One of the things I enjoy most about film collecting is discovering wonderful films that I've never heard of before from around the world. In this respect
Criterion has done it again; exposing me to another great film. A film so powerful and devastating that it's become one of my favorites, a
true stone cold classic.
That film is
Canoa: A Shameful Memory, expertly directed by
Felipe Cazals. This is a Mexican film which was released in 1976, just about 8 years after the events depicted within.
Canoa is taken from the name of the town where this atrocity took place, San Miguel Canoa, which is located a mere 10 miles outside the city of Puebla, Mexico, which itself is approximately 60 miles southeast of Mexico City.
The film has an interesting structure. It is told in a semi-documentary fashion with chapter headings of dates, times, and locations that divide up the film. There is also the uncommon use of an omniscient third party narrator who appears in the film. That character is only listed in the cast as
el testigo (the witness), played by
Salvador Sanchez who appears as a peasant whose lines (according to the interesting supplement with the director) were taken from a recording made of a peasant who had witnessed the entire unfolding atrocity. The actor reportedly recited the recording exactly, even to the point of using the same intonations of speech as the peasant. The addition of this character (I felt) was very important to both give background on the situation in the town of Canoa and also provide a type of Greek chorus; the voice of much needed reason for a world gone insane.
A short plot summary follows, although some exposition is necessary:
Based on an actual historical incident,
Canoa opens with shots of Mexican newspapermen calling in stories about an atrocity that had just occurred in San Miguel Canoa. We glean our first bit of information from these sources which give us the bare bones of the event.
A group comprised mostly of workers from the University of Puebla plan a weekend trip to San Miguel Canoa to climb
La Malinche, an extinct volcano which lies near the town. They're just kids, looking to be in their twenties, excited about getting out of town on a mild adventure. Recently there had been a lot of publicity surrounding the campus unrest across the country which had spread to the University of Puebla, but most of the group seem to be unconcerned about any ramifications from these disturbances which the press has blamed on Communist infiltrators and agitators among the students.
Unknown to the group, the town of San Miguel Canoa is run with a firm hand by
the priest (a chilling performance by a reptilian
Enrique Lucero, looking uncannily like Jim Jones, complete with dark glasses and dressed in vestments. In fact, this movie was filmed 2 years prior to the Jonestown massacre). The priest has divided the town; some think he is a savior, doing God's work and working hard for the town. The others think he has used his influence to become defacto dictator of the community, having a financial stake in any civic development and cutting out a large share of the taxes and tithes for himself. He controls the mayor and police chief and rules via his sermons as the hand of God for the obviously illiterate and ignorant peasants that subsist in this dirt poor community.
The narrative shifts between time and locations during the film's run time. However as the University group, who act like the goofy 20 somethings they are, arrives in San Miguel Canoa, tensions begin to mount. Small, seemingly insignificant incidents involving the townspeople and the kids begin building. Things go from bad to worse quickly as the local priest declares the "outsiders" to be Communists who want to steal from the peasants, taking their animals and children, and who want to destroy or steal the revered statue of Saint Michael, the patron saint of the village. This sets the stage.
The climbers arrive in the town during a rain storm and therefore are unable to do their hike. They search, in vain, for a place to stay the night, even turning to the local church and its priest for shelter. Turned away from everywhere, they end up obtaining shelter at the shack of a local peasant,
Lucas (a strong performance by
Ernesto Gomez Cruz) who is known to the priest and his minions as the town dissident.
As the group of kids gather in the little shack with Lucas, the priest calls the town to arms to defend their faith and their children from the "outsiders". The group sit together with Lucas, unaware of their peril until
[Show spoiler]the townspeople, whipped into a frenzy, batter down the door with an axe and confront the occupants. Lucas tries to tell the mob that the kids aren't students, just vacationing. One of the mob then splits his neck with a machete, leaving him convulsing and gasping on the ground. They then repeatedly pound his genitals with clubs and shoot him point blank in the chest. Then they turn their attention to the rest. . .
Although this film starts out in semi documentary style, it now shifts to full horror mode. There follows a reenactment of such brutality and terror that far exceed what conventional horror and slasher films are able to deliver. I was truly on the edge of my seat during the final act, even though the outcome is never in doubt. The closest film that I can compare
Canoa to in its intensity and devastation is the searing
Act of Killing, which is, for me, the most horrific film ever made. Most horror, slasher, and torture porn films pale in comparison to the real horror that is mankind as it is depicted in these two films.
Canoa is composed utilizing only static camera shots and unfiltered light. The result gives the film a realistic appearance. The use of a loudspeaker system in the film reminded me again of Jim Jones, 1984, and, perversely, M*A*S*H*.
The ending took my breath away. I can't stop thinking about it.
Mob violence, for me, is one of the most frightening things that I can imagine. It's akin to the hopelessness when one is caught up in a crowd that suddenly panics and stampedes. Both are frightening and impossible to defend against. There is something really terrifying about being helpless as a mob of men and women
[Show spoiler]surrounds, beats and hacks until little is left intact.
This film does an outstanding job of depicting the hysteria of a mob which increases until it reaches a screeching, blood soaked climax.
I've never liked crowds and this film does nothing to ameliorate that.
The fact that I am familiar with Puebla, Mexico was the deciding factor when I chose to blind buy this release. One of the best choices that I've ever made.
Canoa was awarded the Silver Bear, Special Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1976.
Highly recommended for viewers who are interested in
real horrors and those who are interested in films concerning mob actions and mentality.
The PQ and AQ are excellent to my untrained eye considering the age of the film. Supplements include an introduction by
Guillermo del Toro and a fairly interesting segment with director
Alfonso Cuaron interviewing the director of
Canoa,
Felipe Cazals. My only complaint about this supplement is that Cuaron talks too much, often interrupting Cazals.
Highest recommendation for this important and still timely film.
Again, this review is strictly my humble opinion.
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