Highbrow Magazine - chilean films https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/chilean-films en ‘Blanquita’ Shows a Compelling Depiction of Victimhood https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/23257-blanquita-shows-compelling-depiction-victimhood <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Tue, 01/24/2023 - 18:12</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1blanquita.jpg?itok=VmNAnBZI"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1blanquita.jpg?itok=VmNAnBZI" width="480" height="233" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Executing a movie about sensitive topics takes skill. You need a good script, good actors and direction that doesn’t try to sensationalize matters with which many are uncomfortable. Fernando Guzzoni’s “Blanquita,” Chile’s entry into the Oscars this year, does exactly that.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Blanca, who goes by Blanquita, is a young woman living in a shelter for orphaned youths with her infant daughter. When her friend Carlito tries to come forward with allegations of sexual abuse that include prominent politicians, he is deemed mentally unfit to testify or go through the trial. Carlito’s accounts of the events spur traumatic memories for Blanquita and she remembers going through the same experiences. With the help of Father Manuel, the man in charge of the shelter, she goes through the uphill battle of trying to bring the men to justice in court.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2blanquita.jpg" style="height:340px; width:605px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Laura Lopez as Blanquita does a great job of portraying a character that has been through a life of trauma but does her best to fight through the difficulty of pursuing the case. She has strong resolve but does show weakness and doubt when things escalate and the danger rises. Alejandro Goic as Father Manuel also puts in a stellar performance as a priest who is tired of children’s suffering being swept under the rug.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The film’s writing and direction go a long way in establishing a quiet, serious tone. The movie’s color palette is drab and muted, and many shots are focused on a character’s face while they’re in a dark room. The script feels grounded and is a cut above what you’d see in a TV drama or Hollywood movie with a similar subject matter. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">There are people that want to help Blanquita find justice, but the systems in place create a frustrating set of hurdles that are true to life. Their language is technical and bureaucratic and you can tell the deck is stacked against Blanquita just by the way people talk.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3blanquita.jpg" style="height:316px; width:652px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">As the film goes on, there are more doubts cast on Blanquita’s story and the way the movie handles these turns makes it more compelling. It’s not exactly a twist, but as the audience gets more of an idea of what’s going, on they’ll be hooked in and unable to look away. It’s not a sensational drama that will make you want to cheer; it’s a movie that creates a pit in your stomach that will sink lower as the film approaches its resolution.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">It’s rare for a film to depict the victims of sexual abuse and what they go through in the legal system so realistically. Everything from the dialogue, the characters, and the story seem real, and it makes for something memorable and poignant. I recommend “Blanquita” to anyone who watches serious dramas or movies about the blindside in many legal systems.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Ulises Duenas is a senior writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/blanquita" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">blanquita</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/chile" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Chile</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/chilean-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">chilean films</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new movies</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/foreign-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">foreign films</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/laura-lopez" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">laura lopez</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/alejandro-goic" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">alejandro goic</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/dramas" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">dramas</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/dramatic-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">dramatic movies</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/oscars-25" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">the oscars</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ulises Duenas</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Tue, 24 Jan 2023 23:12:02 +0000 tara 11624 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/23257-blanquita-shows-compelling-depiction-victimhood#comments