MOVIES AT LA PLAZA: THE RETURN-Go easy on the legend

Movie Review by Sergio Martínez

For the writer of this piece, the story of Ulysses and his return after battling in the Trojan War was the first encounter, as a teenager, with the fascinating saga of Greek mythology. The Odyssey, as told by Homer, transports us to that time when the gods seemed to enjoy putting all kinds of obstacles in the lives of humans. Certainly, they also do their part in unleashing many of these misfortunes upon themselves. Still, in the end, the hero will fight for the balance between justice, reward for loyalty, and persistence to be restored.

The film, directed by Uberto Pasolini, focuses on the final episode of the Odyssey when, after spending years at the mercy of the elements at sea, returning from Troy, and having dealt with monsters and other traps sometimes set by the gods themselves, Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes) finally returns to his homeland, Ithaca. Still, he is no longer the same warrior as before. His kingdom has also changed: his wife, Queen Penelope (Juliette Binoche), is constantly besieged by suitors who want to become the new king. His son Telemachus (Charlie Plummer) also resents his father's absence, whom he hardly knew, and is in danger because he is an obstacle for his mother's suitors.

Despite all the omens that Odysseus should by then be dead, Penelope holds out hope that her husband is alive. The queen has said that she will choose her future husband once she finishes a weaving on which she toils during the day, only to undo it at night. However, no deadline is missed, and Penelope must finally decide. When she does, she devises a complex test of warrior skill that will reveal who will be chosen.

The Return, however, fails to convey the emotional tension that emanates from Penelope's wait and loyalty for the warrior's return and has many overlong scenes that don't add much to the drama, such as some of the skirmishes in which Telemachus is involved. What it succeeds in is conveying Odysseus' state of mind and portraying through him what the war was like and what its effects were. In today's language, one could say that the hero has returned but is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, a syndrome common today in many former combatants in wars. In a certain sense, the film can be qualified as a denunciation of war and its effects, both psychological and emotional, indirectly inflicted on others, in this case, on the wife and her son.

Running time: 116 min.

CINE EN LA PLAZA: THE RETURN (EL RETORNO)—Ir fácil con la leyenda

Comentario de Sergio Martínez

Para quien escribe esta nota, la historia de Ulises y su accidentado retorno después de batallar en la Guerra de Troya fue el primer encuentro, en tiempos de adolescencia, con la fascinante saga de la mitología griega. La Odisea tal como relatada por Homero nos transporta a ese tiempo en que los dioses perecen divertirse en poner todo tipo de obstáculos en la vida de los humanos. Por cierto, estos también ponen mucho de su parte en desencadenar sobre ellos mismos muchos de esos infortunios, sin embargo, al final el héroe luchará porque el balance entre justicia, recompensa a la lealtad y persistencia sea restaurado.

El film dirigido por Uberto Pasolini se centra en el episodio final de la Odisea, cuando luego de pasar años a merced de los elementos en el mar, al retorno de Troya, y haber bregado con monstruos y otras trampas tendidas a veces por los propios dioses, Ulises u Odiseo (Ralph Fiennes) finalmente regresa a su tierra, Ithaca, pero él ya no es el mismo guerrero de antes. Su reino también ha cambiado: su mujer, la reina Penélope (Juliette Binoche) es constantemente asediada por pretendientes que quieren así convertirse en el nuevo rey. Su hijo Telémaco (Charlie Plummer) también resiente la ausencia de su padre al que prácticamente no conoció, y se halla en peligro ya que para los pretendientes de su madre él es un obstáculo.

Pese a todos los augurios de que Odiseo a ese entonces debería estar muerto, Penélope mantiene la esperanza de que su marido esté vivo. La reina ha dicho que elegirá a su futuro esposo una vez que termine un tejido en el cual labora arduamente durante el día, sólo para deshacerlo durante la noche. Sin embargo, no hay plazo que no se cumpla y Penélope debe finalmente tomar una decisión. Cuando lo hace, diseña una compleja prueba de destreza guerrera que entonces revelará a quien será el elegido.

El retorno, sin embargo, no logra transmitir esa tensión emocional que emana de la espera y la lealtad de Penélope por el regreso del guerrero y tiene muchas escenas excesivamente largas que no agregan mayormente al drama, como algunas de las escaramuzas en que Telémaco se ve envuelto. En lo que sí tiene éxito, es en trasuntar el estado de ánimo de Odiseo y en retratar en él, lo que fue la guerra y sus efectos. En lenguaje actual se diría que el héroe ha retornado, pero sufriendo un desorden de stress post traumático, un síndrome hoy común en muchos ex combatientes en guerras. En cierto sentido, el film puede calificarse como una denuncia de la guerra y sus efectos, tanto psicológicos como en los emocionales indirectamente infligidos a otros, en este caso a la mujer y a su hijo.

Duración: 116 min.

MOVIES AT LA PLAZA: “MARIA"—The opera was her world

Movie Review by Sergio Martínez

Director Pablo Larraín, after having given us the biopics of two women of considerable influence in the social and political world, Spencer (about Princess Diana) and Jackie (about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis), puts his focus this time on the most fabulous diva of the 20th century: Maria Callas.  In the title role, Angelina Jolie effectively portrays the character in her glory and in the security of being the most outstanding female star of world opera for two decades, as well as in her vulnerability in her Paris apartment when she must face the reality that her best time has passed. Only her two faithful employees, Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino) and Bruna (Alba Rorhwacher), accompanied her during those days.

Angelina Jolie delivers a solid
performance as Maria Callas

The structure of the film allows us to see in retrospect the life of the soprano from the moment she is found dead on the floor of her apartment, passing through her moments of glory in the great centres of world opera. Incidentally, her sentimental life is also present, in particular, the beginning of her relationship with Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer), with whom she has a striking dialogue when he practically follows her during a party: “You have to see when an excess of self-confidence is bordering on madness,” she tells him.

The director makes good use of fantastic or hallucinatory elements, such as a striking scene on the esplanade of Trocadero in Paris, with the Eiffel Tower in the background when passers-by suddenly become the chorus of one of the operas, a similar resource is used for a scene that is illustrated with the music of Madama Butterfly. These images are very well achieved and have the function of portraying the mood of the diva in a non-explicit way. Also, the use of documentary images of the actual artist is illustrative without being intrusive.

Maria is undoubtedly a film that we recommend not only for those who like opera and who was one of its most outstanding figures, but also as a successful combination of music and image that captures very spectacular scenarios such as those of the great theatres, but also those of the most intimate atmosphere of the great stars in social gatherings (in one she meets President Kennedy) and especially, the atmosphere of loneliness of the artist in her final years. It is certainly not an exhaustive biography or a version that gives us a didactic vision of the soprano, but it does transmit all the passion she felt for what was her world: opera.

Length: 123 min.