Don Plutarco, his son Genaro and his grandson Lucio live a double life: on one hand they are musicians and humble farmers, on the other they support the campesina peasant guerilla movement's armed efforts against the oppressive government. When the military seizes the village, the rebels flee to the sierra hills, forced to leave behind their stock of ammunition. While the guerillas organize a counter-attack, old Plutarco executes his own plan. He plays up his appearance as a harmless violin player, in order to get into the village and recover the ammunition hidden his corn field. His violin playing charms the army captain, who orders Plutarco to come back daily. Arms and music play a tenuous game of cat-and-mouse which ultimately results in painful betrayal.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Excited to finally be able to purchase this film:
I saw this film at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival. Fabulous. Stunning black and white cinematography. Slow, but a sadly accurate story capturing the way of life of the struggle.
Narratively Clichéd, but Visually Stunning.:
Writer/director Francisco Vargas doesn't cover any new territory in "The Violin", but he brings familiar themes to the screen in a particularly beautiful style. In an unnamed Latin American nation, three generations of the Hidalgo family travel the countryside as itinerant musicians. Don Plutarco (Angel Tavira) is a violinist missing a hand. His son Genaro (Gerardo Taracena) plays guitar, while grandson Lucio (Dagoberto Gama) collects the money. But Genaro has other reasons for leaving his village to... more info
Not a movie but a true film.:
[Originally a comment to a previous review.] What this film portrays is the ruthlessness of profit-driven policy, and the struggle to maintain some semblance of dignity and cultural history. This is well summarized by the tale about Gods of creation, told by the grandfather to his inquisitive grandchild. Done in black and white, relatively little dialogue and masterful cinematography, the film provides a painting of the human will to survive, and the humanity that can sometimes be found in the most... more info
brutal:
In an unnamed Spanish-speaking country possibly somewhere in South America, the government tortures, assaults, mutilates, murders men, and rapes women before killing them. Soldiers descend on towns, cutting off the rebels from their ammunition. A grandfather Don Plutarco, with his son, and grandson are among the rebels. The son tries to smuggle something that the grandfather doesn't dare mention, but will he succeed? His violin over his shoulder, Plutarco gets a mule, then tries to pass the checkpoint,... more info
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