Machuca

I believe the film, Machuca, was different. It was interesting on the fact that it was a subtitled film (which I am still getting use to), but it had politics in it. I have trouble following politics in English, let alone reading the subtitles and trying to understand it all. At one point, I was unsure if the the protests were for or against communism. Even though I thought the film was confusing at times, I still enjoyed it. Family is very important in the Spanish-speaking community. I admire the relationships that they have with their families. I wish my family would take the appreciate each other as other cultures do. I found it interesting to see the culture and social issues between the two boys.

Gonzalo and Pedro were from two different worlds, but that didn't stop their friendship. At some point in the film, they each defended each other against others; it didn't matter if the boys were at school, with their families or in public. I was disappointed in the end, when their friendship ended.

The social classes were completely different. The rich lived in homes, worn nice clothes, and had housekeepers. The poor families, including the children, worked very hard for the little they had. Their homes were not sanitary in any way, and they barely had enough food to feed the family. The poor lived in a small community and couple different families could be living under the same roof.

One message I received from the film is to appreciate not only the roof over my head, and the ability to feed my family and provide security, but also to appreciate America. Most Americans take advantage of what we have here, not to mention myself. When I went to Maya Riviera, Mexico last year, we went though the poverty to get to our resort. It was scary to see the police with assault rifles walking down the street and stopping random people. I know the movie was from 1973, but there are many places in this world where people are suffering and fighting for their freedom. I think schools in America need to teach children and teenagers more about other life styles in the third world countries, so they would have a better understanding on how lucky they are to be in America.

Machuca wasn't a bad film in my opinion; it just won't make the top list of my favorite films.
~Tara McFadden~