Important Stories Come From All Across the World

Unfortunately, foreign films go under many people’s radars due to there being subtitles or different ideas being portrayed; however, Parasite’s best picture win from the 2020 Oscars made many more people aware of a whole new world of cinema. As movie lovers who adored Bong joon Ho’s Parasite explore the endless realm of foreign cinema, they may look back at past foreign film academy award winners. 2013 was an especially notable year for foreign cinema with films like Embrace of the Serpent and Son of Saul (winner) both being nominated for best foriegn language film. While both films were exceptional in their storytelling, I believe Embrace of the Serpent should've taken the edge in this category. 

Son of Saul is a Hungarian film set during the Holocaust that follows Saul (Geza Rohrig), a Jewish worker who is tasked with disposing corpses at the Auschwitz concentration camp, as he tries to find a rabbi to give a young boy’s corpse, who he claims to be his son, a proper burial. 

Located in the Colombian Amazon, Embrace of the Serpent follows Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman who is the last of his Cohiuano tribe, as he embarks on a journey with an ill German explorer, Theo (Jan Bijvoet), to a find a healing plant called Yakruna. They are also aided by Theo’s friend who is another Amazonian native who wants to help the explorer. Every so often the film jumps ahead 40 years to an older Karamakate (Antonio Bolivar) who is on a different yet similar journey. Just like the other timeline, Karamakate is helping someone find the Yakruna healing plant, but this time he’s helping American explorer Evan (Brionne Davis) who is trying to complete Theo’s work.

As Son of Saul deals with the viseral horrors of Nazi Germany and Embrace of the Serpent examines the destruction of Amazonian culture, it is clear that both of these films deal with heavy subject matter. Luckily, directors Laszlo Nemes (Son of Saul) and Ciro Guerra (Embrace of the Serpent) make great choices in the film’s presentation that are appropriate and reflect each film’s subject matter. For Son of Saul, most of the film is a closeup of our main character. The use of tight shot framing for most of the movie creates an uncomfortable and almost claustrophobic atmosphere. This choice in cinematography also emphasizes the isolation Saul must create between him and the brutally gut wrenching world around him. Presenting the film in this manner also avoids what other Holocaust movies may do, exploit the tragedy. The horrors that occur during this film are never in focus as they are always in the background. Not only does this put the audience in the shoes of Saul, but also makes the sequence of events feel like they are actually happening. Unlike Son of Saul, Embrace of the Serpent is filled with beautiful wide shots that capture the size of the Amazonian jungles. In fact, one of the more memorable wide shots is one used during the transition from one timeline to the other. The camera follows young Karamakate’s boat down the river and seamlessly moves through the water to reveal the older Karamakate sailing down the other part of the river. Both films have great use of cinematography to help convey their experience whether it be creating an uncomfortable and riveting experience or emphasizing the size of the movie’s mystical world. 

Another important choice in presentation in film is color. For Embrace of the Serpent, Guerra decided to use black and white coloring for the whole movie. This artistic choice helps the film feel more reminiscent of the time it is set in. It also emphasizes one of the main ideas being portrayed in the film: clash of cultures. The black and white create a contrast of visuals, representing the contrast between the white man’s culture and the Amazonian culture. In Son of Saul, the use of color makes many of the visuals much more powerful. When someone is killed in the background of a shot, the red sticks out to the audience because the person is not in focus. During the climax of the film, one of the most powerful visuals is seeing someone in the background explode into red blood. However, Guerra’s use of color is able to better capture the setting and ideas of his film and makes many shots visually interesting. 

In Embrace of the Serpent, many of the film’s themes are delivered through the dialogue and character’s motives. In a scene where Theo and Karamakate meet with a tribe that Theo is friends with, one of the members steal Theo’s compass. When he asks for it back and the native doesn’t listen, Karamakate tells him to just leave. Theo says he worries that their knowledge of using stars for direction will be lost if they learn how to use a compass. Karamakte responds with, “You cannot forbid them to learn.” This thought provoking dialogue creates engaging and complex characters whose motives are both understandable. Karamakate often argues with Theo’s native friend on Theo’s motives. Karamakate’s trust issues are understandable due to the fact that he has seen first hand the negative effects of colonialism. The amount of intense dialogue also allows the actors to express their character’s emotions. Even from the first scene when Karamakate sees Theo’s Amazonian necklace, he bursts out at him and asks where he got it. We can see the frustration and hatred in his eyes and body movement. This scene alone creates a connection between Karamakate and the audience because even before we find out he is the last of his tribe, we know that he has a dark history with the “white man”. In the case of Son of Saul, the storytelling is strongest through its presentation and camera work, not it’s dialogue. While it’s dialogue is serviceable, the character development is not present for the most part. Saul’s motives to find a rabbi for his son are understandable and we are invested with his mission; however, his character is not on the complexity level of Karamakate. While both films excel on a technical level, Embrace of the Serpent utilizes every aspect of a film to deliver an unforgettable cinematic experience. Ciro Guerra crafts a spiritual journey that captures the effects of colonialism on Amazonian culture through two connecting timelines. While this may be better than Son of Saul in multiple ways, they are both amazing films that creatively present important stories that should be heard. The more foreign films people watch, the more people can widen their horizon and share important stories. As Karamakate says at the end of the film, “Don’t let our song fade away.”