What is most remarkable about VACAS in hindsight is how quickly Medem settled into his unique, thrilling style - elliptical narrative which foregrounds inter-generational families, subjectivity, ambiguity, fate, magic, repetition, doubling; transcendent philosophical concerns grounded in brutal violence, earthy humour, identifiable characters and animal imagery; an astonishing use of colour as both emotional and ironic signifier; a busy, almost cheerful camera style which switches with ease from the panorama to the extreme detail, making great mental demands, but offering even greater rewards.
VACAS invokes many genres, in particular the historical epic, and subverts them with dark glee, offering a dizzying, disturbing, unpalatable, ornate, sickening, epiphanic classic that might lose its way halfway through, but paves the way for an even greater masterpiece like TIERRA.
VACAS invokes many genres, in particular the historical epic, and subverts them with dark glee, offering a dizzying, disturbing, unpalatable, ornate, sickening, epiphanic classic that might lose its way halfway through, but paves the way for an even greater masterpiece like TIERRA.