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60 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Captures the Essence of the Account, May 19, 2003
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
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating and Entertaining, February 19, 2005
This review is from: Cabeza De Vaca [VHS] (VHS Tape)
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.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant art movie (in a terrible DVD rendering), January 20, 2005
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.
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