism, "The Violin" has its own distinct earthiness, not exactly like anything I've seen before, and it's quite beautiful. The action seems to take place in Mexico, but the time and place are never specified, presumably because the battle between government and rebel forces is intended to be generic. The characters are populist cliches: An honest, uncomplicated old man, noble peasants, heroic revolutionaries, and sadistic soldiers. Predictably, Plutarco speaks of the native, pagan religion, not Catholicism. Though I found the story tired, "The Violin" is one of the most visually arresting films I've seen in recent years and well worth seeing to immerse yourself in the style. In Spanish with optional English subtitles.
The DVD (Film Movement 2008): This disc is from the Film Movement DVD-of-the-Month Club. In addition to the feature, there is a short film called "Un Bisou Pour le Monde" (A Kiss for the World) (7 min) by director Cyril Paris. It's about an insolent elementary school student who tears and then tapes a newspaper back together so as to change the headlines. In French with English subtitles. There are also text bios of 3 actors and director Francisco Vargas, a theatrical trailer (2 min), and trailers for some of Film Movement's other releases.
Description of The Violin
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