Customer Reviews

Cabeza De Vaca

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I don't normally address other reviewers in my reviews, but in this instance I believe the reviewer from Arizona who gave this movie a one star rating to be totally off base. That, and the fact that he posted two one-star reviews to bring the totals down for an international award winning film. I've read de Vaca's account, and it is indeed a great tale, which is why I was so looking forward to this movie's measuring up to the original narrative. I was not disppointed in the slightest, although naturally the movie doesn't portray all the passages from the account.

It's evident from every frame of this film that the filmmakers invested a great deal of love, energy and artistry to their task. Director Echevarria gets the utmost out of his outstanding cast. The Spaniards and the Native Americans are entirely believable, and the film depicts one of the most authentic representaions of Native American cultures I've seen on screen. The only film that comes close is Last of the Mohicans. It's definitely a case of the good, the bad and the ugly. The clash of cultures couldn't be represented any better.

Juan Diego as de Vaca is a revelation. He should have been up for an Oscar for his performance. The dwarfish villager who first vividly menaces and later befriends de Vaca has to be one of the most memorable characters in recent cinema. The same can be said for the village Shaman, also an exceptional performance.

From the credits, it is evident that the Mexican Government had a hand in funding the filming of this movie. It is well that they should have, as this has to be something of a national treasure.

Definitely disregard any negative comments about Cabeza de Vaca. It's a great film about an amazing man, whose courage and fortitude may have been unmatched in the annals of European exploreration of the New World. This is decidedly a must-see.

BEK

Complaints about how this film departs from the original memoir are unfair for two reasons:

1) In order for any historical film to stand on its own, it needs to mess with the original and find its own truth and shape. Film is art, not history. The question is: does this film entertain and fascinate us? It does!

2) Cabeza de Vaca's memoir is full of gaps--he doesn't go into detail about alot of the things he experienced and how he survived. For example, in the span of one chapter (a few pages in his memoir), he tells us that several years have gone by. Thus, the film makers had some flexibility with regards to being creative. In fact, Cabeza de Vaca states in his preface to the king that he is intentionally leaving things out for the purpose of brevity. Also, there was another reason not to spill all the beans-- in light of the Inquisition, there might have been experiences he left out on purpose.

This is one of the finest films about the Conquest of the New World ever made. Don't miss it. If you enjoy it, read the original story.

Cabeza de Vaca is a Mexican movie about a conquistador who survives a shipwreck and ... well, no spoilers here...

Since "Cabeza de Vaca" is a multiple times awarded Mexican movie, any expectation of epic Hollywood-style action means that one didn't pay attention.
Looking at "Cabeza de Vaca"'s background, one can only expect expect an intellectual effort in a "foreign" style.
If you watch the movie on that premise, it clearly delivers:

"Cabeza de Vaca" may be compared to -
1) "The Mission" due to its narrative style, using pictures rather than words for large parts of the storytelling,
2) German director Werner Herzog's cinematic style, especially in "Fitzcarraldo", and
3) John Boorman's "Excalibur" for its' strange story with supernatural elements and glimpses of sudden violence.

All in all, "Cabeza de Vaca" is a highly recommendable "artistic movie".

The only possible point of criticism is the DVD rendering, which is nothing less than terrible. It's in 4:3 format with English texts that can not be turned off, and are placed almost in the middle of the picture - and the picture quality is not exactly a state of the art DVD rendering either. Shame on the publisher for making an edition of such a movie look like a DVD conversion of a cheaply made rental VHS.
I looked for this movie for several years... and I'll keep looking for a decent 16:9 version.

The five stars are for the movies' own qualities, but other customers should be warned that the rendition quality itself deserves a straight zero. A widescreen VHS would be better.

Cabeza de Vaca, Spanish nobleman looking for riches and adventure, ends up with much more adventure than he planned for. A journey for gold turns into a harrowing spiritual journey, a twisting torture of his soul and beliefs.

Face to face with barbarians, de Vaca must face his own nature and ultimately the barbaric nature of the Spanish Conquest.

A beautifully shot movie - the melange of tribal cultures that de Vaca encountered on his wanderings is well portrayed, and as de Vaca goes from slave to shaman to the next meal back to holy man, etc., this viewer was caught up in de Vaca's spiritual journey - how survival and spirituality spring from the same place for many of us.

Juan Diego masterfully portrays de Vaca's spiritual trials and tribulations - a man adapting to what he had to adapt to to survive, almost losing himself in the process, reborn almost unrecognizable to himself.

This movie reminds us that culture clashes are really clashes of souls, an always timely message.

I saw this movie in Miami, FL when it was newly released. It electrified me but I was disappointed that it did not create a huge sensation. It should encourage people to read the original writings of Cabeza de Vaca on his prodigious wanderings. He is one of the greatest explorers ever!

But this movie goes much deeper into his and our collective unconscious. It is not merely a factual description of his trip across the North American continent but a journey into our mental and spiritual make up.

Shipwrecked, captured and sold to the tribal Shaman, the mighty European Conquistador is reduced to the fetal position on the shores of the New World.

But it is his deep and sincere Christian belief that makes him a potent Shaman himself as he is trained by the master and the two powers merge.

There is plenty of indictment against the narrow confines of the Church and the brutality of the conquest. The Native Americans are depicted as mostly noble, perhaps primitive yet organized and in harmony with nature. There is a scene in the desert SouthWest where they appear like Buddhist monks as they inter the first to fall to the bullet on this continent.

I have seen the movie once or twice since 1992 and can't wait to get the DVD to further study the film and get any extras it may provide.

A disturbing, yet deeply moving film. It struck me as very like watching a cinematic outpouring of images from the collective unconscious, with all the beauty and horror and mystery we see in dreams -- and nightmares. A journey of transformation and pain, and an indictment of European imperialism, as well as the cruelty of the missionary zeal of the Catholic Church. I felt I was watching an average human being undergo loss of ordinary self, thus opening him to a wider and deeper experience of life. It is worth watching, and perhaps employing as a means of searching one's own moral position in regard to life and one's reflection in relation to other, and thus unfamiliar human experience.

This movie is so surreal! It places you inside the eyes of early Spaniards landing in the Americas- how they see the land and People, having only their life in a European context to relate. The viewer is drawn in by their fears and superstitions, the mystery of these unexplored places, and the clashes of cultures and difficulties of understanding. I saw a subtle message comparing the indigenous societies and shamans who were in sync with their surroundings, to the Catholicism of the time which seemed to be about fear, demons, and not part of the natural world(and did not save their lives either). Some scenes reminded me of Hieronymous Bosch paintings-as though the Spaniards thought they had decended into a Hell.

This is not at all like a Hollywood Native American movie.

I have read some first hand explorer accounts from these early times and was entranced by how the director of this movie placed us there in the heart of this "strangeness"- how the Spaniards interpreted what they were experiencing. It does not matter if it is accurate word for word from his diaries- the feeling of being there in that time is very strong.

This movie was quite original and well done in all ways.

Cabeza de Vaca is the name of one of the Spaniards shipwrecked of the coast of present day Florida. If you are willing to suspend your belief of present day technological capabilities, this film will blow your mind. This is not any schmollywood glossover picture, thank you! Realize that early 16th Century technology didn't offer much to shipwrecked sailors in hostile, unfamiliar jungleland. No cell phones, no mail service, no food, no contacts, no language dictionaries, nothing, nothing, nothing. This film captures perfectly the despair of the fallen sailors and especially the fall and subsequent rise of Cabeza de Vaca. I think after watching a movie like this you WILL look at the world much differently. The film director's dedication to complete honesty and immaculate cinematography make this one of the most thought provoking, haunting, and beautiful movie pictures ever made.

It's difficult not to pass judgement on period films rather that to merely enjoy them for their entertainment value. However, this particular movie stirred emotions a la "Planet of the Apes" variety and it was difficult to avoid being swayed by the film makers adaptation. This film's protrayal is what I belief would be an accurate representation of what Spanish soldiers encountered in the new world -say the Southern US before the exploitation of the native peoples -not mexico). Stay with it, subtitles are challenging, but in this movie it's not crucial to follow the dialogue because the story takes place in an environment where the main character and the supporting cast do not speak the same language.

I agree whit all the good reviews, is not a good movie, is one of the best movies I have ever see, great in any aspect, but, Yes here comes the problems! The DVD is just a bad copy, whit the subtitles built in, no menus and the worst, Huuuu! This just make me sick! No 16:9 How can that be possible? Is a great movie, So why is not realised like a movie? I just hope this get to the person that is responsible of those mistakes, and even if there is no menu at least take off the subtitles and put it on widescreen the way is supposed to be.