[IXCANUL
screens Thursday October 13th at 6:45 pm and Sunday October 16th at 8:35 pm at
the Cleveland Cinematheque.]
Review by Bob Ignizio
Early on in IXCANUL, we watch as a
woman gives her pigs rum to make them horny. She and her family rely heavily on
such folk beliefs and traditions. Another such tradition is that of arranged
marriages.
Maria (María Mercedes Coroy) has been
promised to Ignacio (Justo Lorenzo), a supervisor on the coffee farm where she
and her parents (María Telón and Manuel Antún) live and work. However, Maria is
more attracted to her co-worker Pepe (Marvin Coroy). She's also attracted, perhaps
moreso, to Pepe's stories of America. Pepe plans to go there, and Maria wants
to come along. To this end, Maria has sex with Pepe in hopes that it will
convince him to take her when he leaves.
Proving that men are very often irresponsible
where sex is concerned regardless of what country they live in, Pepe refrains
from any efforts at birth control. When Maria brings it up, he simply replies
with the old chestnut about how nothing can happen the first time. A few months
later, it becomes obvious that this holds no more true in Guatemala than
anywhere else.
The ramifications of Maria's pregnancy are
considerable. She and her parents could lose their jobs and their home.
Nonetheless, the family forges on, relying on superstition and folk beliefs to
see them through. This doesn't work out so well. However, when circumstances
force Maria and her family to interact with the modern world, they don't fare
much better.
IXCANUL is a finely
crafted tragedy that pulls on the heartstrings without descending into
melodrama. Writer/director Jayro Bustamante takes a very straightforward,
almost minimalist approach. He relies mostly on carefully composed shots in
which the camera doesn't move at all, focusing on the subdued and naturalistic
performances of his cast. Also, there is no musical score to manipulate
audience emotions; Bustamente rightly trusts the drama and emotion of his story
to come through on their own. The film's themes and messaging are never heavy
handed, but a compelling argument for education as a force of empowerment still
comes through. 4 out of 4 stars.
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