Little Miracles, Man Facing Southeast, The Dark Side of The Heart 1 and 2 are to me really amazing, specially because it is obvious the budget is too low and even though, the movies are deep, disturbing, intriguing, and yet, easy to understand (not without thinking)... Subiela is one of the few directors I can tell I've liked all what I have seen of them (Kubrik might be another, and maybe Lynch), but the only Latin one. The main question about the movie is "what if?" What if Rantes is really what he says he is? What if the doctor is the crazy and blind one? What if the other interns of the mental hospital can see what is for real, just as all the crazy people in the world? And, there are a lot of Why's also. Why do the doctor kids like Rantes so much? Why Beatriz is always changing her shoes when nobody looks at her? Why Rantes, even though is so cold loves the music so much, and for moments, makes him act as a "real human"? The details (something that I start to consider typical in Subiela are what make the movie so unique. Rantes could stay as someone totally crazy if we would not have the benefit of the doubt when we see him use his mental powers, and by the other side, the photo that Lorenzo (the doctor) finds in Beatriz's bag that is at least 10 years old, makes us think that they have not exactly just arrived to the planet. But again, why is Rantes so important for the rest of the interns in the hospital, and how does he get there? And how would his "sister" Beatriz find him if it would not be telepathy? There are two very shocking and extremely great scenes to me: The first one is when Rantes directs the orchestra playing Beethoven 9th Symphony at the same time that the interns in the hospital are celebrating -whatever they are celebrating-; and the second one is when Rantes is laying on the bed, medicated, and mutters "Dr, Dr, why have you abandoned me?"... just as Jesus said when he was crucified. Such a great metaphor.
Review of Man Facing Southeast
