Like Water for Chocolate

The power of love are the words that come to my mind after seeing Like Water for Chocolate. I loved the movie! It was so powerful! I couldn't believe that they both didn't marry each other when Tita's Mother died, and then when they finally did get together they died.

Tita, this wonderful cook and beautiful woman. All she wants in life is to be with Pedro, but because of the tradition her family has she is supposed to take care of her mother and never marry.

Pedro, is this young, handsome man that would do anything to be close to Tita. Like she said in the film, "You should've just kidnapped me!" That would've been better than him marrying her older sister.

Mama Elena was a selfish, mean Mother. Why couldn't she of just lived with Tita and Pedro. Then I couldn't believe that her mother suggested that Pedro marry Rosaura.



I thought the story of the matches was interesting. When they were younger, I felt like the matches were lit one by one, and then he married Tita's sister, putting them back out. Then when they finally could be together all the matches were lit at once causing the passion to so intense that he dies, and she then kills herself. Didn't the writer know that love story were suppose to happily ever after ending, not a tragedy?

Magic Realism was throughout the whole film. Tita's love for Pedro was expressed in her cooking. She put all her love into her cooking, because she couldn't for Pedro. One being that when she cried into the cake while baking. Every guest at the wedding, cried while eating the cake. Then, there was the rose sauce. The sauce was made from the roses Pedro bought Tita. The rose sauce was so powerful and flavorful, causing Pedro and Tita to make love through the taste of the sauce. Tita's sister, Gertrudia, was in the shower when her love took over her body making her jump naked on a horse and run away with a man. When Tita is depressed and living with Dr. Brown, the bowl of soup magically heals her depression that she has. It was the power of cooking that emotions were expressed by the characters.



Tara McFadden

The Motorcycle Diaries!

Motorcycle Diaries was an excellent film; portraying a trip Ernesto Guevara took with his friend, Alberto Granado. Together they traveled from Buenos Aires to Venezula. Their adventure begins with a stop at Ernesto’s girlfriend’s home and ends at a hospital in San Pablo. Along the way, they overcome the obstacles of having hunger, lack of shelter, being broke, and only having a motorcycle for part of the trip.

There many scenes throughout the film that helped shape his personality as a future leader. I think the most influential scene would be when Ernesto and Alberto meet the poor couple that had to leave the son behind to find work. The police and rich people began taking over land from many landowners, forcing families to split up and live in poverty. Ernesto gave the fifteen dollars that his girlfriend gave him, to the poor couple. Ernesto realizes the couple needs the money far more than he does.

Another influential scene is when he works at the leper community. Ernesto took care of the people who lived on the land. He befriended them and earned their trust by not wearing gloves. It was after they brought him food, when the Nun told him he was not going to be served and when they celebrated his, that he realizes how much they care about him as well. Ernesto makes his first political speech during his birthday toast.

Ernesto Guevara, later know as Che Guevara became an influential leader in the revolution in Latin America. He was loyal to his family, friends, patients, and to the poverty of Latin America. I believe that throughout his lifetime he personally touched many lives, after reading about his life and seeing Motorcycle Diaries.


~Tara McFadden

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown!

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown!

Let me start off with the fact that this is the strangest movie by far that I have ever seen. I liked it, but at the same time throughout the film I was thinking, what in the world are these women doing? The craziness left me in awe, but at the same time I'm sure women go crazy like this at times over men in all countries. Maybe not to this exaggeration, but I'm sure they do. Now I am not saying men don't either, because I know men have their crazy moments too. I just haven't seen a Spanish-speaking film about it. The exaggeration makes the film so crazy and funny!

I think in all cultures, women are driven crazy by men. I think the feelings are over-reacted by every actor in the film. The actions were above, beyond and taken to the extreme. For example, who tries to commit suicide, because their friend says we will talk about your problem in a little while because I have a guest? SERIOUSLY!! I know that Pepa kept pushing her off, but still. Also, do you really need two guns to kill one guy? I love the hairdo that Lucia has from the motorcycle ride.

In American comedies, women try to get back their men. Women will take some actions such as cry, eat ice cream, throw all the man's clothes out the window, and then go extreme by getting into Harvard to win back your man, like in Legally Blonde. As I think about it, a lot of recent American comedies, the men are chasing after the women, such as What Women Want, and Wedding Crashers. In the film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, the women did whatever they could to get revenge and peace of mind, even if it meant destroying their own place, going to jail, or drugging people.

I think the difference between Spanish America and women in Spanish Europe would be that the women might be more outgoing sexually in Europe. I think the culture in Spain and Mexico is "hotter" compared to America, which effects actions of women. I know I would not just let strangers into my home for a whole day. The women in this film are powerful and filled with rage; nothing was going to stop them from the craziness Ivan caused.

Tara McFadden

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~

Under the Same Moon!

I believe the movie was titled, Under the Same Moon, because in the phone conversation she tells him that he will always be close to her because they are under the same moon. I think it was a way of them connecting together even though they were so far apart. I think it is an excellent title to the film. I really enjoyed it and will definately watch again. It was great hearing everyone's responses. It was very interesting and blogging is definately a new aspect to learning. Thanks for all the great comments! See you in class!

La Misma Luna 3/30/2010

My reponse to La Misma Luna Questions:

Rosario left her son in Mexico to be with his Granny, to find a better life in America for him. Opportunities are available in America and it is very difficult for an illegal immigrant to get a VISA for one person, let alone a mother and son. Rosario had the intention of obtaining her VISA and then bringing her son into America, so he can live the life of opportunity. It was difficult for Rosario to find work as an illegal immigrant, which took the process of saving money and paying for a lawyer longer.

I think this was a very hard decision for Rosario to make. She wants to provide the best life for Carlito, but is limited on time due to her mother being sick. As a mother, she is faced with the decision to be there for him as a child or leave him to get into America, to make his future a better life. For Carlito, this is very hard to understand, because he doesn't think about the future; he misses and wants his mother now.

Carlito was lonely without his mother, and he had never met his father, so the only person he had was his Granny. Carlito's Granny was very sick and he took care of her on a daily basis. Carlito's neighbors (who turn out to be his Aunt Joseana and Uncle Manuel), place pressure on Carlito to come live with them. Carlito works with Carmen to save money for his future. His highlight of the week is waiting for Rosario's phone call from a phone booth.

Rosario decision was one of the toughest decisions she has had to make in her life. She missed Carlito, and he was her life. She would do anything she could to make his life better for him, even if that meant sneaking into America and working illegally. Rosario was taken advantage of, and did not have the same rights as Americans because she was an immigrant. Rosario might have been thousands of miles away from Carlito's but she worked every second for him. She pushed aside the chance of meeting a man and falling in love to concentrate on saving her money. Carlito was her world and she was determined to be a good mother by providing him with better opportunities.

I don't think a mother in the United States would have to make the same choice, unless in extreme circumstances, such as placing the child in danger if she didn't leave the country. Some Americans do not realize that in other countries food, water, shelter, education, medicine, and not to mention out luxury items such as cars, well-paid jobs, colleges, shopping stores are not available to everyone. At this time, American's have the opportunity to go anywhere in the fifty states to find a better life. I do believe that anywhere in the world, mothers do what is best for their children. It is a mothers natural instinct to protect her offspring in any and every way possible. I don't think American mothers would be faced with this decision in particular, but are faced with other difficult decisions to make.