I’ve never done a film review to date, but this time we decided to look at a recent documentary that has come out featuring Hispanic America and the legacy off Spain on it. It’s the second in a series bent on reversing the infamous Black Legend which has affected Spain for decades. It’s an attractive revisionist story with beautiful filming and stunning revelations about this amazing culture of Latin America. But has it lived up to its expectations? Listen and I’ll let you know.
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Hey, Brian! I just went and saw the movie you reviewed, and wanted to tell you now that I thought you did a great job talking about its strength and weaknesses, even though you’ve never done a film review before. That’s really the main reason I’m writing. I did not have that much vested interest in this particular movie; mostly just curiosity.
You were right about it being worth seeing, so much as it does show some great beauty in the arts and in many places, and it does raise some interesting points.
However, as you intimated, it is one sided propaganda with a sledgehammer. And I was moving towards a headache, if not vomiting by the time it was over.
As I have worked in the media for almost 40 years, I realize that every edit, every image, every juxtaposition of two things in a cut is making a statement, or taking a point of view in some way. And it is the filmmaker’s right to do as he pleases, and present as he sees fit.
However, if this Director ever wants to do justice to his concerns and cause, he needs to present a more diverse and evenhanded playing field, so that the many sides of an incredibly complex and complicated subject are given their due.
As a lifetime Catholic, and a student with some fair exposure to the story of Cortez and Moctezoma, He is not just playing fast and loose with history… He is pretty much writing his own.
And of course, the hardest thing about history is that nobody knows what really and truly happened; we just weren’t there. So as you pointed out so beautifully in your review, to whitewash all the things that used to be black is simply to make the same mistake as your predecessors, only from the opposite direction.
And as you also observed, We are evolved enough now as humans – at least we can only hope so – to take the truth at a time when it is more elusive and devalued than ever, and to be able to look at it and deal with it… Not to trivialize it through propaganda and bad history.
As a white European American and a US native, I realize after many decades we are still trying to figure out what we may have done in our short history that was right And Goode and fair, and all that we have done and still do that was/is not.
You are correct; he might’ve been better off taking on a smaller subject, instead of getting 20 academic friends and like minds together, and trying to pretend like a massive subject has an easy answer.
I applaud his intentions in some ways, as most of us still need to heal and try to understand who we are; Almost none of us are a pure anything anymore, and connecting to our past is a challenge at the least.
In conclusion, as you also pointed out so succinctly, he may have simply gotten in his own way, or else missed a golden opportunity.
So kudos to you, and best of luck with your ongoing writing and speaking, and perhaps your future film reviews! It was your review that convinced me to go see it, though frankly, I couldn’t wait for the last half hour or so to be over. But again, I appreciate the sincerity and passion of his attempt. And visually, it is a beautiful film to watch. It might have almost been more powerful – and instructional, in the very direction he wanted it to be – without words… allowing the viewer to draw their own conclusions and interpretations.
As it stands, my guess is that it has been a balm and an inspiration to many viewers, so who am I to say? I fully believe that a film doesn’t even one viewer a great deal of good in their heart, it was probably worth doing.
My comments are only based on my understanding of the complexity of the medium of film, and the complexity of human domination and control, and human history, the terms of vice-royalty versus colony not withstanding.
We are only beginning to understand as a species that what can look like the best of intentions in one person can feel like abuse and deep pain in the next. As globalization is indeed continuing at a frantic rate, it is time we started to remember and respect and value our own humanity and history – and each other’s. And that requires quietly facing and embracing and, when needed, healing from the truth of where we have been, for better and for worse, in all of its dimensions and lessons, and even and especially in its many reasons to celebrate. No one, nor nation, is perfect. Spiritually, that IS our perfection, and our connection.
Cheers, Brian,
David
Correction: it is my belief that if a film does even one viewer a great deal of good in their heart, it was probably worth doing.
Hi David,
Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful input. And coming from someone with your background, your comments and observations are especially appreciated. I’ve toyed with the idea of posting some podcasts on the history of Spanish cinema, your feedback just may spur me on to go ahead with the idea. Thanks again, and all the best to you. Brian