Man Facing Southeast (1986)

Director: Eliseo Subiela

 This film is most famous for being ripped off by the American film K-PAX. It features the same plot: a man suddenly appears in a mental institution saying he is from another planet, a doctor then investigates this man and tries to figure out who he is and what he is. That plot synopsis is as science fiction as the movie gets, which is a good thing. The plot could easily have been used for a cliche sci-fi story, but instead the movie is ambiguous enough with its plot that the allegorical aspects come across clearly and very well.

The film is from Argentina, a heavily Catholic country, and the movie really hits at the Christ-like status of the mystery man. His sway over the rest of the patients, his all-around charm, and the way the hospital administrators refuse to believe his story all contribute to his Christ-like nature. The film never brings up religion though, and all of the parallels are subtext, and the movie is all the more better for it. The film parallels faith and mental illness. It's ambiguous enough to the point that those who are religious will find a message that criticizes modern culture for losing faith and showing how Jesus would be shut down if he appeared today, while non-believers will find evidence that supports their beliefs that those who believe they can talk to God are just plain crazy. The plot is certainly not astounding, and there are some odd technical aspects (like the music), but it is still a thought-provoking and well-done film.

Grade: B

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

Director: Walter Salles

 For most of this movie you would never guess that it is about Che Guevara, the famous Central American revolutionary. Guevara is a young guy who has not formed his political views yet and is about to become a doctor. But on this road trip all across South America, Guevara experiences a sort of political epiphany. The movie is almost like a political coming-of-age story. Much of the movie is like your typical road trip movie. We see Guevara and his friend struggle through the weather, mechanical breakdowns, and all sorts of shenanigans.

But there are also times when Guevara is talking to the economically-depressed people in the rural areas of South America, when the movie is shot documentary style as if Guevara were really listening to the stories of the oppressed poor. But those scenes are a small part of the movie. The Motorcycle Diaries doesn't really feel like a Guevara origin story, instead it feels more like the beginning of his origins, and because of that it does feel a bit unsatisfying. The movie feels a bit slight when you consider at the implications the events of the movie will have on the history of Central and South America, but then again that may be the point. Big things can have small beginnings.

Grade: B

Filmcap: The week of Mar 6-13

This week I watched a couple great British dramas released more than 60 years apart, a couple only slightly above average star-studded American films also released more than 60 years apart, and then one mysterious Argentinean Oscar-winner (somehow I'm much more busy during spring break than normal which is why this filmcap was posted so late, so for that same reason don't expect a lot of movies for the next one).