El violin (2005)

Note Générale:

7,8/10   

Réalisateur:

Francisco Vargas

Scénariste:

Francisco Vargas (writer)

Date de sortie:

3 janvier 2007 (France)

Genre:

Drame | Musique

Intrigue:

In an unnamed Latin American country that closely resembles Mexico, the government fights a rural insurgency with torture...

Plot Keywords:

Violin | Rebel | Ammunition | Soldier | Assault

Récompenses:

24 wins & 7 nominations

Avis des utilisateurs:

An eloquent portrayal of a grim struggle

Ensemble

Ángel Tavira	...	Don Plutarco
Gerardo Taracena	...	Genaro
Dagoberto Gama	...	Capitán
Mario Garibaldi	...	Lucio
Fermín Martínez	...	Teniente
Silverio Palacios	...	Comandante Cayetano
Octavio Castro	...	Zacarías
Mercedes Hernández	...	Jacinta
Gerardo Juárez	...	Pedro
Ángeles Cruz	...	Jefa Guerrilera 1
Norma Pablo	...	Jefa Guerrilllera 2
Ariel Galvan	...	Joaquín
Amorita Rasgado	...	Prostitutas
María Elena Olivares	...	Doña Lupe
Esteban Castellanos	...	Manuel

Autre(s) titre(s):

The Violin (International: English title) (USA) (new title)

Durée:

98 min

Pays:

Mexico

Langue:

Espagnol

Couleur:

Noir et Blanc

Son:

Dolby Digital

Classification:

Brazil:16 | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:12

Lieux de tournage:

Rancho San Isidro, Ixtapaluca, Estado de México, Mexico

Société:

Camara Carnal

Anecdotes:

First feature film by director Francisco Vargas

An eloquent portrayal of a grim struggle

This low-key film brings to life the struggle between the army and rebellious peasants in 1970's Mexico through the words and actions of an unlikely hero, the elderly, diminutive Don Plutarco Hidalgo (played by Angel Tavira, a real-life violinist).

Plutarco, owner of the eponymous violin, is seen early on in the film playing his instrument to earn a living and to give expression to the feelings of himself and his companions. In the city he scratches a living from busking with the assistance of his son and grandson, but later his instrument offers consolation and catharsis to his fellow-villagers when they are uprooted from their homes by brutal Mexican soldiers in search of rebels harboured in the rural community.

When Plutarco has his violin confiscated by the local military commander and is forced to play for the latter's edification this eloquently communicates the way in which simple rural folk had their voices suppressed and their livelihoods taken away by army cruelty. Whilst Plutarco cunningly works to aid the rebels against the military there are shocking scenes of military brutality, which presage a bleak ending for the protagonists; by the end of this film I was among several members of the audience biting their nails with concern.

This is quite a short film (a little over an hour and a half) but its characters are powerfully portrayed and enlivened by well-written and sometimes witty dialogue. A special mention must be made for the black-and-white cinematography: the film looks superb.