{"id":10507,"date":"2018-11-01T07:00:12","date_gmt":"2018-11-01T11:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/?p=10507"},"modified":"2019-01-12T14:40:51","modified_gmt":"2019-01-12T19:40:51","slug":"three-films-to-stream-on-dia-de-muertos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/three-films-to-stream-on-dia-de-muertos\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Films to Stream on D\u00eda de Muertos"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Mexico, the D\u00eda de Muertos tradition celebrates life, but also the travels of the dearly departed. Here are three death-themed Mexican films that prioritize spiritual clarity and cultural education, each in its own unique way.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>M\u00e9xico B\u00e1rbaro<\/i><\/b> (2014, on Netflix) provocatively captures D\u00eda de Muertos’ effect on pop culture. The two-hour anthology film addresses Mexican legends and mythology, beginning with a brief and relatively tame short that establishes the cultural context, in which a journalist discovers the Aztec influence on underworld activities. Surprisingly, it\u2019s M\u00e9xico B\u00e1rbaro\u2019s<\/i> most flawed productions that feel the most impactful, such as Aaron Soto\u2019s \u201cDrena\u201d (\u201cDrain\u201d). After tampering with a dead body, a young woman smokes a joint and sees a ghoul which threatens to suck the girl\u2019s soul from her backside, but only if she doesn\u2019t fulfill a specific request involving her sister\u2019s menstrual cycle. The narrative premise feels almost laughable, but it taps into a deeper fear that afflicts young women growing up in households with strong spiritual beliefs. Importantly, this short features one of M\u00e9xico B\u00e1rbaro\u2019s<\/i> most terrifying images. And GiGi Saul Guerrero\u2019s concluding installment, appropriately titled \u201cD\u00eda de los Muertos,\u201d cuts like a knife as exotic dancers wreak havoc on unsuspecting, chest-thumping men.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, M\u00e9xico B\u00e1rbaro\u2019s<\/i> third chapter, \u201cLa cosa m\u00e1s preciada\u201d (\u201cThe most precious thing\u201d) contrasts situational absurdity with real-life violence. Here, true romance transforms into pure terror when a hyper-sexualized troll interrupts a couple\u2019s cabin retreat. While there\u2019s a comedic effect to the initial troll reveal, the disturbing conclusion reminds of how young Mexican men and women can instantaneously disappear in modern-day Mexico. And for those familiar with Roberto Bola\u00f1o\u2019s 2004 novel 2666<\/i>, the cultural implications of \u201cLo que importa es lo de adentro\u201d (\u201cWhat\u2019s important is inside\u201d) and \u201cMu\u00f1ecas\u201d (\u201cDolls\u201d) further conjure up visuals of unfathomable 21st-century horror, with their black market and backwoods tourism narratives. Ultimately, M\u00e9xico B\u00e1rbaro<\/i> works as both an entertaining horror film and an unnerving addition to the Nuevo Cine de Terror Mexicano.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>In contrast to M\u00e9xico B\u00e1rbaro\u2019s<\/i> expansive narrative approach, Emiliano Rocha Winter\u2019s We Are the Flesh<\/i><\/b> <\/i>(2016, on Shudder) features a contained setting. In what appears to be a post-apocalyptic world, a grizzled and visibly perturbed named Mariano (No\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez) prepares for long-term survival, and it\u2019s clear he\u2019s already been alone for quite some time. When a brother and sister appear (Mar\u00eda Evoli and Diego Gamaliel), they\u2019re slowly corrupted by the deviant and domineering Mariano, resulting in shocking scenes of sex and violence. By this point, most viewers will likely tune out, as We Are the Flesh<\/i> seems to revel in its sexualized aesthetic; one particular scene feels like pure exhibitionism. But such moments complement the collective surrealism of We Are the Flesh<\/i>, <\/i>and this film showcases a director in touch with a specific vision. Meaning, it doesn\u2019t matter what one hopes<\/i> to see. Take it or leave it, Winter seems to say. Fortunately, his narrative comes together in the end, as he poses culturally relevant questions about the characters\u2019 backstories and the society in which they live.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>For a polished and purely moving D\u00eda de Muertos movie experience, check out Alejandro Jodorowsky\u2019s Santa Sangre <\/i><\/strong>(1989, on Fandor). Here, the narrative emphasizes the long-term implications of childhood trauma, along with the cultural psychology of relationships based on physical and mental abuse. Starring the director\u2019s son, Axel Jodorowsky, as Fenix, Santa Sangre<\/i> jumps back and forth in time, and it\u2019s most definitely an Art House film, but the dots connect easily and organically. Over the years, Santa Sangre<\/i> has been associated with ultra-violence, but the visuals are tame in comparison to the aforementioned M\u00e9xico B\u00e1rbaro<\/i> and We Are the Flesh<\/i>. Crucially, the most disturbing moments (acid-dissolved testicles, severed limbs, a self-inflicted throat slice) imply graphic thoughts without forcing the viewer through an extended sequence. <\/span><\/p>\n

Whereas M\u00e9xico B\u00e1rbaro<\/i> focuses on metaphysics and mythology, Santa Sangre<\/i> depicts real-life horrors with a Fellini-esque touch. For every aggressive visual, there\u2019s a complementary shot of Fenix (or his mother Concha) suffering in some relatable form. Whereas We Are the Flesh<\/i> makes the viewer endure sexualized body horror, Santa Sangre<\/i> builds on that concept for a larger message about life, death, and spirituality. First, however, traditions must be obliterated, most notably when a Roman Catholic priest negates the foundational mythology of Concha\u2019s religious cult. In a sick but important twist, Concha succumbs to the same wounds that her alleged fictional figure endured. And so it goes, past and present intermix, with both men and women seeking spiritual clarity as life continuously cuts them down. <\/span><\/p>\n

On D\u00eda de Muertos, dark memories linger. But it\u2019s our joyous life experiences, the small epiphanies, that make thoughts of death less menacing and slightly easier to process. M\u00e9xico B\u00e1rbaro<\/i>, We Are the Flesh<\/i>, and Santa Sangre<\/i> all have different messages about interpersonal communication and consequences, but they\u2019re collectively grounded in a shared spirituality that comes from confronting death head-on. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Mexico, the D\u00eda de Muertos tradition celebrates life, but also the travels of the dearly departed. Here are three […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":524,"featured_media":10512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1381,1399],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movies","category-looking-back"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/524"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}