A Chorona

This movie needs a certain appreciation of history to really understand the depths of. It talks of a deep suffering that has scared latin-america for decades. A Subtle ghost story that deserves a chance.

The plot summary on IMDb doesn't do this film justice. It's a slow-burn drama about the family of a retired Guatemalan general on trial for war crimes. His daughter, an intelligent and compassionate medical doctor, is finally reckoning with what her father participated in, and her moral struggle expands to the rest of the family. At the same time, the general's sins are coming home to roost in a very literal way.

There is an element of horror here, but I was much more enthralled by the family drama of the piece. Unfortunately, it does copy one thing from other thought-provoking horror films and fails to fully stick the landing. Still a wonderful film and one that I'll think about for a long time to come. Brilliant cinematography and sound design, see it in a well-equipped theatre if you can.

This film starts with a whisper. A small voice, whispering Spanish words. Then, there is an image: the face of a woman, filmed in close-up. It turns out she's praying. Very slowly, the camera zooms out. Walls come into view, and other persons. They're praying in a circle, holding hands. The whispering grows louder and louder.

This is a magnificent start of a film, and it's great moviemaking. I was immediately captured by the scene, and as a consequence by the whole movie. There are many other such great scenes, delictately filmed, with great intensity.

'La llorona', which is based on historical facts, shows the last episode in the life of an aging military dictator in Guatemala. He is convicted of genocide because of his cruelty towards the indigenous Maya population, but later acquitted. We see him in his sprawling mansion, which is permanently surrounded by an angry mob demanding justice for the numerous family members who have 'dissapeared'. Also in the house are his wife, his daughter and his granddaughter. When the family hires a young, beautiful and mysterious Maya girl as a servant, peculiar things start happening.

The film shows an important period in the Guatemalan history, but it is more than just a historical account. It also captures, in a very creative way, the dark forces that surround the general. It shows the dilemmas of the family members: do they remain loyal to their husband, father and grandfather, even when they slowly become convinced of his wrongdoing? It also highlights the social and cultural differences between the indigenous Maya and the Guatemalans of European descent. And, of course, it is a modern version of the legend of La llorona. Let's face it: that's quite a lot for one film.

The good thing is that all these different themes are not conflicting. They merge together, and the result is a very organic, beautifully filmed movie. For western audiences, a film about events from long ago in a tiny Latin American country may sound a bit off-putting. But seeing it is pure cinematographic joy.

A Llorna is more of a political drama rather than a traditional horror film. The problem with establishing a principle character as a convicted genocidal former dictator is the from the begging of the story it's very difficult to care what happens to him.

The plot goes some way to redressing this balance by placing three generations of women as the central characters.

The story is told from the mothers perspective. Trapped in the dictator's company they represent different levels of ignorance, innocence and hope. The wife of the despot comfortable with the political lifestyle, wilfully dismisses any suggestion of her husband's improper behaviour.

The daughter, a professional healer bound by her service and Hippocratic oath puts her in conflict with her parents and protective of her own daughter. The granddaughter, the innocent, unable to understand why people are saying such horrible things about her kindly grandfather.

In these three characters we are offered different levels of ignorance all the while the real victims scream and protest, heard but rarely seen.

Into this scenario arrives Llorona herself and it's through her that the spirits communicate and seek their retribution.

This is a subtle tale and one that some might find slow going. The horror lays not in the actions of the dead, but the injustice of the living.

A pretty bold vision on one of the most well-known figures in Latin American folklore. Jayro Bustamante's 'La Llorona' smartly reimagines the folk legend as political horror story. Unfortunately, most of its conflicts and characters are underdeveloped with the slow-burn pacing drags and the horror elements are very minimal, making it rather difficult to relate to or become attached to the whole story.