Item #: 4025 Category: RUSSIAN Format: VHS MPAA Rating: G

Woolly Rating: 5/10 (123 votes)

MEMBER COMMENTS ON THIS VIDEO

jd	Apr 6, 2004 @ 19:27:22

<[:-} cortez the brain cell killer?
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! "que viva mexico" is a great looking movie, chock full of images guaranteed to "feed your head," that is given a psychotronic flavor by blatant male fantasy and humorously blunt stalinist propoganda. it is padded with self-promoting prologue and epilogue explaining that it was started, with sergei eisenstein ("potemkin") at the helm, as a silent hollywood [!] project with support from upton sinclair, and "completed" by eisenstein protegee grigori alexandrov, with a crude synched soundtrack. the soundtrack is a brain damaging mix of mariachi music, hilarious sound effects, and late 60s sounding, tone shifting, electronic drones. we are led to believe immediately pre-revolution mexico is divided so that half the population still lives "a slow, semi-vegetative existence that has not changed for centuries" with the other half suffering horribly under the boots of the spanish conquerors. i won't dispute the suffering part, but the weird pretense that the mayas lived lives of ease in a paradise free of tyranny not only serves as a glaring example of the stalinist's contempt for truth, but also of their patronizing arrogance toward "primitives." this world of "regal indolence" has women cheerfully working while men lounge in hammocks, drinking coconut milk. a young woman's life revolves around acquiring dowry to attract a husband. though he calls it a matriarchy, various scenes make it clear that alexandrov meant to portray a gigolo-archy. lingering toplessness is provided by two attractive women. one of them carefully shields her face from the camera, and her body language makes it clear that she is not the shameless, pagan wet-dream alexandrov wants to depict. when the movie goes over to the conquistador's half of the country, we see striking images of people suffering in the name of the holy virgin. we learn that the landlord has an option on all virgins: "every bride to be must be shown to the master." in one such encounter, the potential rape victim "maria is forgotten" when the landlord's daughter returns and sits in his lap. maria is shown clearly to be disappointed! however, before she can get out of the house "fate takes the form of a drunken guest" and she is yanked behind a slamming door. when her fiancee shows up to protest, he is roughed up and maria is led behind yet another locked door, presumably as a sex slave. at least a minute of screen time is devoted to showing the landlord's guests with absurd amounts of beer soaking and spilling out of their beards. a failed uprising is both unintentionally funny and amazingly sadistic. the landlord's thrill seeking, smiling daughter goes out with the posse, to hunt peons for sport. the landlord, guests, and posse are cast with a cartoon sensibility, except for one pursuer who seems to actually belong to the real world. i don't know enough about the history of uniforms to judge, but i suspect he was meant to be an american soldier. we learn lack of funds prevented shooting the film's climax, the revolution, which was to feature the crucial role of the "soldaderas" who "always stood by their men." instead, we have the epilogue, which features "post-revolution" documentary footage, featuring sleazy, mardi-gras type dancing, that is supposed to make us believe that celebration of "the day of the dead" is meant to show "contempt for death!"

• GOODBYE UNCLE TOM
Snuff Film... (Tim)

• TAMPOPO
Awesome... (CMH)

• ROMERO
... (Sue)

• VAMPIRES VS ZOMBIES
horrible... (beachmonkey)

• PULP FICTION (COL ED)
a thrill ride... (Alan Hall)

• PERFUME
KINKY, DISTURBING... (DKB)

• BLACK MASK 2: CITY IF MASKS
not bad... (Dedeals)

• ELVIS ON TOUR
Elvis in Concert. ... (elvisandmeatloaf@aol.com)

• BORN YESTERDAY
A great performance... (micca)

• WONDERWALL
Why this film dserves more than a one star rating.... (Eric)

• PIT STOP (LTBX)
... (pike)

• BEWARE OF A HOLY WHORE
... (pike)

• BIG BAD MAMA
... ()

• GOODBYE UNCLE TOM
MISUNDERSTOOD... (Caribba)

• MONKEY KUNG FU
the best... (melo70)

• PANTERA 3 WATCH IT GO
WATCH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... (leo)

• HOUSE OF STRANGERS
FINE 1949 NOIR/DRAMA... (DKB)

• KEEP YOUR DISTANCE
LOCALLY SHOT DRAMA... (DKB)

• GOODBYE UNCLE TOM
a genius reality check 4 our race we may live in the white mans land & call it hme bt in doing that we deny the truth of our being. All brown skin people nomatta hw light r african rayalty ... (lady swirl)