Alberto Rodriguez’s atmospheric thriller “Marshland” (‘La Isla Minima’, 2014) opens with stunning aerial shots of the convoluted landscape of Guadalquivir wetlands (a major watercourse of Southern Spain), which somehow resembles the intricate structure of human brain cell. When the camera comes to the ground level, we can estimate that the eye-popping landscape really do have some intricate sociopolitical structure like that of the brain cells. There is something unique about the small towns in the wetlands as fields of rice is cultivated in land criss-crossed by waterways and roads, but there’s civil unrest in the towns like the rest of Spain. The year is 1980 -- one of the decisive years in the Spanish history.
In 1939, Spain emerged from the civil war, carrying acerbic
economic problems. Francisco Franco won the civil war, leaving at least half a
million dead, and by seeking help from the Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Franco
embraced dictatorship and dumped all his political and ideological enemies into
concentration camps, forced labors. Although, Spain had the fastest economic
growth in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, the transition to democracy seemed
possible only after Franco’s death in 1975. However, the oil crisis of the 1970’s
once again heavily hit Spain’s economy. In 1980, Spain’s unemployment rate surged
to a breaking point, causing civil unrest. In that 1980, two detectives – Juan (Javier Gutierrez) and Pedro (Raul Arevalo) – travel from Madrid to the Deep South town
to investigate the mysterious disappearance of two teenage sisters after the
local festivities.
A crucifix on the cops’ hotel room features cut-out photos
of Hitler and Franco, which indicates the nation oscillating between
dictatorship and democracy. Pedro is a rookie, who has left his pregnant wife
in Madrid. Juan is a hardened, old-school cop, who might have worked as a
henchman in the Franco regime. The villagers watch the detectives with
suspicion. Since the harvest season is coming forth, the farmers view the city
detectives as a bad omen. Moreover, the two disappeared girls seem to have a
bad reputation. The girls’ father
remains aloof, while the mother’s face shows all the signs of abuse. When her
husband’s back is turned, she hands over to Juan, a semi-burned negative strip with
pornographic images of the girls. Later, the bodies of the sisters are found
naked and mutilated in a ditch. The girls’ father has enough reasons to suspect
the local drug mafia, but the detectives find out that two other girls have
also disappeared, and a striking pattern emerges between all these girls’
disappearance.
The raw beauty of the landscape (impeccably shot by Alex
Catalan) is often juxtaposed with the town’s deep mistrust and unrest. Although
these microcosmic shots resemble David Lynch’s works, director Alberto
Rodriguez has mostly placed his narrative within the David Finch territory,
unveiling a morbid atmosphere. It’s ironic that most of the girls want to
escape the rich landscapes, fearing the clutches of unreformed masculinity. The
town’s communal atmosphere itself plays a vital role in stopping the cops from
catching the killer as corruption and power of the previous repressive regime is
still fighting against the alleged democracy.
The intense, uneasy relationship between Pedro and Juan
evokes the “True Detective” TV series, although this one looks little cliched
in the end. Juan’s character is well-etched out, subtly indicating his haunting
past. His calm assurance and quick answers are as disquieting as the serene
swamplands. The sequences involving Juan and a psychic fisher woman looked a bit
hokey. Director Rodriguez has deftly filmed the action sequences, especially
the nighttime car chase on a difficult terrain. The script (by Rafael Cobos and
Rodriguez) perfecly brings together the sociopolitical elements within the
thriller format. But, if you have read or watched enough crime/thrillers, the
twist would seem fairly predictable. The drug-business sub plot only serves to
distract the viewers. Since more attention is given on atmosphere, there are
certain stereotype characters like that of a disillusioned journalist, who wants
to become the next ‘Truman Capote’ and local factory owner.
“Marshland” (105 minutes) may not be the edge-of-the-seat
investigative thriller, but it must be watched for its political nuance and stunning,
eerie atmosphere. The film recently swept 10 ‘Goya awards’ (Spanish equivalent
of the Oscars).
Trailer
1 comment:
That's one heck of a good description.
Also, that image literally depicted the human brain!!
Well written.
Post a Comment