If you think about it, there isn’t such thing as a foreign language film. No language is foreign to everyone, every language is inherent to someone. We deem them foreign language films since they are in a language that is not English. With the rise of film production, there is an extensive range of foreign films which, are central to the history of world cinema. From Bollywood films to French New Wave, the world of film reaches far beyond the U.S and has so much to offer. How better to understand the ideals and values of our global populations by engaging with art created by their community?
In saying this, I viewed Alfonso Cuaron’s 2018 family drama ‘Roma’. Set in 1970s Mexico, this epic film combines farce, comedy and tragedy into one tearjerking masterpiece. Cuarón drew on childhood memories and so much of this film relays the personal story against a framework of a larger one – the human story, the face in the crowd. Cuarón’s captivating film focuses on the lives of two women. Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) is a youthful woman working as a ‘live-in’ maid for an upper-middle-class- family. In tandem with her employer, Sophia (Marina De Tavira), Cleo’s private life begins to unravel.
Shot in pellucid black and white, the film adopts an attractive visual style. Cuarón hardly employs close-ups, keeping the audience at arm’s length from the characters. Therefore, allowing the aspects of the world around them to come to life. Black and white film allows the director to employ digital techniques, modifying and fabricating period features with a dreamlike feel. Considered some of the most remarkable imagery of the year, ‘Roma’ combines the surreal with the relatable to form one memorable image.
‘Roma’ embraces visual language to depict character and mood in ways his silent protagonist cannot. Due to Cuarón’s attention to detail, the film is designed to transport and immerse you. For those who build a connection with the characters, the film climaxes in a few touching scenes which, will shake you to the core.
‘Roma’ is a noteworthy film for carrying on Alfonso Cuarón’s cinematic legacy. It has gained global attention and has been embraced by Western audiences and critics. Western cultures such as American and Australia, act as a stepping stone for filmmakers. Various films take on perspectives and settings from other cultures, whilst remaining essentially Western at their core. For example, the film ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’, featured an ethnically Chinese cast, but was an international co-production involving major American production companies. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Roma are the only two foreign-language films to be nominated for 10 Academy Awards. Engaging in both films, you will likely be able to draw comparisons.
Cultural knowledge based around Mexico and the 1970s would surely help audiences intending to engage with the film. While Netflix is viewed across the globe, U.S viewers account for almost 75% of viewers (2018). Although Netflix has been featuring a larger variety of non-US content, Netflix has dubbed much of its foreign content in English as an ‘international strategy’ to cater to its American audience. Foreign content is being progressively ‘Americanised’. In saying this, Roma steers clear from this. Netflix released Roma in Spanish with subtitles, as this was a significant testament to Cuarón’s desire to keep his film authentically Mexican.
REFERENCES:
Alfonso Cuarón MEXICAN DIRECTOR AND SCREENWRITER. (2010). In: Encyclopaedia Britannica. Chicago. [Accessed 12 Aug. 2019]
Amazon.com. (2019). Amazon.com: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun Fat, Zhang Ziyi, Pei-pei Cheng: Amazon Digital Services LLC. [online] Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Crouching-Tiger-Hidden-Dragon-Michelle/dp/B000R3BMM0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1549596700&sr=8-1&keywords=crouching+tiger+hidden+dragon&linkCode=sl1&tag=cinemaescapis-20&linkId=29de7fd48e281af756d8d2aa5f253474&language=en_US [Accessed 12 Aug. 2019].
Bradshaw, P. (2018). Roma review – an epic of tearjerking magnificence. The Guardian. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/nov/29/roma-review-alfonso-cuaron [Accessed 12 Aug. 2019].
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Miller, T. and Maxwell, R. (2016). Film and Globalization. In: O. Boyd-Barrett, ed., Communications, Media, Globalization and Empire. New Barnet, Herts, United Kingdom: John Libbey Publishing Ltd., pp.33-53. [Accessed 4 Aug. 2019].
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Leonard K 