Amateur Movie Reviews: Colonia dir. Florian Gallenberger
Originally, I watched this film because it stars one of my favorite actresses, Queen Emma Watson. I was not expecting anything incredible from the film, as I had read several negative reviews on it, but I decided that Emma was worth it (she always is). After having watched it for myself, I find the excess of negative reviews on the film are well undeserved. It was compelling, educational, shocking, and thrilling; I found myself yelling at my computer screen, to the confusion of my family in the other room. The film is not great; the dialogue could suffer some tweaks, and the pacing could be helped, but this film is GOOD.
The basic premise: Lena (Emma Watson) and Daniel (Daniel Brühl) are lovers who find themselves trapped in a communist cult in 1970s Chile called Colonia Dignidad (Colony of Dignity). Based on true events, the movie is emotional and often difficult to watch. As Colonia Dignidad was a real place, and the sadistic cult leader was a real man (died in prison in 2010), you will find yourself cringing during many scenes. Still, although it is slow to start, views will find themselves totally swallowed by the action, drama, and mystery, and cheering on the protagonist (Watson) as if one was watching a super hero film - a classic tale of good vs. evil; of beating the bad guy.
Violence: Women are beaten regularly, and there is a fairly intense torture scene as well. Police brutality, lots of shooting, fights, etc.
Sexual Content: Lena and Daniel spend several days together in his apartment before the plot begins. There is implied sex, one of the worst “sexy” lines I’ve ever heard; trust me, you’ll know it when you hear it; and at one point Daniel wears nothing but an apron and we see his butt and Lena takes pictures of him. Pious, the leader of Colonia Dignidad, is incredibly creepy. When Lena first arrives he demands that she strip from the waist up, down to her bra. He then hugs her for a lengthy period of time, which is super clingy and I hated it. I expected a rape scene around every corner, however, the worst that it got was Pious conducting the young boys in hymns, as they are stripped to the waist, as he sends them off to shower. He follows the first three little boys into the shower, and we see only a shot of his feet as he removes his shoes. Later, another woman in the cult says to Lena that the cult is Pious’ “heaven on earth” due to “the little boys,” among other sickening things. Daniel and Lena make out a lot, but that’s pretty much it.
Language: Exactly what you would expect from any R rated film. F-bombs, sh*t, G-D, etc. The words slut, whore, and even the c-word are used throughout, as The Colony of Dignity is a horrendously sexist place. Lots of talk about the devil, demons; God’s name is used in vain through out, and many, many religious references (as a Christian, I must assure you, that everything Colonia Dignidad teaches about God is incredibly and horrifyingly false).
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Was it award worthy? Probably not, but very few films are. I had no idea that these historical events even transpired, and although there are plenty of creative liberties taken in this film, it felt very educational and informational for me, as well as entertaining and emotional. It is a heavy film; not a masterpiece, but a fantastic piece of art all the same. A-1. 8/10 would recommend.
