73
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerIt's a strange, one-of-a-kind film that was to be Benacarraf's only full-length feature.
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThis astonishing documentary, so beautiful, so horrifying.
- 80Time OutDavid FearTime OutDavid FearThe movie’s b&w images of craggy landscapes and shirtless young men have never looked more vibrant.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranThe 1959 film's style is dated, but it is visually glorious and tells a fascinating story.
- 75New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoI'm not sure why it took 50 years for Araya to reach New York, but let us be thankful to Milestone Films for giving life to this forgotten film.
- 75The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayAs a piece of documentary filmmaking though, Araya is more noteworthy for what it reveals about a changing artform than for what it has to say about its subjects.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceAnother stunningly photographed document of a singular culture.
- 70Chicago ReaderAndrea GronvallChicago ReaderAndrea GronvallThis meticulous restoration dazzles with crisp, formally rigorous black-and-white images and a complex sound mix, as its minimalist story of three families of manual laborers unfolds against a harsh, barren peninsula.
- 63Boston GlobeWesley MorrisBoston GlobeWesley MorrisWhile it insists that everyday lives in Araya are full of drudgery and toil, the film fails to produce a single ugly image.
- Whatever visual poetry the film possesses is overwhelmed by the thuddingly bad and nearly ceaseless narration, written by Ms. Benacerraf and Pierre Seghers.