Breath of Life

A clever use of noir to provoke a series of mediations about history and violence at the end of the century in Colombia. Soplo is set in the context of the Armero disaster in 1985 - a volcanic mudslide which, conveniently for the government, buried investigations about a political tragedy that occurred only a few days before (the incident of the Palacio de Justicia). The film in some senses 'unburies' this tragedy although does not, as viewers will see, refer to the Palacio incident. Instead it uncovers structures of machismo, corruption, drug-trafficking (to some extent) and social breakdown that natural discourses of violence often forget. Aesthetically it is quite heterogeneous, and blends noir scenes (marginal locations, nighttime shots, black and white) with images of the post-apocalyptic landscape of Armero. Great performances all round, a wonderful script, and an absolute feast of cinematic references for film buffs out there who are doubtless more knowledgeable than I am. A breath of life (and of fresh air) for Colombian cinema at the end of the millennium.

I went to see this film at the Hispanic Film festival of Miami, and it was certainly a success. Judging by their reactions, people on the theater were extremely pleased with the film, which is the first film Noir made in Colombia.

What a wonderful experience it was, especially for the wonderful actress Flora Martinez, who really brings life to her character.

Also, the histrionic talent of Cesar Mora as the blind man who sells lottery tickets is fantastic, he has such strong features that allow him to really mold into his character (I just saw him during the same festival, leading another Colombian film, "Golpe de estadio").

I was very pleased with the movie in general, although I must say that the script doesn't live up to my expectations; its erratic, monotone narrative really blocks the brilliant cast, mostly because it wants to achieve so much that it leaves many sub-plots points unresolved. Otherwise a fairly enjoyable film that exemplifies the strong influence of American cinema in Latin America, even though shoestring budgets and cultural differences make this kind of film a lot more enjoyable-for me at least-than their cousins from the north.

Soplo de vida is a very interesting film in various ways. It is an ambitious project, thrillers aren't a Colombian speciality but Luis Ospina managed to assemble an interesting screenplay with a very talented cast, led by the always versatile César Mora and the very talented Constanza Duque and Fernando Solórzano. As I said, it is ambitious, but it lacks a certain environment necessary for the film. The essence of Bogota's downtown is captured only partially, but the few holes in the story are well covered by the very unusual and extremely interesting way of narrating, using a series of well-organised and well-conceived flashbacks to tell the story of the prostitute Gaviota.

In summary, a valuable film in Colombian cinema, worth watching and worth recognising as an important step in its director's career.