RETABLO; Latin-American Cinema 2018 Masterpiece (Afterthoughts & Observations)
Finally, we are now entering this time of great movies dropping like it's hot every week (maybe even day!) and Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio, RETABLO appears as a serious foreign Oscar contender (the first of this kind seen around this part!); ticking all the boxes of what makes a film worthy of this honor all while being a one-of-a-kind wonder of Peruvian Cinema - Hopefully it will represents Peru and end-up with a nomination (if not that means we better get ready for a hella lotta greatness...or the usual nonsense accompanied with annoying disappointment and eye-rolls!)
That being said RETABLO is not a great film just because it looks like an "Oscar movie"; Â it is a great film because you can tell it is made from the heart with a passion... And under its allure of low-key, pure almost unpolished yet very well thought-through appearance, it is what one would call high-Art.
This story it tells is rich and important, filled with themes such as coming-of-age, father-son relationship, traditional values & modern way of life, identity, social classes and life as an LGBTQ+ in a conservative or rural setting... And as if it was not a hard enough challenge to properly create a compelling and sensible narrative interweaving all these elements, the director decided to push the film further into its truth - and in the name of authenticity - by shooting it almost entirely in the Quechua language! Even thought he did not speak it himself, the actors were all native speakers and so, it made for a more genuine approach; which again helps this film being so unique and powerful.
What Is It About RETABLO is, in a nutshell, the story of Segundo (played to perfection by Junior BÊjar Roca ), a young teen living a traditional life in a remote area of the Andes and being an apprentice to his father (Amiel Cayo), a dedicated craftsman and reputable retablo maker. As he is navigating life thinking about his future, trying to find his own voice and place in society, Segundo's life, and those of his family, will changed forever in a dramatic way after a secret is revealed...
The Pace The story takes its time to hit you right when it feels right at the time you would start resigning yourself that you're watching a conventionally "slow" movie. It makes you feel a lot of things but it also tells a singular story that will captivate viewers. As it goes through the pace of the protagonist development, from a stable relatively happy life or age of innocence to a painful yet beautiful place where the harshness of reality is inescapable; the film stillness is thus softly but surely taken over by scenes where a flowingly moving camera follows in Segundo' steps.
The Look
Talking strictly visual; RETABLO might look very simple on the surface but we have a case of "more than what meets the eyes" on our hand!
Avid viewers will notice subtle technical prowess of the long-shots, with one of the most incredibly "in & out of a window" scene (that many are still wondering how it was made!! Drone? Cranes? VFX involvement?) to the costume and Art direction everything isÂ
However, what will really strikes the cinephile and Art-lover out there is how genuinely and again very softly they composed many scenes like actual RETABLO! On top of having scenes of wonderful composition like paintings, the film cleverly plays with color palettes, starting off with pastels then easing into livelier & brighter shades, thus including "all the color of the rainbow"; almost as a testament to the film goal of diversity, inclusiveness and embracing all... or simply finding beauty in everything.
Although the shots are definitely laudable on a technical level, strangely enough it is not the cinematography that makes it the "visual delight" that it is, but frankly we can see that the greatness comes just from undiluted direction ( the director himself draw some sort of storyboard of 1000 of image including camera movement! So yeah you can tell it is a director medium!
Films Like Paintings Retablo... Alvaro mentioned that the film, just like a retablo is not just an image or picture of what is seen but more importantly a it is a representation of life... A Portal that can/should transport you to a place full of meaning, sensation, feelings and where every detail matter. And Details there are! RETABLO could be view in a "Where is Waldo" way with all the visual references, symbols and presented and/or hidden and/or left to interpretation. So film as a retablo is a perfect mean for life observation
Nothing Feels Cliche The theme of traditional vs. modern is important in this specific context of conservative society views of dentity/sexuality/gender and RETABLO , being faithful to reality, is folkloric yet not cliche ridden.Â
The scenes of rituals and parade playing to "almost surreal" where a nice surprise and felt natural to the film (some of us might even venture in saying that this could have been more "Jodorowsky-esque" without loosing its essence, but that would be another movie... That we will watch right away! )Â
The Sense Of An Ending
RETABLO is one of these movies when you know the end is near and you are dreading it (because it is so good!) as you can sense the nostalgia of it all. While some films in this vein, go for a surprising often abrupt or shocking ending, other like RETABLO take their time in a conventional way but clearly let you know what is coming for you as they climax, which makes it all the more bittersweet...
MORAL OF THE STORY: RETABLO could be defined as a noble and authentic film, it is real and appearing as it should be.The director never misguide viewers, and watching it, one soon realize that everything was chosen carefully in order to do so, by steering BUT not forcing us to understand the story, context and characters.Â
The movie "realness" is particularly conveyed via the genuine portrayals of "would-be real people" by amazing actors that brings an almost documentary touch to this melancholic narrative.
RETABLO is a special kind of movie for those looking to expand their horizons to places rarely seen on screen and to let themselves feel as they embark on an uncommon journey...
