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IWishIWereCreativeEvaluation

Page history last edited by PBworks 17 years, 12 months ago

Emily McCathran

February 27, 2006

English 15

 

Evaluation: Y Tu Mamá También

 

One night you decide you are in the mood for a good dramatic film, preferably one you have never seen before. So, you drive over to the nearest Blockbuster and look in the Drama Section. You browse through titles such as Schindler’s List, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Godfather, Pulp Fiction, and Citizen Kane. Not many would think to travel over to the Foreign Section for what I believe is an excellent dramatic film: Y Tu Mamá También, translated to And Your Mother Too. It is a Mexican movie known to the common public as “Spanish porn” due to its strong sexual nature. However, I believe it is a model of a wonderful dramatic piece. It not only portrays an entirely a unique filming style, but also a story with a powerful and unforgettable message. It fulfills the criteria for an excellent dramatic movie: the human connection that goes beyond the bounds of the screen and binds the audience to the characters. A movie without that element is still a movie, but Y Tu Mamá También is an experience.

 

“Life has a way of teaching us. Life has a way of confusing us. Life has a way of changing us. Life has a way of surprising us. Life has a way of hurting us. Life has a way of curing us. Life has a way of inspiring us.” This tagline to the 2001 Mexican film Y Tu Mamá También describes the movie perfectly: it is not just a movie, but also a lesson, much like life itself. The audience is drawn into the story to the point where one is taught, confused, changed, surprised, hurt, cured, and inspired. The movie follows the lives of two teenage boys and an older woman on a five-day excursion through the Mexican countryside. While at some points the movie seems to show random events or note strange, irrelevant facts, it is simply portraying life: the good, the bad, the random, the meaningful, the lies, and the truth. The simplicity of showing the life of others makes the movie a brilliant film. Modern American films feel the need to add plot twists or more exciting fight scenes to draw in an audience. However, Y Tu Mamá También proved that these are not the necessary components to make a great film.

 

The emotional attachment one had with the characters made the film expand beyond the borders of the screen. While on their journey, each character learns about life, love, sex, each other, and themselves. The movie was made in such a way that the audience feels like a fourth passenger on the trip, and thus takes one through the same everlasting emotional journey. The intimate opening scene makes the audience automatically know these characters have nothing to hide. By putting their actions and emotions out in the open, it makes the audience more willing to accept them, and thus a bond is instantly formed. In the film version of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, Vivien Leigh’s character, Blanche Dubois, does not open up to the audience. She keeps her secrets to herself, thus making the audience not trust her or understand her judgments. Her motives are better understood as more is learned about her past, yet the audience never feels fully connected to her. She never opens up to them, so why should the audience do the same to her?

 

In contrast, Y Tu Mamá También allows the audience to feel connected to its characters. The movie begins by presenting the very personal act of sex as a natural occurrence, out in the open with nothing to hide. Many American films portray sex as shameful and do their best to hide the nudity of the actors. Directors use well placed props, numerous camera angles, and tactful lighting to ensure the nudity is kept to a minimum. Films that do have nudity are seen as radical and are considered pornographic, as Y Tu Mamá También is sometimes viewed. However, the sex plays an important role in the movie. Not only does it allow the audience to connect to the characters, but it also is one of the motifs of the story. While on their road trip, the three main characters teach each other about sex, both in verbal and physical manners. Sex is an essential element of the story and the film would not be complete without it. And contrary to the popular misconception, the sex is not portrayed in a pornographic fashion. It is not shown to exploit the act. While the film doesn’t hide the nudity, it doesn’t emphasize it either. It shows it in a completely natural sense, allowing the audience to feel as if the film is like life, neither underestimated nor overdone. This makes the film similar to a life experience; one where lasting lessons are learned.

 

While not many people would connect the well renowned dramatic classic Casablanca and the lesser-known modern Mexican film Y Tu Mamá También, they do share several attributes. Casablanca definitely portrays an audience-character relationship that far surpasses the boundaries of the screen. The viewers feel the same emotions as Ilsa and Rick: the love, the anger, and the hurt. The characters are presented in a friendly and familiar manner, as if welcoming the audience to enter into their world. Before long, the audience feels like a refugee, trapped in the city of Casablanca, and joins the crowds to stare at the planes flying over with envy. One feels the anticipation that thrives in the city. And one feels the love and complications that surround the three main characters: Victor Laszlo, Isla, and Rick. The viewer feels the connection that binds him to the fictional characters, thus leading him on the same emotional journey. The movie envelops each individual, thus making the film an emotional epiphany rather than just a movie. This same characteristic can be attributed to the more obscure film: Y Tu Mamá También.

 

So, on your next trip Blockbuster, take your time to browse the classic dramatic film titles. But if you are in the mood for an excellent dramatic film full of intellectual lessons, Mexican pop culture, and a breath of life, make sure to stop by the foreign films for this spectacular exhibition of exquisite filmmaking.

 

 

 

Citations

 

"A Steetcar Named Desire (2001)." The Internet Movie Database. Internet Movie Database, Inc.16 Feb. 2006 <http://imdb.com/title/tt0044081/>.

 

"Casablanca (1942)." The Internet Movie Database. Internet Movie Database, Inc.16 Feb. 2006 <http://imdb.com/title/tt0034583/>.

 

Cuarón, Alfonso. Y Tu Mamá También. IFC Films, 2001.

 

Curtiz, Michael. Casablanca. Warner Bros., 1942.

 

Kazan, Elia. A Streetcar Named Desire. Warner Bros., 1951.

 

"Y Tu Mamá También (2001)." The Internet Movie Database. Internet Movie Database, Inc.16 Feb. 2006 <http://imdb.com/title/tt0245574/>.

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