Period cinema often lacks authenticity, a sense of faux deprivation when such scenarios are encountered at best. Not here however, where the discomforts and hardships experienced by the colonial Spanish and their conquests leaves no room for misplaced romanticism. To extract the most from this piece I suspect you already need an interest of it, to have read the book upon which it is based (and enjoyed it), to be an avid follower of those times and of that era. It's elegantly performed, believable and honest but you can easily be distracted if you're engagement light begins to fade and dim, needing only to do so by a fraction to initiate the disconnection.
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Xstal12 May 2020
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zgburnett-98-33514514 July 2018Absorbing and deeply unsettling, I enjoyed this movie but found it difficult to follow. Having not read the novel and being unfamiliar with Spanish colonial history, there was probably quite a bit I missed due to lack of education on the subject. However, I came out of the theater feeling as though I was covered in a deep tropical sweat. Like The Witch (2015), it immediately places the viewer in the film. Zama is accurate in its slow pace as a period drama on a tropical island during a time when letters from Spain took FULL YEARS to reach the colonies, and these days standard viewers may have trouble maintaining focus on the travails of one man's experience for almost 2 hours. Bursts of action actually woke older people up in the audience of the theater where I viewed it. Zama was marketed to U.S. audiences with a quickly-edited, intense trailer that had me itching to see it, while the film itself seems to have left more people scratching their heads. I'm looking forward to a second viewing, though preferably not on another humid, ninety-degree day.
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leongramajo3 October 2017I read several good reviews about Zama, including some friends recommended me as an excellent movie, however, I only found imperfections, a boring movie for almost two hours and nothings happens, unlikely what looks like a great production it ends on an amount of resources without taking advantage. Too many mistakes, particularly with the spelling, why the natives do not have any accent? or even "the colonial" does not speak proper, poor conversations, bad timing, many mistakes from art department, fake and poor costume design, the director does not take advantage of the beautiful environment, even the sound is bad... just a few fake birds, in the beginning, the acting of Lola Dueñas was good, the rest of the cast does not shine at all, especially Juan Minujin so sad acting, when he speaks you cant understand what is he saying!
For a long time did not saw people leaving the cinema complaining... Such a shame Lucrecia Martel used a masterpiece novel from Antonio Di Benedetto, and made this meaningless and snob movie. -
The costumes, cinematography, etc do create a self-contained but claustrophobia-inducing world. The random sounds, strange glances, etc make one wonder if it is all just some inside joke in a pointless world. And, so much attention is on the insecure zama & the supercilious governor that there isn't even any real exploration of day-to-day life.
All in all, one of the strangest films ever. -
MiguelAReina24 January 2021The history of colonization is written by men, representing success and courage. Zama, however, represents failure, that for which men do not seem prepared. Lucrecia Martel shows, in a tone of absurd humor, the eternal waiting of a man whose past does not serve him to gain respect in the present. More sensual in the first part, but also less successful, the film ends in a third act that displays all the talent of a director who looks sideways, who builds beautiful images that flee from the imitation of pictorial references. A director who builds her own image of the past.
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jump-man9511 January 2019Zama make the audience feel like the main character. He is always frustrated confused and goes slightly crazy. So the audience is also confused and fustrated at times. Maybe go crazy??
Maybe it's a metaphor????
Anyways from a narrative perspective I'm not sure the story is totally cohesive. The story is not that interesting but the directing make the audience feel intergued anyways. -
Blue-Grotto4 November 2017The radiant colors of fire sparks in the night, shocking pink native dyes and lush green moss, and oscillating cascades of sound including exotic guitar, electronic interludes and soothing lapping waves, these and other rich innovations bring extra zip to the already thrilling story of Don Diego de Zama. Zama, a Spanish administrator in 1700s South America, refuses to adjust to his surroundings and instead pines for the continent and habits he left long ago. As his expected transfer to Spain hangs in limbo, Zama's paranoia about the dangers of the local landscape and hostility towards those of different races, increases. He lives in a bubble of his own creation. Yet if the sulking and morose Zama will not visit the pulsing and vibrant new landscape around him, it will visit him.
Director Lucrecia Martel deftly makes the audience part of the story. The scenes she provides are rich and dazzling in a variety of ways; color, sound, wildlife, clothing, furnishings, evident historical research, insight into human nature, brilliant acting and more. Her portrayal is wonderfully balanced. Martel does not glorify the past, nor does she skewer it. Pristine and beautiful scenery of lakes, rivers and forests are offset by glimpses of the morgue with its cholera and plague victims, the cruel and routine punishments and torture implements of the time and whirling ceiling fans that remind you of what the tropics without air conditioning must feel like. Martel's sensitivity and depth of feeling is astounding. The film audience, for example, is not provided with subtitles of native languages. "We deserve to not understand what the natives are talking about," said Martel who was at this Toronto International Film Festival screening. "History taught around the world is mostly about the colonizers." In one scene there are three sisters who revolve around a central point in a room, and Martel wants it to seem like they are part of a miniature music box. Such wonderful little touches. The film is spiced with brilliant lines throughout. "Europe is best remembered by those who were never there," for instance, and "nighttime is safer for the blind." The film is based on a novel by Antonio Di Benedetto. -
valadas8 January 2020And all the performers do an excellent job. The story is somewhat a bit a bit out of joint. It takes place in a So A Spanish magisuth Americn Spanish colony in the 17th century. A Spanish magistratewnts to be. And well directed and acted by all the performers. The storyi s a bit out of joint. It takes place in the17th century in a Spanish South American colony. A Spanish magistrate wants to transfer to Buenos Aires but he needs for that that the local governor but this one is not too cooperative though not refusing it plainly but postponing and delaying under various prtexts. Around this there are several scenes portraying other characters' behaviour which show the relationship between the Spanish occupiers and the Indians and Negroes. It is amvie not at all bad but not exactly too good.
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With Zama we are in front of a masterpiece that many will pass by and miss because of its slow rhythm, but to transmit the feeling of going-slowly-mad that Don Diego, (main character) is painfully getting, this rhythm is much needed. If you're able to slow down from today's full speed, always anxious way of life, you will notice what makes this movie stand tall.
With an impressive photography and non traditional takes, alongside the sounds of deep Paraguayan inland and the colonial way of living in a strange land, this piece needs to be seen in cinema to get submerged into the context and then fully understand and feel the state of mind of Zama, which is basically the main substance of the plot; his waiting for an impossible and what comes with it: silent despair and slow madness.
Regarding costumes, acting and editing, I've found also greatness within simplicity.
Remember this while starting to watch Lucrecia Martel's masterpiece: this is a movie for the senses and the subconscious mind, not for reasoning. -
heatisroundthecorner12 October 2018Let me start by saying that I adore Herzog's "Aguirre" and Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" is one of my absolute favourite movies of all time. Contrary to what critics say, "Zama" is nowhere near aforementioned masterpieces. It is well crafted in technical terms, with great use of cinematography and sound design, but it is also self-righteous, pretentious and unbelievably boring. The characters don't evolve, the story goes nowhere, the social commentary is sparse (if any) and all you are left with is some nice shots and traits of black humour. It's not enough to constitute a good movie, obviously. If you want to see a good movie from Argentina, watch Pablo Trapero's "El Clan" instead.
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derek-duerden15 September 2021Despite the occasional bursts of violence, this film takes its time - lending emphasis to the slowness of the bureaucracy that traps Zama in his situation, and the boredom and frustration he suffers.
Is he complicit in his fate through not playing the game as expected, or are his ambitions simply fantasy in the first place? I'm not sure - but I got a similar feel here as I did from "Waiting for the Barbarians" - although that was more brutal and Mark Rylance the better man. In both cases, though, I was drawn in and really wanted to find out where it was headed as a story.
A film to immerse oneself in. -
dgc1952200130 April 2018Hard to follow all aspects of the story with several plot lines dangling. Overall it was simply a depressing story of how important it is to learn how to play the game. We do get what seems like a very realistic view of life in South America centuries ago and some gorgeous cinematography.
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BiliPiton13 May 2018Poor Don Diego de Gama. Both parents Spanish, but he's never been to Spain, as he is frequently snobbily reminded by the Spanish-born residents in his 1790s Argentina back country town. He's a bureacrat serving a king 6000 miles away, unable to decide anything by himself, a fish in water (in a ruling metaphor) who can't live in a wet place. He wants to leave but can't, because everything is on hold. Will a military expedition bail him out? Bitterly totally ironic, structured around off camera sounds that are never what hearers think they are. I'm now hunting down the 1956 novel by Antonio_di_Benedetto.
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I decided to watch this movie after reading very mixed reviews. When a film is bashed and praised so extremely at the same time, it cannot help but call one's attention. And I don't regret that decission. The only way that I explain myself why a such good movie can have so much (bad) criticism will be redacted at the end of this review. First, I'll go with why I enjoyed it so much:
In first instance, novelty assured. There's not many argentinian films surrounding stories settled in latin america's colonial era, and certainly not many films with a poetic narrative for this kind of stories. If you find films of Eliseo Subiela, Andréi Tarkovsky or Ingmar Bergman to your pleasantness, you will surely love Zama. The locations are gorgeus, the scenography is extremely well made and the performance from the actors are excellent. Even extras are spot on, except just for few ones, wich at some point aren't exactly standing idle in the background.
Now, why so many people displeased by this film? It's in the eye of the beholder, but a sensible reason is that not many people are accustomed with this kind of narrative, driving them to the boredomness. Wich is perfectly understeneable because everyone has different preferences.
But, there's other kind of critics: The ones that are unfounded. Most of them comes from argentinian viewers and are new to this kind of movies, even for argentinian movies (that tend to have harsher reviews from their own country's spectators). The explanation for this is very simple: Lucrecia Martel expressed her political point of view about Argentina's goverment lately, followed by a massive backlash from, let's say, the more conservative sectors of the country.
So, don't fear the reaper. Or the internet trolls in this case. This movie is worth watching. -
beheld11 May 2018Zama gives new meaning to "A film that only a critic could like." I found it visually ugly and story-wise incomprehensible. True -- I am not versed in conquistador history and I remain so after sitting through the excruciating Zama. A. Held
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axapvov6 September 2018Martel is a master in narrating boredom, silent craving and hot weather. Much like "La ciénaga" this film is a delight of image and sound, filled with thoughtful details that accurately transport the viewer to a state of mind. It might bear down a little too much but it might just as well make you forget were you are for two hours. In the end it´s worth the pain.
By focusing on officer Zama the more ambitious social or historical commentary is made almost on its own, leaving small excerpts here and there of a much larger and complicated colonial system. The plot is the man and his attempt on staying by leaving, or being by disappearing. Not sure but I feel Martel´s work has more to do with the senses than the mind. Once you dive in it´s definitely a pleasure. -
proud_luddite12 May 2018Based on the novel by Antonio di Benedetto: in the 18th century, Don Diego De Zama (Daniel Giminez Cacho) is an administrative official assigned by Spain to oversee a South American colony (later part of Argentina). His attempts to change his status, position and work location (mainly to reunite with his wife and newborn child) are met with great resistance.
"Zama" is courageous in exploring issues of both race and class within colonialism. The main character and those like him falsely believe they are superior to the people indigenous to the land. But this principle comes back to haunt de Zama as well. He is of Spanish heritage but was born in "the colonies" and is thus considered inferior to those who are Spanish-born. He is stuck in the middle of a deplorable hierarchy and mindset.
Despite the film's assets, the narrative falls into something that is jumbled, incoherent, and sometimes incomprehensible. It is also too long. This is unfortunate considering its potential.
In the later scenes, the shortcomings are appeased with beautiful natural surroundings complemented with a blue sky. This does create a pleasant serenity but at this point, the enjoyment is only a consolation rather than an enhancement. - dbamateurcritic -
howard.schumann16 June 2018In Lucrecia Martel's masterfully hypnotic Zama, the sensuous and seductive Luciana Pinares de Lueñga (Lola Dueñas, "Can't Say Goodbye") says that "Europe is best remembered by those who were never there." If Zama is any indication, we might also conclude that South America might be better remembered if the Spanish conquistadors were never there. Based on the novel of the same name by Antonio di Benedetto (recently translated into English) and set on the coast of Paraguay in the late 1700s, Martel's first feature in nine years explores the tragic legacy of European colonialism in South America through the gradual descent into madness of Don Diego de Zama (Daniel Giménez Cacho, "The Promise"), a bureaucratic functionary of imperial Spain existing on the periphery of power.
Perhaps reflecting the arrogance and entitlement that Martel has suggested characterizes Argentina's middle class, the prideful Don Diego is stuck in an isolated settlement in Asunción while waiting for a transfer to Lerma, the capital of Argentina's Salta region where he hopes to reunite with his wife and child. Zama feels that he is performing an important function for the Crown and that his services should be rewarded with a transfer, though his birth in the Americas and not Spain is against him. It is a transfer that seems, however, to be beyond his grasp. The film opens as Zama dressed in full colonial regalia and three-cornered hat stands on a beach looking out at the Paraguay River like an actor rehearsing to play George Washington.
The air is filled with sounds of ruffled grass, the flow of water, and the buzzing of insects, only interrupted by an occasional electronic tone that signals Zama's growing stress. As a group of naked Indian women covered in mud talk to each other along the shore, Zama hides in the grass to observe them, but is discovered and chased away by one of the women who calls him a mirón, roughly translated as "voyeur." Though he responds violently, Martel says that it is easy to identify with Zama because he is an "imperfect, weak, almost bad character" and because she feels that "there is much more humanity there than in heroes."
Colonialism hovers in the background in every scene. White men and women wearing ostentatious wigs looking like time travelers from the court of Marie Antoinette are catered to by black servants, discharging their duties without emotion. In one scene, as Luciana is playing cruel games fending off Zama's desires, she is being fanned by a mute black servant. Trapped in a gloomy settlement close to the jungle and its warlike tribes, Zama's position becomes steadily more untenable and a feeling of failure is evident in his demeanor. He is even rejected by the indigenous woman with whom he has had a child and is reprimanded by a superior after an altercation with a junior officer (Juan Minujín, "Focus"). It is even more painful for him when he finds out that the officer in question has been sent to Lerma as punishment.
Realizing that he may never get his transfer, Zama joins a posse looking to find and kill the mysterious Vicuña Porto (Matheus Nachtergaele, "Filhos da Pátria" TV series) who has become the go-to scapegoat for the colonizers, but his increasingly hallucinatory adventure leads only to Zama's further despair. Martel asserts that the film tries "to disturb our perception as viewers." Like her earlier films, "La Cienaga," "The Holy Girl," and "The Headless Woman," Zama challenges us to look past its ambiguity and lack of a coherent narrative to discover its slowly unfolding treasures. While Zama is a film about failure, its mixture of pride, pathos, and the absurd suggests they have much in common. -
chernorizec-123 January 2022We tend to associate European colonialism with the kings and queens who ruled (or claimed to rule) over vast swaths of land, with colonial rebels who rose against empire, or with black and indigenous peoples who endured and resisted colonial domination. Only rarely do we get to put ourselves in the shoes of the average imperial functionaries who made colonial rule work.
"Zama" is a film that addresses this peculiar omission by focusing on the life of Don Diego de Zama, a peripheral bureaucrat in the Spanish imperial service. Fascinated by all things European, Zama lacks the peninsular pedigree that would lift him above his petty station in a remote corner of the empire. He is blissfully unaware of the names of the indigenous people around him and treats them as little more than accessories, especially when their livelihoods collide with the interests of European settlers. In a telling yet subtle scene, he accords forty (!) Indians to a European settler family merely on account of their origins and because their daughter - a mestiza nonetheless - catches his eye. As befits a man of high ambitions, he prefers to spend his time in the company of white women, even if he is not above spying on Native women or fathering children with them. In his never-ending quest for status, he cheats, betrays, condemns, and violates everyone in his path, not so much out of greed but out of the sheer desire to escape the place that a higher bureaucrat had allotted him. In this sense, Zama embodies the eternal colonial dilemma of the low imperial functionary: He despises the very place that sustains his existence.
"Zama" excels in blending the historicist and the magical realist approaches in a compelling narrative couched in a stunning cinematography. Its portrayal of a colonial functionary is highly relevant today precisely because it is so attentive to the minutiae and the psyche of the average bureaucrat. The alienation, disgust, and boredom that Zama feels should be quite familiar to the millions of helpdesk assistants, accountants, clerks, and various low-tier employees whose crucial role to the sustainment of our world contrasts with their perceived marginality and profound sense of meaninglessness. -
ecopolst31 December 2018Zama starts off badly about a judge serving the Spanish king a few hundred years ago in some colonial land in probably South America. The judge never gets promoted or moved to a more attractive post. We got to follow his life, especially his bitterness about being stuck in a place he doesnt like much. Then the movie suddenly degenerates into a feast of unexplained mystical idiocy making no sense.
While the start is bad the second half is torture to watch. In the end one has suffered through 85 minutes of nonsense for no gain. Stay away! -
esteesmimailsecreto4 April 2022Lucrecia Martel is great in making a great movie out of a great novel. Giménez Cacho is so deeply suffering. It reminds me the movie Aguirre and how the atmosphere turns more and more confusing, almost sychedelic. The close suffocating, hot and wet shots. The sountrack great as usually is in Martel's movies. I also love the ending with the Vicuña Porto's plot and the scenario change and that fascinating scene in Pilcomayo park. "Hago lo que nunca nadie hizo por mí: digo no a sus esperanzas" 💓
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hoescjac3 August 2018While this film is visually stunning in every frame of its run time the complete lack of any tone and narrative made this film incredibly difficult to get through for me. Another concerning part of this film is it's horific dipictuon of any people of color that felt not only disrespectful but served no purpose in the over arching plot at all. While I can see it's merit I can tell it is not a film made for most film goers.
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ponderato12 December 2022Wonderful experience. Not much in the way of plot or flow and, so what? It's just a feast for the senses. It is seeing the 18th century come alive in all its minutiae. Reminds me of Hard to be a God. Same kind of sensations. Obviously not for everyone, but I loved it.
(These last few words just to satisfy the six hundred characters requirement. Sorry, but I haven't got anything else to say. It is simply a fenomenal work of art, as previously stated above. I could repeat it one, two three..., a hundred times, but the message wouldn't be any clearer. Don't they know these IMDB people (of all people) that less is more! -
fredkay13 February 2019Having viewed so many Oscar Nominations recently and finding most of them frankly awful I was not expecting much with this.I simply could not stop watching.Brilliantly filmed and Directed with perfect acting from the cast. I was mesmerized.Atmospheric and perfectly paced.A really good Film.I highly recommend it.
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carlos5122 September 2020I have read good reviews. But, in my case, i did not like it at all. I love historic movies based on real people, and i was so much hoping that i'd enjoy Zama. Sadly, I could only watch 15 minutes and that was it.
The film could have had a nice script while portraying life in those days in XVII century Paraguay. But no plot. what i saw was pointless, boring and abhorrent. and that's all i can say, i gave it a 1 out of 10.