Heroic

Saw this at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival

"Heroic" is a story about Luis, an 18-year-old boy with Indigenous roots, enters the Heroic Military College in hopes of ensuring a better future. There, he encounters a rigid and institutionally violent system designed to turn him into a perfect soldier. This is director David Zonana's second feature film as his previous film "Workforce" was decent. Here, this is an improvement from his previous film.

"Heroic" offers a tough narrative about the extreme sides of Mexican's military system and some of the dangers that young soldiers would experience in the field. Beautiful camerawork, great tension filled soundtrack and performances from the cast members were selling points throughout. Many of the performances were excellent and the characters were interesting to observe.

The film isn't very easy to watch for some people as there are some brutal moments that were uncomfortable or chilling to witness. The style and themes explored remind me of films created from Michel Franco.

Overall, it was one of the good films I have seen at Sundance and I do look forward what Zonana offers next.

Rating: A-

This was some hard-hitting filmmaking! Director David Zonana has convinced me to check out any film he makes in the future. Cinematically it's just so beautiful while horrific. A combination I tend to go for.

Luis Numez has just joined the Mexican military. The new recruits are referred to as colts. Like with any military industrial complex, these "boys" are meant to be broken down and destroyed until they become "men" or as one family member excitedly tells Luis, "a machine with money". That's the hook you see, when options are minimal the military provides a path, but at what cost. Luis's mother is diabetic and depends on his military insurance. At the very suggestion that Luis drop out she tells him, "you don't care about me". Luis is trapped. The powerlessness of not being able to control your destiny without grave consequences is palpable. Are the soul crushing acts one must do enough to push one out if you have a shred of humanity.

Enter Sergeant Eugenio Sierra, a truly diabolical menace to the pure hearted Luis. Siera repeatedly tells Luis, you have to become like me, which is the last thing Luis would want. Sierra is a waking nightmare to aspire to. Speaking of which, after a friend of his goes missing, Luis begins to have vivid night terrors. Some have already compared HEROIC to FULL METAL JACKET, but I was also reminded of another Kubrick film, THE SHINING. The military base is on the site where Aztec gods were worshiped. The shots of surrounding sculptures are stunning to look at especially in contrast to the fascistic military drills. This setting adds an otherworldly feel making both the nightmares and waking ones visceral in a way Kubrick did. The camera is so fluid as it follows and witnesses the loss of self. The sense of trauma that has likely occurred here even before the Mexican military made it an academy is keenly felt.

The societal othering of the Indigenous is felt throughout the film. In one scene a general tells Luis in the native language of Nahuat that the uniform gives authority to the powerless. *It's better to join the oppressors and let the uniform destroy your identify. This is of no help to Luis. No one not his girlfriend, family and certainly not men in authority can show him a way out. If only Luis could stay awake, but the hand he's been dealt wants him to sleep. To follow a role. To be a killing machine whose existence is solely for Mexico or rather the military state of it. The only way he can confront these barriers is in dreams. His nightmares vividly represent the tug of war going on in his mental state. The violence that is infecting him.

I'm not sure if HEROIC will get distribution. I certainly hope so. It's powerful both cinematically and in substance. The images tell the story and conveys the feelings as much as the dialogue. The sound design is eerie and reminded me of THE SHINING. It's such an impressive and confident film for a relatively new filmmaker. Best of all it's less than 90 minutes. Yet it gives so much if you're on its wavelength. The film never feels rushed or overstuffed despite the multitude of themes covered. I didn't even get into the power dynamics involving sexuality. Maybe I'll save that for another review.

*As I wrote that I couldn't help to think what happened in Memphis with the murder of Tyre Nichols by police. If you know the details of the case and the identities of the police officers you can imagine why I made that analogy. It's a bit too raw and sensitive for me to get into here but wanted to acknowledge the parallel. Whether right or wrong it's what came to my mind.

*Just a warning there are a couple scenes where I had to remind myself I was watching a movie to keep from breaking down. Though that reminder was no small comfort knowing they reflect reality.

I completed my military service in the early 2010's, therefore I had contact with the Mexican military for a tedious year, who did everything possible to recruit new young people willing to give their lives for Mexico and fight drug trafficking in the infamous "War on Drugs."

Although I did not enlist, I did discover a somber and dark side of the military.

Most have psychopathic traits, with only a slight trace of humanity, hiding behind patriotism. Some are bigoted, corrupt and have ties to drug trafficking, so they receive a double salary.

And that's exactly what this film captures. The militia is a sort of social ladder for the most disadvantaged classes, sometimes just the only option besides drug trafficking.

However, indoctrination methods are terrible, abuse, torture and humiliation are disguised as "discipline" and "courage" reserved for "real men". Machism is of course rampant, and this isn't obviously exclusive of Mexico.

In this film, cinematography is majestic, especially the shots of the "pre-Hispanic ruins" (although these ruins are not such, but were built in the 20th century as a tribute to pre-Columbian Mexico).

The fine line between reality and fantasy becomes intriguing, as it is difficult to know what happened and what did not. The plot a little bit crude, grotesque and gives a constant feeling of danger.

I definitely recommend it.