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
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD-Video, 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: Excited to finally be able to purchase this film
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this film at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival. Fabulous. Stunning black and white cinematography. Slow, but a sadly accurate story capturing the way of life of the struggle.DVD Review: Narratively Clich?d, 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.
DVD Review: Not a movie but a true film.
Summary: 5 Stars
[Originally a comment to a previous review.]
What this film portrays is the ruthlessness of profit-driven policy, and the struggle to maintain some semblance of dignity and cultural history. This is well summarized by the tale about Gods of creation, told by the grandfather to his inquisitive grandchild. Done in black and white, relatively little dialogue and masterful cinematography, the film provides a painting of the human will to survive, and the humanity that can sometimes be found in the most unlikely of places. There are not enough such films - historic depictions that double as artistic masterpieces. After watching this film, it may be worthwhile to look at the history involved, and to trace America's involvement in the issues. Perhaps this will lead to a broader understanding of indigenous issues related to Latin America, and the School of the Americas as well. True art transcends entertainment and this, for "us," can sometimes be challenging.
Peace,
E.S.M.
DVD Review: brutal
Summary: 3 Stars
In an unnamed Spanish-speaking country possibly somewhere in South America, the government tortures, assaults, mutilates, murders men, and rapes women before killing them. Soldiers descend on towns, cutting off the rebels from their ammunition. A grandfather Don Plutarco, with his son, and grandson are among the rebels. The son tries to smuggle something that the grandfather doesn't dare mention, but will he succeed? His violin over his shoulder, Plutarco gets a mule, then tries to pass the checkpoint, ostensibly to tend his crop. The commanding officer lets him pass but insists on a daily music lesson. The old man tries to pass the ammunition in his violin case under the soldiers' nose, but will he succeed?
A movie in black and white, it unfortunately ends without a good explanation as to why the old man was given *something* (wouldn't want to spoil the movie for others) and then not use it. Thus leaving an unfinished ending in my eyes.
A good cast.
Not a bad movie at all.
DVD Review: peasant music v. the government military
Summary: 4 Stars
Don Plutarco Hidalgo is an aging and illiterate peasant farmer, but he still plays the violin with his one good hand. His son plays the guitar and his grandson collects the spare change as they play in restaurants and bars, then sleep on the streets at night. But their real passion is the guerilla movement of other peasants who are resisting the oppressive government. When the army raids, loots and torches their little village, the guerilla movement is stranded in the dense mountain jungles without their cache of weapons. Plutarco borrows a mule and returns to their village, telling the occupying soldiers that he wants to check his crops. At his age, he's able to convince the soldiers, and the commander takes a shine to Plutarco's violin playing. I won't spoil just where that violin takes this powerful film about oppression and liberation, only to say that as the film itself demonstrates, it's the stuff of multi-generational songs sung at peasant campfires. Filmed in black and white, in Spanish with English sub-titles.
Description of The Violin
Don Plutarco, his son Genaro and his grandson Lucio live a double life: on one hand they are musicians and humble farmers, on the other they support the campesina peasant guerilla movement's armed efforts against the oppressive government. When the military seizes the village, the rebels flee to the sierra hills, forced to leave behind their stock of ammunition. While the guerillas organize a counter-attack, old Plutarco executes his own plan. He plays up his appearance as a harmless violin player, in order to get into the village and recover the ammunition hidden his corn field. His violin playing charms the army captain, who orders Plutarco to come back daily. Arms and music play a tenuous game of cat-and-mouse which ultimately results in painful betrayal.General DVDs
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