Bless
Me, Ultima
A look into of a Curandera and a young boy.
Bless
Me, Ultima is a movie that's been long over due in a sense that it has
brought another aspect of magick and witchcraft into film world and with an
interesting storyline at that. It's based off the book by Rudolfo A.
Anaya. The movie is a narration and it focuses around a young boy
named Antonio Márez
(Luke Ganalon), who's six years old. He spies on his parents who
talk about an elderly woman named Ultima (Miriam Colon) who's coming
to live with them. Though he doesn't know who she is he's somewhat
excited of the idea of Ultima staying with them.
After a strange dream, Antonio soon discovers that Ultima was his
mother's Midwife and that she's a Curandera.
Okay I'm going to stop here and give you a explanation of
(Curanderismo is the practice of folk medicine, a healing art heavily
influenced by the knowledge and ancient religions of indigenous
peoples. Curanderismo is associated with the treatment of both
physical and supernatural illnesses. When Spanish Catholics arrived
in the New World, they regarded curanderismo as a form of witchcraft
and often killed those who practiced it. However, over the course of
time, the intermixing between Spaniards and native people produced a
mixed religious culture. ) (Spark Notes) Okay carrying on. Antonio
who's fortunate to have a large loving family and parents tries to
live up to both is Mother's dreams of being a Priest by studying the
bible and being a farmer like his father. Though deep down Antonio
wants to be a Curandero just like Ultima. Antonio is fascinated by
Ultima's kindness and craft.
The
story continues as Antonio goes to school and meets his blond hair
friend named Florence (an Atheist), goes to Sunday School, and helps
his family with the farm. Something bad soon happens with another
villager's son and becomes gravely ill. Ultima soon travels out to
comfort and cure him. She soon discovers that the young man had
wondered around at night to search for a few missing cows and walked
into three young women, the daughters of Tenorio (Castulo Guerra) performing dark
witchcraft, in another nearby town in El Puerto. Soon after the young
man became ill. Ultima prepares herself to cure the young man and
gives a warning to Tenorio to tell his daughters to release the curse
or they will regret it. Insulted by this request Tenorio laughs it off
and threatens if anything happens to his daughters that he will come
and kill Ultima himself. Ultima soon returns to the young man and
cures him and buries the strange black thing the young man coughed up
at the site the daughters had did the spell. A while after the father
who had thanked her for saving his sons life soon shuns Ultima as if she
had nothing for him. Antonio soon realizes that the church and most of
his village Las Pasturas and El Puerto frown upon Ultima's craft.
Meanwhile Ultima makes three wax dolls and binds the young women so
they can longer harm anyone again. However a few days after one of
the wax dolls melts and Antonio and Ultima become worried.
Bless
Me, Ultima is one of those films that has a lot to offer and makes
the viewer think and question life as we see through the eyes of a
young, wise, and intelligent you boy. With great acting, great
scenery, and
great authenticity of WWII time period and Hispanic
culture in the US. This movie is not like any other movies about
witchcraft. There is no special effects in it. It's one of the
realest interpretation of how magick and superstition works. I highly
recommend people to watch and give it a shot. It might be a little
harder to connect or understand some scenes if your do know something
about Spanish nor the culture. Though all in all the movie is well
done and fresh.
Title:
Bless Me, Ultima
Length:
106 min
Ratings:PG-13
Year:
2013
Director:
Carl
Franklin
Starring:
Luke Ganalon, Miriam Colon, Castulo Guerra, Joaquín
Cosio
Over
All Score: A+ Refreshing and Accurately Cultural.
Entertaining:
B+ It's a bit high considering the film is mostly a drama.
Viewers of the Hispanic or Latino culture will enjoy and understand
the movie more.
Cinematography:
A Has outstanding scenery of New Mexico's landscape.
Storyline:
A+ Original and well thought out has a bit of everything in the
story to balance the darker side of the drama out. Another magical
flick without crazy special effects.
Acting:
A The choice of casting down to their acting were down pact. The
only thing is that there Spanish is very clear.
Music:
C There was nothing special about the music. The score was decent
though since this is a drama no musical soundtrack is available.
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