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| “Roma” Anarchy and Repression in an Epic B&W Mexican Drama- Festival in LA ©2019 Netflix |
“Roma” is a film of extraordinary beauty, endless poetry, with a strict humanistic, sociological, and political perspective.
This exceptional black-and-white Mexican drama achieves universality when we explore its emotional layers beneath the compelling story.
Alfonso Cuarón’s childhood memories focus on the importance of “place” and “time,” two of the most definitive elements for understanding the true meaning of “Roma.”
In “Roma,” women are depicted as brave, fearless, and lonely. They look out for themselves, support each other, and care for their children. Men are unaccountable, and their infidelity, irresponsibility, and constant machismo push them out of the picture.
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| Roma is being screened at the Academy by Netflix. Photo Jose Hermosillo ©2019 Festival in LA |
Newcomer Yalitza Aparicio is remarkable, playing Cleo, the main character of “Roma.”
She is the nanny for four kids: a little girl and three young boys, including Alfonso, the stubborn middle child. The youngest is Carlos, a boy with a vivid imagination and an Oscar-nominated filmmaker.
Cleo has an affair with Fermín (Jorge Antonio Guerrero). He and hundreds of other trainees are young counter-fighters trained by an American CIA agent and a Korean instructor. They are hired to brutally suppress leftist students protesting violently.
“Roma” doesn’t tell you that in 1971, right after the Olympic Games Mexico 68 and the 1970 Soccer World Cup, Mexico City was on the brink of chaos.
The protesters are shown in the film as “victims.” Yet, these so-called victims were also breaking the law—beating up business owners, patrons, and workers—stealing, looting, graffiti-ing, and harming innocent people.
Moreover, these actions by the students don’t justify the government’s killing of over a hundred people during the “Corpus Christi Massacre,” depicted in the film, when Cleo and the grandmother enter a furniture store to buy a cradle for the baby.
“Roma” attempts to portray Mexican history accurately, but it fails to present both sides of the “tortilla.”
Alfonso Cuarón’s personal political agenda subtly accuses and points fingers through symbolism.
The propaganda elements set the right mood for the film. Still, even these are open to interpretation, and many witnesses of those chaotic times may perceive the events differently.
Most of Cuarón’s films are set within specific time frames. For example, “Gravity” takes place during one orbit of a shuttle around Earth, while “Roma” unfolds over nine months of Cleo’s pregnancy.
At the start of this essay, we discussed the importance of “place,” not just as a physical location but as a transitional space where events happen.
In “Colonia Roma,” people pass by without stopping. Their destination might be the Zócalo, but we’re not meant to know for sure. That’s why the framing of the film is intentionally narrow.
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| Alfonso Cuarón working in Roma behind the scenes, ©2019 Netflix. |
The cinematography of “Roma” is stunning, and Cuarón handled the camera work carefully. Beyond its beauty and emotional depth, the film also conveys other stories through its rich symbolism.
The bright black-and-white visuals evoke the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema.
Recreating 1971 Mexico City was challenging because the area had been damaged by two major earthquakes over the years.
Production designer and Oscar© winner Eugenio Caballero (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” “A Monster Calls”) also grew up in Cuarón’s neighborhood. The extensive pre-production process involved thorough research to accurately capture the specific political moments depicted in the story.
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| Yalitza Aparicio as Cleo in Roma ©2019 Netflix |
It is fascinating to spot scenes referencing films by Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and Cuarón himself, often called “The Three Amigos.”
For example, the extended scene where Cleo enters the sea to rescue little Sofi is similar to when Maribel Verdú goes into the water in “Y tu mamá también.”
Another example is the European man inside the costume at the party in the woods; it’s a tribute to “Pan’s Labyrinth.”
Finally, the dog “El Borras” escaping the house references “Amores Perros.”
These fun-to-watch moments are easy to recognize because of their perfect recreation and camera work, driven by Cuarón’s energetic eye.
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| Roma behind the scenes ©2019 Netflix |
This semi-autobiographical feature set in the 1970s has influences from the Italian Neorealistic Period. The black-and-white epic has no music score, and the songs are incidental and come out on the radio or TV. And those songs set in motion the characters’ mood.
The sound is an essential part of the film. Those sounds give the climactic moments a hyper-realistic effect and a lively sensation of experiencing the events that connect them with nature, like the earthquake and the ocean waves.
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| Roma’s real family members and the actors who played them. www.festivalinla.com |
Roma’s casting directors searched diligently to find people who physically and emotionally resembled the original family.
They traveled all the way to Tlaxiaco in the southern state of Oaxaca to find the lead actress, Yalitza Aparicio, who was a simple kindergarten teacher at the time.
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| Yalitza Aparicio, Kindergarten Teacher. Festival in LA. |
Yalitza said, “It was a real-life experience to work with Alfonso Cuarón.” She was also lucky to meet Cuarón’s honest nanny, Libo.
Before filming began, the two women passionately discussed their roots. Both came from indigenous, marginalized communities.
“Libo is a woman with a big heart,” Yalitza said. “I wanted to honor her life with my performance, for Libo gave her work and heart to the Cuarón family.”
In the most awarded film of the year, the audience cares about every character without sugar-coating their emotions.
The film features elements of magic realism. The famous Professor Zovek, an actor called Latin Lover, standing on one leg, provides moments of humor.
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| Latin Lover as Professor Zovek in Roma ©2019 Netflix |
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| Roma behind the scenes ©2019 Netflix |
The Academy® Award-winning director said, “The events depicted in ‘Roma’ have repercussions in present-day society, where hate and exclusion reveal the vulnerability of the human race.”
The Golden Lion winner also reminds us: “When we are watching a movie, spectators have the same experience; they open their senses and relate to the story. It is part of human nature.” He added, “The diversity of colors is the richness of our society.”
For many critics, including myself, “Roma” is the best movie of the year, not only because of its visual beauty but also for how it makes us feel.
“Roma” is a significant achievement for all the talented people involved in its creation and for Alfonso Cuarón, who rightfully earns his place among the most visionary directors in contemporary cinema.
Roma and Ten New Mexican Trailers
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