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Plot point: the handgun given to Plutarco

posted 17 years ago by Meaney
3 replies | jump to latest

I saw this film at the Sydney Film Festival in June 2007 and really enjoyed it. However, there was a plot point that escaped me: can anyone explain to me why, after Don Plutarco filled his violin case with ammunition, the Government Forces guard at the village checkpoint gave Don Plutarco a handgun ("a taco for the road")? TWICE, no less. Even if the guard was a rebel sympathiser, what bearing has it on the plot? Or was the guard aware that Plutarco had been followed on his way to the munitions cache, and the gun was for... what? Everything else in this film flowed smoothly for me, but this point has me stumped.

[–] RFsymphony 17 years ago

(SPOILERS)

I think that the soldier was indeed a rebel sympathizer. In my opinion, the reason why this point was included in the plot was:

1) To add suspense during the scene where Don Plutarco knows that has been discovered and is asked to play the violin. As you remember, he considers using the gun at certain point during the last sequence at the soldier camp. He finally decides not to use it and says: “the music is over.”

2) To show that the story continues with his grandchild. Almost at the beginning of the movie Don Plutarco and his son were discussing about the kid, saying that he will be more “cabrón” (in the sense: remarkable good) than they two together. Thus, in the last scene we can see the kid carrying the gun in a plastic bag after playing a song about the way his family gave their lives when defending their lands and rights. This is an important point since during almost the whole movie the kid did not understand what was happening. At the end we know he did.

So, perhaps a different metaphorical significance can be given to each one of these two guns.

[–] ixta_coyotl 17 years ago

i think those a re really good responses. that said i didn't like the film too much. i didn't like the vague location and people, and never felt emotionally connected to the characters. plus, mexico is getting much better so to make a vague and bland film smearing it doesn't seem well timed. this is no Ley de Herodes, Lugar Sin Limites, or Canoa.

[–] herme01mx 17 years ago

In fact people who are involved with music (at any level) found very touching the performance of don Plutarco. Music I mean; the violin itself, is the main character, a vehicle for communication between the beasts that are the soldiers (calmed by the music) and the old man (and we as audience), also at the same time it is the mean that will allow the "guerrilla" to continue the fight.

This movie appears at the perfect moment in the current political situation in Mexico, the great thing about this film is that it does not portrait good or bad characters, only human beings in a determined situation (remember the story the captain told to Plutarco about his childhood).

I loved the use of the camera, it reminded me those great films photographed by Gabriel Figueroa in the times of El Indio Fernandez.