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Reviews
Dersu Uzala (1975)
Progression and the end of an era
While at first for me it was a bit strange watching a Kurosawa film that didn't have Japanese actors or language (it's not a racist comment, I don't think; seeing his staging and framing without Japanese people, if you've seen a lot of his films can be a bit off- putting at first) the movie grows on you and you start to accept everything that's being chucked at you.
The characters of Arseniev and Dersu are just pleasant to watch. You feel they really care for each other, as Arseniev is very accepting and understanding of the way of live that he has never confronted before in meeting Dersu. They just get along so well and love and respect each other so much and in every way, it's hard not to like watching them interact and go through situations together.
You never see Dersu without Arseniev close to him in his life (either in context of their lives or physically), as the story is told from Arseniev's perspective, the years which Dersu wanders as Arseniev briefly returns to society in the middle of the film remains untold; but you do see Arseniev in the absence of Dersu (even if only for brief lapses) but you do feel the absence and wait in anxiety for Dersu to make his way back into the story.
There's one bit at the beginning of the 2nd segment of the film, where Arseniev is told by one of his men that he came across a hunter, but when the hunter asked the name of the leader of his unit he was not allowed by regulations to tell him who his commander is, Arseniev then rushes into the forest and in frame there is a far off speck of a man climbing through the brush and as you hear Arseniev shout "Dersu!" hearing Dersu reply, "Captain!" as they rush to hug each other is just such a heartfelt moment.
Towards the end of the film, Dersu's eyesight fails and accepts that he cannot keeping living off the woods like he has his whole life and Arseniev offers him a place in his own home, back in the city, which Dersu accepts. After a time, it becomes apparent to both of them that Dersu's soul is being broken as he tries to adapt to society and he cannot live as freely as he's used to, so he breaks the news to Arseniev that he must go back to the forest. Arseniev without saying a word, walks offscreen and goes upstairs and brings back his new rifle of the latest model and gives it to Dersu without a second thought. And the fact that Arseniev is so accepting of Dersu's choice and doesn't take offense to his leaving but accepts his decision and supports him is the heart of the movie.
The movie seems to be about the end of an era and in the ever- progressing society that we live in, Arseniev discovers this life- force that walks to the beat of it's own drum even as everything progresses and becomes more civilized.
Well that's how I explain the beginning of the movie and everything that follows.
The cinematography and the editing are gorgeous, by the way. And, of course, the direction. The lighting CAN be a bit BIT outdated, like when they film night scenes by the campfire, but it's such a good movie anyway.
El Norte (1983)
Good for it's time, but a bit outdated
It's a good enough film. The cinematography and the soul of the script are what make the movie for me, though. They chose non-actors it seems for the film and I found it a bit distracting at times.
Props to the focus of the story and that it doesn't all end with days of wine and roses, which makes me happy because I was greeted with as honest a film on the subject back in 1983. Not that it's not, but there are a few moments where I found myself saying, "Come on, really?"
There are moments in the film where red herrings are thrown around (sequence where helicopter and them crawling through a rat-infested tunnel, is an example) and the editing can be a bit off with pacing. Other moments in the story where they are confronted with a difficult circumstances that hadn't brought themselves up until later in the story, and you're surprised that they haven't been confronted with up until that. In other words, conflict arises to serve the movie and the flow of the story; they show up to hit the beats that you expect for a movie to hit. The flow of the story can be a bit arbitrary at times, which when you notice, can be annoying.
For me, the saving graces are the cinematography and the production design. The cinematography provides for a lot of beautiful imagery, with most of the film's images coming from the backdrop of Guatemala. The production design. I feel like the production design captures a lot of the culture and it establishes the world that they live in very well from the beginning of the movie. The image of the worker's feet as they move at the command of their foreman/boss as you see an alternation of naked feet and torn-up tennis shoes is pretty clever and it's this little account for details that make up the environment which I really liked about the film.
The cinematography with the character's in Guatemala is beautiful to look at and made the film for me. I guess the middle of the film and the way certain conflicts arise struck me as contrived.
The final sequence as Enrique makes it to his new job and reflects before the credits roll, was awesome and it made me reflect more positively on the film.
So, yeah: watch it.