Satanás

I just saw the world premier last night at the Miami International Film Festival with my wife. From the opening scene, I had the feeling that things were only going to get worse. This is the story of several people in Bogota, Columbia, set in the mid-1980's. It follows each of them into what I can only describe as a descent into hell, climaxing in a convergence of their worlds with an ending that will stay with viewer for a long time.

This film has a sense of realism that reminds me of other films such as Amores Perros and City of God (Cidade de Deus). There are some very graphic scenes of violence and there may be some who are offended, as it decidedly breaks many taboos. The name is Satanás, meaning Satan, so do not delude yourself into thinking there are any high or happy moments. The tagline reads 'Every city has its demons'; believe it.

In spite of it's dark subject matter, the film is still very effective. There are some weaknesses, mostly from a technical standpoint, but the story is strong enough to make up for these. The other weakness is that the film rambles on for a while, so the viewer is not quite sure where the story is going, or even if it is going to end abruptly. But the director and writer had a purpose, and that is to bring us to the end. The climax brings everything into strong focus, and you see that the rambling is, in effect, the build-up.

I believe this film has universal appeal. This film could have been shot in any major city in the world. In fact, the director did such a good job in filming this, that I forgot where the movie was taking place. I gave it the highest vote in the audience award, and this film deserves to win it.

I did not know anything about this movie or the book it was based on until today. My brother's former wife emailed me that me she saw a powerful Colombian movie about a ex-Vietnam vet who goes on a killing spree. Not until the end of the movie did she realize what she was watching was the murder of my cousin Roberto Montes and his girlfriend. Of course she was completely rattled.

Roberto was a wonderful young man and adored by his family. Especially since he was the only boy in the family of three sisters. He had just finished graduate school and had dreams of embarking on his career and I imagine marrying the woman he loved. Tragically the night they were killed they were celebrating their birthday which they shared.

It was a truly horrifying time and I am not sure if I will ever see the movie. We glorify the killers and forget the victims.

Lisa Ackel Judge

As a Colombian proud of my country, I find it depressing and pathetic that most Colombian films have nothing to show but the most horrible human atrocities without any artistic purpose to back them up. Both the author of the book, on which the movie is based, and the director, demonstrate their absolute inability to reach the public without using morbid and sickening situations where human compassion or any redeeming qualities are completely inexistent. On top of the fact that the book is based on a horrifying real story that took place in Bogotá 21 years ago, the author adds upsetting characters and situations (including one of the most horrible rape scenes I have ever seen, children murdered by their own mother, child molestation, kidnapping, robbing, prostitution, street and domestic violence, etc, etc, etc.) that are made up and not connected to the real story, and fulfill no artistic purpose. The director does not use one of the most interesting qualities of cinematography, which is its capacity to "suggest" ideas or emotions, without having to show "literally" every single detail of those horrible situations. There is no artistic complexity in this film and the connections between the characters are absolutely arbitrary. I am no baby for violent or grotesque films in fact I admire and respect many movies that are very violent (say Pulp Fiction for example) because there is more to it than just the crude situations. Satanás insults my intelligence and my artistic taste, and my desire to be at awe in front of a work of art.

SATANAS, probably more than any other film I have ever seen in my life, really hit close to home...LITERALLY!

BUT.... BEFORE DIVING IN.....

FIRST... Let us FOCUS on the Title´s content and context:

Why do I say HIT CLOSE TO HOME??? Well, this based on true events film, is about the massacre that occurred in the Pozzetto restaurant in Chapinero, Bogota, Colombia, on December 4th, 1986. To be precise, the restaurant is on the corner of the Carrera Septima (7th) and Calle 62. My mother lived in an apartment not more than 2 blocks from the Pozzetto. It was, perhaps, my Mom's (May she R. I. P.) default setting restaurant! We had eaten there on numerous occasions, both before and after the horrendous 1986 deed!

Yes, despite the gruesome massacre there, where 20 people were killed, the place is still open for business, and actually boasts both a rather brisk clientele and a relatively solid image and reputation! Every time I think of the place, it occurs to me just how lucky my Mom, my wife and I were that we had not decided to eat there that fateful evening.....There.... But for the grace of God....!!!

O. K...About the film: SATANAS is awesome! This has to be one of the 5 best Colombian films ever made! Well, Colombian-Slash-Mexican film, anyway...(As listed on IMDb!)

In the leading role of "SATAN", is Mexican actor Damian Alcazar, who gives us an eerily haunting performance as a tormented Colombian who did two active tours of duty with the U. S. army in Vietnam. He is obviously suffering from PTSD...but he was mustered out of the military and left the U. S. long before anyone was officially diagnosed, or much less, received any treatment for this condition. Alcazar's Colombian accent is spot on!... So much so that if I had not known he was Mexican, I would have assumed he was Colombian! (If Spanish is Your Native Language, you'll undoubtedly notice!)

You can really feel the mounting pressure Delgado (Alcazar's character) exerts on himself leading up to his total implosion. Teresa Gutierrez, who passed in 2010, was excellent as the rather overbearing, but concerned and clueless, mother, Blanca. Gutierrez is probably known to everyone in Colombia over 20, but is pretty much unknown outside of Colombia.

The Director, Andres Baiz, who hails from CALI, oís!... In his directorial debut...despite overseeing and putting together a truly outstanding Colombian film, has only gotten the directorial nod again on 2 occasions: La Cara Oculta (2011) and ROA (2013)! It is impossible for me to wrap my head around this situational anomaly! Does this penalizing directors for making excellent films only happen in Colombia? Two other examples come to mind...Francisco Norden, after directing Condores No Entierran Todos los Dias in 1984, was not given another shot for 21 years! And Felipe Aljure, who directed La Gente de la Universal in 1991, was denied another turn until 2005!

It seems the rest of the cast is Colombian and they do a fine job, perhaps with a couple exceptions. It is worth noting the cultural impact of this tragedy in Colombia. If you ask people here to name one example of a mass shooting where a deranged lone gunman walks into a public place and begins shooting total strangers randomly and indiscriminately, if the person can provide one example, and most people certainly can, "The Pozetto Massacre", will, undoubtedly, be it! In the USA, it is rare that a SINGLE MONTH goes by without a crime of this nature!!! Considering that Colombia, in general terms, is a country that definitely has much more violent crime than the U. S., I think it is no coincidence that practically the only random mass shooting, not rooted in some sort of group or personal vendetta, involves a Colombian with PTSD who served in Vietnam with the U. S. Military! This fact really needs to be studied extremely carefully!

SATANAS is a must see movie for many different people for a myriad of different reasons! 9********* Stars!

ENJOY! / DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

Another spanish language masterpiece from the director Andrés Baiz, inspired by true events who keep your breath taken until the end.