by Joseph Davis, Contributing Writer
Looking for the pick for this month’s Out of Market, I decided to take a peek into the South American market, to take a glance at cinema in the new world instead of the old. In my search, one film piqued my interest: the 2017 Argentinian film Zama. Telling the tale of an officer of the Spanish crown, it seems from what little I read before taking the chance to rent this film that it had the potential to top my list of films. Period drama? Shoot, you’re gonna have my interest then and there.
I’d like to dive into the character of Don Diego de Zama here, but first I want to talk about the movie itself. For starters, the camerawork of this film is excellent. A lot of times, for me, how the film looks or feels can make a huge difference on how I enjoy it, and here, the camerawork manages to pull you into the story. It gives the film an air of authenticity that I greatly appreciate. The way the camera focuses on each shot, and how it focuses on the titular Zama, is honestly quite beautiful. It often makes the movie feel real and in certain cases, surreal, as the movie progresses. It also helps to bring out the setting of a remote outpost and make it feel all the more real.
When it comes to the story, while I subscribe to the view that the books don’t matter, I feel like having read the book that this movie is adapted from might have helped to understand the context a bit more. It’s clear in a way that Zama is a man who has served the region he is in for some time, but it also feels like there is a lot of context that is missing at times, especially regarding the character of Vicuña Porto, a criminal who is always appearing as a central figure in the film. How long has Zama been here? How has he built the relationship with the old governor and others whom he works for as magistrate? Mind you, this should not serve as a knock on the skills of the cast of this film. As a whole, this cast is doing an excellent job and is acting their coattails off. I just wish we had a little more backstory and context for what’s being shown.
Now, let’s talk about our hero Zama. However, I’m not sure I would call him a hero. A character of plight? Maybe. This guy clearly has been stuck in a situation he desperately wants out of, and more often than not, fails to even come close to his goal, in many ways due to his own actions. This honestly is what puts this movie solidly into the recommended category for me. Zama is not infallible. He’s not an all-conquering hero; he’s a washed up man who often gets in his own way. It’s a lot like Rex from The Vanishing: a central character who wants to be the good guy of his story, but at his own cost. You’re not given a character who walks away into the sunset, but one who is left with an air of uncertainty. It’s bold and not something seen a lot here.
Overall, I liked this movie. There are things I wish could have been improved on, but I still very much enjoyed this glimpse into Spain’s colonial times. Some content I feel deserves a trigger warning, notably the fact that film does depict slavery, and in the beginning the rather harsh treatment of a prisoner, but overall is a film I’d suggest people take a chance on. Someone who is more familiar with the subject matter might have a much better time watching this film (Dexter, if you’re reading this and have read the book, watch this one and tell me what you think), but even for someone not familiar with the story, it allows a glimpse into a history and culture that we here in the States don’t have.
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