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La otra conquista (1998)
Worth watching
I'm a huge fan of historical movies, so I was looking forward to watch " La Otra Conquista". What can I say? Well-directed, high quality historical movie. Definitely worth watching.
Loved the way Carrasco shows the mental strength of the main character, that was forced to change his beliefs, but didn't want to give up. The pain and suffering in this film are shown perfectly, not too much, but just enough to make you feel sorry for what these people went through. The scene of the ritual (where they cut the heart out) is beautifully filmed, and that really impressed me because it's not easy to film such a death so it will look so special and so precious.
I also appreciate that everything looks so real. I almost felt not only the physical, but the mental pain of the main character. And I felt disgusted by Hernan Cortes and the stubbornness of these people, that force others to believe in what they believe. And this usually doesn't happen to me, I never get so emotionally involved in movies that I watch.
Another important detail for me is the statue of Maria. There is something about the look in her eyes that to me means that she doesn't want this. She is against all this blood, she is against this repression.
And, of course, the roses! People who know history definitely noticed those red roses. That is a 5 second moment in the movie, but pay attention to it, because it has a very deep meaning.
"La Otra Conquista" is simply a beautiful piece of art, and this is what makes it so special. It was not created as a regular Hollywood blockbuster to collect money. It was made to educate people, to show them reality, to remind people about humanity and to show art! This is not a movie for everyone, it's a movie for people that have a heart.
Le fantôme de la liberté (1974)
Why not?!
The first thought that went across my mind while watching this movie was "it's like an opposite world". I've seen this movie 3 times and it always strikes me. Bunuel definitely questions what is and what is not normal, and that is what I like about him. I always respect people that are not afraid to question things, explore, disagree, go their own way.
The movie is very unusual and at first you will be a little bit shocked by what you see, but after a while you will probably start thinking "why not?" Why a 75 year old man dating an 18 year old girl is considered normal, but a young man dating a 70 year old woman is socially disapproved? Why can't an ostrich walk across your bedroom at night? Why should we eat with people at the table and go to the restrooms on our own? What if we do it the opposite way? Why not?
The film doesn't really have a plot line, it's more like several different sequences that all together show us that naturally there is no such thing like "normal", or "not normal" , these concepts were created by people and cultures. " The Phantom of Liberty" really makes you open your mind and think wider.
This is real art! Bunuel is an incredible director, the movie is weird, but it's beautifully weird, very french. And only extremely talented people like him can make such an unusual movie work. The film really stands out. Bunuel has his own easily-recognizable style and I think "The Phantom of Liberty" is a perfect example of it. If you haven't seen any of his movies before WATCH THEM, and I would recommend to start with this one.
Bunuel is not just a filmmaker, he is a real artist.
Seppuku (1962)
Do not hurry to judge...
Do not Hurry up to judge
After the civil wars in Japan a lot of samurais lost their jobs and became ronins. Some ronins travleled across Japan looking for jobs and others decided to commit harakiri (when a samurai kills himself with his own sword)
Hanshiro, a ronin, comes to the Iyi house and asks to commit sepuku. The counselor tells him a story about a ronin Motome that lied that he wanted to commit sepuku. He was caught and forced not only to commit it, but to do it with his bamboo sword. Hanshiro listens to the story and insists that his intentions are true. The ceremony begins and Hanshiro tells the other side of Motome's story...
The movie is incredible! It holds your attention from the beginning to the very end. I loved the way Masaki Kobayashi makes the viewers totally change their opinions about the characters throughout the movie. For example, at first I didn't sympathize Motome. I thought he was a liar, a quitter and he didn't deserve to be a samurai (and so did the Iyi house), but when Hanshiro tells Motome's story I felt the opposite. I thought what a brave man, how much he loved his family, he even sold his sword (which is extremely important for a samurai; "a sword is a samurai's soul"; and it is very important detail that Hanshiro didn't even think about selling his sword and he really regrets that).
I loved how Kobayashi shows Hanshiro's revenge not buy killing those three samurai's, but buy embarrassing them, buy cutting off their topknots (for a samurai loosing his topknot in a battle is worse than death).
The two characters that are very important in the movie are the counselor and Hikokuro. Hikokuro is this true, dogmatic samurai that implicitly follows the rules of the Bushido code (which in the end is actually a book of lies). He is tough, strong and disciplined. A lot of viewers thought that he was sadistic, because of the harakiri scene, but I don't think so. He was a real samurai, that believed and followed every word in the Bushido code, and he considered people who disobeyed the code disgusting and weak. That's why he hated Motome and that's why he respected Hanshiro.
Saito, the counselor, is another strong character in "Harakiri". He is the opposite of Hikokuro. He is a samurai, but first of all he is a humanist. He definitely understands what Hanshiro was saying, and I'm sure he felt sorry for him and his family, and I think he really regrets what they did to Motome, but at the same time he is a counselor. He is the head, the leader of the Iyi house, and if he brakes down, than the whole house will go down. That is why he ordered to kill Hanshiro, he needed to protect the honor of the Iyi house.
It is very important to watch the harakiri scene (yes, girls, it's pretty graphic, but try to do it). I loved the way Kobayashi contrasts the reactions of Hikokuro, that is angry and doesn't feel any sympathy watching Motome suffer, he didn't even strike of his head, he was waiting for Motome to finish the harakiri cross; and the counselor, who is absolutely shocked and terrified, but doesn't say a word, because he can't, he has to prove that everyone will be treated like this "you come to commit harakiri, we will make sure you do it".
My favourite scene is when the counselor makes up a story that will be the official record of what happened. Kobayashi really showed that this book, these ideal rules for samurai's are simply nothing, just a bunch of lies. It's all about appearance, and in fact it's all useless, it's just the illusion of perfection. It really made me question a lot about our lives and especially our history. How many "official" records like these do we have? And are the rules and appearances really worth it, or it's all just an illusion of perfection?