The Archangel's Feather

Manzo's film version of "The Arcangel's feather" is perhaps the best Venezuelan film of the last two decades. The direction is very clean, the photography is beautiful although too glossy at points. The acting is remarkable, especially the performance of Roque Valero, a talent Latin American directors should pay more attention to. Elaiza Gil and Ivan Tamayo gave great performances also.

The Music is really good, although sometimes a little too obvious. the same goes for the sound design. Though it is perhaps the best sound ever in a Venezuelan film.

The movie is well structure, the message gets across, and the timing for this movie could not have been better. It's a shame that there was little advertizement for it and although it had good reviwes it did poorly in the box office.

On the mid 1930s a remote mountain town in Venezuela keeps in contact with the central government by telegraph. The country is ruled by a powerful dictator. The town is ruled by a rich governor who is a tyrant and has a son who rapes local young virgins.

A mysterious new telegraphist arrives in the town and invents telegraph messages from the central government to the local governor to help the town's people. The movie was well liked by many persons who saw it with me. It has very good cinematography and good acting. The plot is interesting, and the dialogue crisp and at times profound. The movie gives a powerful political message against tyrants. It also makes innuendos about the catholic religion which I could not undertand.

CWA