Juan lives with his family in the Mexican countryside. He and his family are wealthy, and live in a beautiful house in an area of extreme poverty. It's a film about the balance between these two very different worlds which is in a constant flux. Carlos Reygadas' Post Tenebras Lux is an incredibly dense piece of filmmaking which explores the relationships and threats which exist in the beautiful countryside of Mexico. The film begins with a sequence in which Juan's youngest daughter is playing in the fields with the family dogs and various Livestock. It is a perfect sequence in which the viewer is feeling the little girl's experiences instead of simply watching her. The first thing that jumps out at the viewer about Post Tenebras Lux is the visuals, with sequences of beauty that are rarely seen in the world of cinema. I am so elated that I was able to see this on the big screen because the direction and cinematography in this film are stunning, surpassing his previous efforts. Reygadas doesn't simply want to tell a story, he wants to immerse the viewer and make them feel everything. This feeling hits the viewer on a primal level in ways that reminded me a bit of Philippe Grandrieux's films. In a few instances Reygadas even uses this symbolic exaggerated reality to capture these characters feelings with great affect. Post Tenebras Lux touches on underlying aggression and closeted emotions in all of its characters. I was particularly touched by the plight of Seven, a man who works for Juan. While most films would demonize Seven's character, Regaydas treats all his characters equally. I've heard people complain that certain scenes out of context, but I guess they don't understand the subject of symbolism cause every scene meant something to me in relation the theme and characters. This may be Carlos Reygadas best film and I would be simply naive to say I'm positive I understood everything Reygadas was personally trying to say but that is what makes it so great. 9.5/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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