- Life in Barcelona
- Life as a single parent
- Living with a terminal disease
- Illegal immigrants and their 'role'
- Language ( Spanish, Chinese, & Wolof)
- Death & Spirituality
- Economy
A few important elements to analyze: voice, inner text, music, feminine & masculine characters, perspectives and point of view.
One thing that had an impact on me was that Uxbal, the main character, showed while taking care of the illegal immigrants. This notion of a father figure to these people, while also being a single father at home is incredibly important for the sentiment of the film. To me, I saw him as a "mother/father" figure. The immigrants and his children both needed him desperately, although in the end he ultimately failed both groups, his attempt to make things good was, what I saw as the main thread of the story.
- In what ways did the characters actions move the story?
- How is immigration viewed by both locals in the film and the audience viewing Biutiful?
- Is there a difference?
- What was the purpose of the 'communicating with the dead'?
I think that it is interesting that every country thinks that their immigration problem is the worst; but there are so many countries that are facing migration and immigration with different groups. This film like the others that we have watched for this class, has helped me open my eyes to the immigration that is going on in Europe. Like with other aspects, sometimes we just concentrate on what is going on here in the U.S and do not pay much attention to the issues going on in the rest of the world and how they could affect us.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cruz all countries are having serious immigration problems right now but it can be it hidden pretty well. I think that was a thread through out the movie as well as trust. Some of the immigrants trusted Uxbal and Uxbal trusted some of the immigrants, but the police man did not trust Uxbal, Uxbal could also not trust his wife. Uxbal was not telling anyone about his cancer, the Chinese men were hiding the immigrants.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that Uxbal was a father figure and there was a theme of fatherhood as well. The movie comes full circle from starting in the snow with Uxbal's dad to ending in the same moment with his dad. I really liked how "biutiful" was his and his daughters thing and the only genuine trust you see is the children to their father. He then he passes on the stone, the mother's ring and his "interpreting" gift to his daughter.
I think that purpose of having it take place in Barcelona was to show that terrible things happen in the most beautifully perceived places and again these issues are touching everyone.
This movie opened my eyes a little bit in seeing Barcelona in a new way. I always see bright pictures or the beautiful beaches of Barcelona. But seeing the slums and the unpopular parts of Barcelona really shows that even the most glamorous cities have their downfalls. Another factor is the immigration problems that Spain has, i didn't know that other countries also had immigration issues like the United States. Having two different types of immigrant families really helps the film portray the messages and morals the director wants us to see.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the movie especially so much so because it wasn't hopeful,that is was sad,grimmy which is what immigration has now become.It felt like real life.The movie director played on emotion with things like the lighting all throughout the movie the lighting was low and dark.
ReplyDeleteThere was also an interesting struggle of guilt throughout the movie like with ige,the woman from senegal in her attempt to leave Barcelona back home,for a moment one thinks she won't be back and uxbals' children will be left alone.It applies to alot of immigrant stories wanting to go back home but in the back of immigrants minds' once cannot,because there are better opportunities.Ige decided to come back because she had no choice.
The significance of communicating with the dead could be identifying with our past and how the past shapes who we are today.It made the film somewhat eerie to me.
Grace, very good intake on how the film was made dark and cynical in order to perceive that immigration is grimy as well. Also i would not have connected the dead with our past, but your right our ancestors do help form who we are, just like in Adams the way Americans have issues with Mexico and how England and Spain had issues in older times.
ReplyDeleteThe characters were the focus of the film, so their everyday interactions, choices, wills and the inevitable complications of the world's harshest realities are what define the motives of the film. Uxbal is the strongest willed character I've personally ever seen in a film. Perhaps it's his good looks and 'eye work,' but most of all it is his determination and denial of the things that come against him. Immigration in the film is viewed as way of life, and no matter how complicated transitions and the difficulty of the work in order to survive, you must continue on. To the viewer, especially myself, it is a terrifying way of life. We are pampered here, and even when I studied abroad and things were planned and set out for me, it was semi-difficult. To have to survive on my own with no reasources except for what I can pull off myself? Impossible. This film is horrifying and sad. I will revel in my ignorance of limitations of the human organism.
ReplyDeleteWe like things simple. This film, Babel, and The Other Europe were not. The real answer at the heart of the discussion is not simple. There are legal. moral, fiscal, social, and real problems when someone migrates from one place to another. Even if the migration is defined as legal it does not stop all of the other questions and must remain legal post migration. While we in the United States have been fairly insulated from post-facto law, many other states are not.
ReplyDeleteThe difficulty comes in taking the varied values and lifestyles, then juxtaposing them in such a way as to maintain peace and prosperity. In many places that do not embrace a culture of mix, of mutts really, that is an issue that may not be overcome. We have had similar problems internally as national, internal immigration has taken place over the last 150 years. While many would like to cease talking about it our own history is rife with problems in migratory peoples.
The films all have carried one central theme in that regard. Life is difficult, in general, however it is made nearly impossible and most probably a tragedy when one is forced to uproot and begin anew. I do not believe it has to be like this but for most that is the story they tell.
The interesting fact out of this refers back to the families that do uproot. While their stories may seem tragic to the outside observer, and many times to themselves as well. The majority, numerically, find a better existence, they feel somehow hopeful for a better future. Perhaps this is due the fact that they did not give up, they did not wait for life to be cruel to them, they forced life's hand. These people move forward and look over the hill. This is what really separates modern man from the feudal serf. A serf is tied to the land and likely never traveled more than five miles in any direction. Find a person in the modern world that lives that way. Only in the most modern of lifestyles is that even possible. When European Settlers of the New World began to arrive, they forever changed the landscape of civilization. Never again would anyone with anything more than an effective lack of any education fail to look at the horizon and imagine greener grass, colder water, and fresher air. The horizon ceased to be the land of fairies and dragons and became the land of opportunity.
This was the problem for Uxbal in the film. His "gift" made him more a part of the middle ages and less a part of the modern world. The death of the immigrant workers is the dependency of modernity on the past. While we must not forget our heritage we must grow past it, expand our horizons and move forward. As far as rethinking international migration, at this point in the course my answer is migration is the strength that we make it, it must maintain hope and healthy fear, but it must continue. If this place is not working to your liking why should you be forced to stay. Mankind has progressed far beyond being tied to the land. Go west young man; or east, north,or south, just go and find what drives you.
The film Biutiful was a very touching story. I agree with what my classmates have said above as well. Immigration and the life of an immigrant as they strive to survive and give themselves and their family a better life is what we always see in immigrants. This film did a great job at showing how the life of immigrants is a hard one at times. For example, the chinese had to work in terrible conditions. They also had to sleep together and they ended up dying. They sacrificed their lives just for work. This is the common theme all over. People are willing to work wherever, and whenever as long as they can provide for their families. Yes, it is sad what ends up happening to these families like the Chinese and Uxbal with his terminal illness, but that is real life. It was hard for him because he was playing both roles in his family, being father and mother. He cared so much for his children and wanted them to be cared for once he was gone. Likewise, he cared for the Chinese workers. I am going to agree with Eli's comment as well; I think its important to highlight that families don't give up, people dont give up and keep moving forward. At times, I feel that that is what is the essential part of survival for these people in the film and in everyday life of others.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was more interesting and more informative than I think Babel was. I think that it portrayed a more realistic role in what really goes on in different countries who deal with migration issues. It showed the diversity within Barcelona and it showed the hardships of not only the immigrants but it also showed the hardships of the actual citizens and their children. It also showed that no matter where you live, either first world or third world, there will always be economic issues and injustice where ever you are. It was most sad to see the children suffer with their father dying and their mother being unable to support them and take care of them. I thought it was interesting how the chinese mother was a better mother than the spanish mother and she was living a more difficult life.
ReplyDeletetest..
ReplyDeleteI agree with Courtney in that "Biutiful" definitely got down to what life is really like for poorer immigrants. The conditions some of the immigrants there dealt with on a daily basis are conditions that we, as largely middle and upper class Americans, can't imagine living in. The fact that many of these hardships were in Barcelona, a city we all know as a prime travel destination and one of Spain's jewel cities was even more striking to me. So overall, I think "Biutiful"'s best accomplishment was to show the harsh realities of the world, although as others have said, it also did a good job dealing with other concepts such as immigration and fatherhood.
ReplyDeleteWe can see that these two films: “The Other Europe” and the “Babel” are shown in two different contexts or spaces. However, they share a lot similarities and one of them is immigration, which is one of the main topics that we have discussing in class. But other than that, something that is very important to consider in these two films is language as a form of being able to communicate with other people, plays a very important part.
ReplyDeleteFor example, in the film “The Other Europe,” we can see how most of the immigrants didn’t speak very well the language of the place they immigrated to such as Spain or France. Therefore, they weren’t able to ask or fight for their rights. Most of the time they had to just do what their employers would order them to do without knowing the bad effects of their jobs if they were any.
In “Babel,” we can also see this same issue but in a different context. For instance, when the nanny and her nephew took the two children to Mexico and when they were in their way back and the police asked for the documentation of the children the nanny wasn’t able to explain to the police patrol what had happened due fact that she didn’t speak English very well. Therefore, she had to rely on her nephew, who didn’t make a good decision driving away from the cops.
Based on this, the conclusion to this argument or posting is that language plays a great deal when it comes to immigration of course having in mind that many immigrants immigrate to other places not knowing the main language spoken in that particular place/country.