Movie review: Bloody hämndspiral in the Birds of passage

We have seen the case studies the past from the bloody colombian drug trade, but the allocation in the ”Birds of passage” is something other than the tv-series ”Narcos”. Here traderar a singing bard, blind as Homer, the moral story of a mighty wayuufamilj that went astray, and destroyed itself in a degenerate hämndspiral.

It is thus clear from the first moment to the ”Birds of passage” will develop into a tragedy of Greek dimensions, with elements of spaghetti western by the drawn weapons in the desert landscape as well as modern gangstersaga. The family in the film's centre was respected even before the drug dealing came in time, but in their more worldly nyrikedom is a parallel to us stories from the prohibition era.

wayuufolkets traditions portrayed, not least through the ceremony in kvinnoblivande that begins the film. Waida has spent a year in isolation and refined its sömnadskonst. She will now challenge a man in a ritual dance, with his arms outstretched like the wings and the red fabric fluttering in the wind. Rapayet makes her company in the sand and declare afterwards that she shall become his wife.

It is a totally captivating opening and through a rousing choreography captures the dramatic conflicts. Matriarch Úrsula looking suspiciously at her as her daughter is courted. Because Rapayet do business with the colombian mainstream society, he represents outside forces which threaten the traditions. Now he must find a way to earn money for the extra hefty dowry.

It is a fateful movie is a solid addition to the ever expanding gangstergenren.

It is undeniably a less besjunget knarkkapitel in the country's history. At about the same time as Pablo Escobar established their kokainimperium flourished our business with the marijuana in the northern part of the country. While Escobar's ruthless entrepreneurship has been portrayed in the past, the colombian brassperioden not received the same attention.

”Birds of passage”, however, is an attempt to do the era justice – the film is set in Guajiraregionen, and focuses on the grönbladiga exportbranschen. ”Birds of passage” bears at the same time, the similarities with the duo's last film, ”Embrace of the serpent” from 2015, as it highlights indigenous peoples ' perspective.

however, the Question is what the role of the wayuu actually played during the bonanza marimbera, marijuanaboomen between about 1975 and 1985 usually called. Historians have objected to indigenous peoples was hardly a few high-rollers. Now do not need historical accuracy to be a crucial guiding principle, but it does affect the in spite of everything the impression of a film that is said to be based on actual events and boasts the ethnographic qualities.

After the initial dance, the film becomes more stagnant, with a mostly distant camera in locked positions, but in return, depicting Guerra and Gallego maktspelets deadly domino effect. Here is a larger story about colonialism, about modernity versus tradition, and an equally painfully obvious that the irresistible image of a modern architect-designed house in the middle of the desert, such as a hollow symbol of Rapayets success.

exclaims Rapayet and his partner Moisés when they encounter together with volunteers from the u.s. peace corps. No, the ”Birds of passage” going not just with his message, but is about how fast cash putting a strain on the family ties and osäkrar släkttraditioner. It is a fateful movie is a solid addition to the ever expanding gangstergenren.

See more: Three other Latin american knarkfilmer: ”City of men” (2007), ”Miss Bala” (2011) and ”Heli” (2013).

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