User Reviews

It is easy to become mesmerised by the hypnotic landscapes of the Paraná Delta where the main river splits into several branches forming a complex labyrinth of subtropical wetlands. It must be this hypnotic effect that makes the inhabitants appear somewhat drowsy and definitely not very talkative. Each word that is uttered seems to come out due to sheer necessity and not for the pleasure of conversing. Forget all about the alleged Latin American temper and fast-paced living! People's lives here are a far cry from the Brazilian samba – if anything, it's a tango with some very slow steps. And some kind of bizarre tango of two bulldogs at each other's throats is exactly how I would describe the growing tensions between Álvaro and Julio, nicknamed El Turu, the self-proclaimed guardian of the island's traditions and values.

Álvaro is a soft-spoken gay man with big puppy eyes who makes his living harvesting reed and restoring books for a library on the mainland. He spends his free time boating the canal-like branches of the river fishing and occasionally engaging in sexual encounters with visiting strangers in the woods where his sexual escapades are observed by some migrant labourers from Paraguay, illegally felling trees on a private property. Apparently not particularly judgemental, these misionaros, as El Turu scornfully refers to them, form a special bond with Álvaro. Being an outsider to a certain degree himself, he doesn't share El Turu's assessment that these people have come to destroy their community by taking all their work from them and flooding the village with their families. Actually, he couldn't care less about these allegations. El Turu, on the other hand, whose position in the community apparently comes from being the captain of La León, the only boat connecting the village with the outside world, is full of contempt and hatred towards the migrants. Throughout the entire film, El Turu tries to persuade his fellow villagers "to do something about it". His bigoted frame of mind comes to the viewers' attention already in one of the opening scenes when he refuses to believe that a young man from the village committed suicide over some girl, claiming instead that the misionaros are surely behind his death. But the danger from the outside is in his eyes well aided by the danger within, namely Álvaro's apparent homosexuality. In a community like this one, you are usually left alone if you go about your "non-traditional" sexuality quietly and aren't caught out but unfortunately, there also always tends to be the odd bigot, the self-proclaimed defender of virtue who will try to catch you out and "teach you a lesson". However, since the question of homosexuality preoccupies and troubles such people so much, it is also quite legitimate to assume that there is a very good personal reason for that – their own latent queerness. And El Turu is no exception. The two axes of confrontation in the film – the one between El Turu and Álvaro and the other one between El Turu and the misionaros reach a climax when El Turu himself, boiling in his frustration, tips the afore-mentioned balance.

The impressive black and white cinematography of "La León" is somewhat reminiscent of Jim Jarmusch's "Dead Man" – the panoramic loneliness set against the river calmly flowing by, while the minimal dialogue in the film bears resemblance to the moody style of his pal, Aki Kaurismäki. Nevertheless, this feature film debut from the hand of Santiago Otheguy has its own unique signature and I'm certainly looking forward to his future work.

(andysfilmworld.blogspot.com)

Great scenery, great (sparse) script, great black and white photography, great pacing, great story over-all. However. due to the dark mood and setting, it was sometimes impossible to see or sense what was really going on. Alvaro (Jorge Roman) is a lone gay guy on an island in Argentina. He leaves the island occasionally, has a couple jobs, and has run-ins with Turu (Daniel Valenzuela). We're not sure just why Turu hates him, but Turu also seems to have conflicts with the missionaries, apparently to show us what a hateful person Turu really is. Some frontal male nudity. Some violence and simulated sex scenes. This could almost be a documentary. but it's not. The photography of the land, the water, the skies, and the work they do is every bit as interesting as the story. Lots of time spent watching the water, waiting for the boat to arrive, or watching it leave. Some big climactic scenes at the end, but life will go on for the residents of the island. Surprised at the current low rating. Would expect it to rise as more people see this. Excellent film. Well worth the time spent. Directed by Santiao Otheguy. Story by Juan Solanas. Both were born in Argentina.

I suppose if one has the sensibilities of an upriver, up-jungle Argentinean, this film might be interesting. But, someone like myself----raised in US culture----will likely not find it so. Primarily a work of pastoral, jungle river scenes and little dialogue, you won't find much in the way of action. And if you're a fan of the gay film genre, you'll find little of "that action" here (and what there is, lighting makes hard to see). Probably you will have to be, or "think" you are, an aesthete if you are going to enjoy this movie (and perhaps playing to that trait explains the reasoning behind the use of all-Black&White photography).

Maybe in Argentina this film might be "ground breaking" (DVD back cover "speak"), but in this country there are many of us it will not speak to. Like many third-world and near third-world produced movies, their directors / writers think they're producing something of real substance and interest. Unfortunately, in almost all cases, outside the boundaries of those locations, that is not the case at all----even though US gay video production companies releasing these films would have you think otherwise.

Providing me nothing new in its glimpses into human behavior, this DVD is a "toss away" for me, but..........if you see enough of yourself in this lead character's demeanor, it may be a "keeper" for you.