Ixcanul is an astonishingly visually beautiful movie. The sweeping landscapes and colorful clothing take an urban American audience into another world entirely. Although the characters speak Kaqchikel and their lifestyles appear very different from my own, I found them instantly relatable. Maria, the protagonist, is a perfectly normal teenager. She is helpful to her parents, except when she doesn't want to be. She has a crush on a boy who isn't good for her. She wants to leave home. All of Maria's desires are the same as those of an American teenager; the physical and cultural setting is the only difference. This is part of what makes Ixcanul so important. It does a very good job of both showing difference and making it feel natural. Although we see a world that is different from the one we are used to, it does not feel alien.
The relationship between Maria and her mother, Juana, is one of the key elements of this movie that makes it so warm and familiar. While they tend to interact casually, there are several moments in which the depth of their relationship is palpable. The scene in the bath in which Maria's mother discovers her pregnancy, for instance, feels very realistic. Juana scolds her daughter for not "counting her moons", but there is no anger in her voice. Only love and concern. Her father's reaction, with near equal skill, shows the more authoritarian relationship that he has with his daughter. The small family unit is beautifully and convincingly created.
This small, close-knit family is contrasted with an immense landscape. The side of the volcano on which they live allows for wide shots of footpaths criss-crossing through a rocky, jungley terrain. Although they are not far from the town of Solola, they appear to be in a separate world with a delicate social ecosystem. This makes the plot feel even more realistic, because we are left little to compare it to until this isolation becomes an obstacle towards the end of the movie. Overall, it is an interesting, emotional movie. I highly recommend it.
The relationship between Maria and her mother, Juana, is one of the key elements of this movie that makes it so warm and familiar. While they tend to interact casually, there are several moments in which the depth of their relationship is palpable. The scene in the bath in which Maria's mother discovers her pregnancy, for instance, feels very realistic. Juana scolds her daughter for not "counting her moons", but there is no anger in her voice. Only love and concern. Her father's reaction, with near equal skill, shows the more authoritarian relationship that he has with his daughter. The small family unit is beautifully and convincingly created.
This small, close-knit family is contrasted with an immense landscape. The side of the volcano on which they live allows for wide shots of footpaths criss-crossing through a rocky, jungley terrain. Although they are not far from the town of Solola, they appear to be in a separate world with a delicate social ecosystem. This makes the plot feel even more realistic, because we are left little to compare it to until this isolation becomes an obstacle towards the end of the movie. Overall, it is an interesting, emotional movie. I highly recommend it.