Reviews of Violin, El

brutal

Posted : 2 months, 4 weeks ago on 25 May 2008 05:12 (A review of Violin, El)

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.


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Honest and brutal

Posted : 3 months, 3 weeks ago on 28 April 2008 03:12 (A review of Violin, El)

It's not hard to see why Francisco Vargas' feature length debut earned an official selection at Cannes. El Violin is an honest and brutal social depiction of corruption in the Mexican peasant fields. Hollywood should look beyond the border and take note.

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