This film, showcasing the "beasts" in a village, earns my admiration as a remarkable piece of work. In an industry typically dominated by humanistic narratives that focus on the inherent goodness within people, suggesting that ordinary individuals lean towards the virtuous side of the moral spectrum, this film takes a contrasting, pessimistic stance on human nature-a perspective with which I found myself closely aligned.
The narrative unfolds over a few ordinary days in the lives of some young lads, a couple of prostitutes, and various villagers, typical of everyday existence. The film refrains from extraordinary events, yet exposes decay and moral corruption in the mundane moments of daily life. What's intriguing is that even the characters responsible for this decay and moral corruption express complains, yet they perceive themselves as innocent, projecting all immorality onto others. The depiction of this hypocrisy, a prevalent aspect of human behavior in real life, pleased me.
While the film shows us lives of several characters, there is a specific character that the narrative distinctly focuses on-Auxiliadora, a young girl exploited by her grandfather. We can say that the film's main focus revolving around her. The realism depicted in the film arises from its authenticity. Though one can anticipate the general trajectory of the girl's experiences early on, the film's realism, not predictability, is what makes it compelling.
"Bog of Beasts" is one of the most authentic films I've seen in a long time. It was so authentic that I found some dialogues challenging to comprehend. Jokes aside, I'm glad I watched it.
For me, the most impressive scene in the film is when Everardo delivers the following monologue:
"-you know the best thing about the cinema?"
He takes a deep drag from his cigarette and looks directly into the camera:
"-in the cinema you can do whatever you like."
Wow, it was truly powerful. For this scene alone, I can wholeheartedly recommend the film.
For me the best thing about cinema is filmmakers who create original and bold works like this. Thanks to everyone involved in the making of this film.
