Julio Garcia Espinosa, 1967
Shot in very much widescreen, this uses pretty high contrasts, and a lot of shoulder length framings. The camera moves around at a sharp pace, always though keen to keep quite a wide balance. It cuts quite fast, occassionally extremely fast (as in; you don't have time to adjust between cuts).
The interesting thing about this film is the narrative. It's discontinous, though I at least didn't realise this for the opening. It is a collection of episodes, and we eventually have the situation where we 'ultimately' know what is going to happen. This is, with the disconnection of the epsidoes even were thought taken linearally, perhaps not too far away from the 'montage of attractions'; the circus, the bullfight, the revoltuionaries, the instruction manual; there is certainly a comment here.
The film is also particularly notable for certain alienation devices. As well as in a sense knowing what is going to happen, the narration is self-conscious with some sarcastic intertitles and voiceover, with direct address to camera, and in the deliberate ridiculousness, and dissonance of action, of its 'hero'. The classic action, coming of age film is in a sense being mocked; being totally unsuited for the path to revolutionary consciousness. It also rather mocks Juan Quin Quin, which is more of a surprise.
Not every episode quite holds, but there are a number of interesting aspects, and surprising punches, in this film.
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