Viva la muerte

Fernando Arrabal is an author of books and plays. He was part of the panic movement of theater, which also included Alejandro Jodorowsky and Roland Topor. In fact, in the beginning of "Viva La Muerte" we see some morbidly surreal drawings by Topor. The film is semi-autobiographical and takes place during the Franco era in Spain during World War II. Fando witnesses his father seized by soldiers. Fando thinks that his father is dead. Later he finds out his father is still alive and that his mother turned him in to authorities for suspicion of communist activities. The film shows how war affects children. Fando has many grotesque, sadistic, surreal daydreams about his father being tortured by the fascist army. The daydream sequences are done in bright neon filters, with strange music and sound effects, even a children's song. The film makes a strong anti-war statement, and is filled with satirical and blasphemous imagery. Some of the images are extreme, including a real cow slaughter and Fando's mom torturing his dad. She even takes a dump on his head. The extended torture sequences may remind some of what the U.S has been doing to Iraqi prisoners. Although the film is brutal at times, it still is beautiful in its subversive poetry. "Viva la Muerte" is a masterpiece of surrealism and makes an important statement about the evils of war.

VIVA LA MUERTE does have amazing visuals and the idea of combining video with film was brilliant and ahead of its time. BUT the main problem of with VIVA LA MUERTE is that it's extremely repetitive. The film feels like it's made of 10 minute long short films that use the same direction, the same editing, the same pacing. With the film's running time at 90 minutes, it was like watching nine 10 minute long short films strung together, that all looked the same. So after the fourth or fifth 10 minute moments, I was slowly drifting away from the film, uninterested to whatever was happening on screen. It is an art film and should be viewed differently than your average movie but I thought the whole thing simply didn't gel together and the symbolism was heavy handed.

Viva la Muerte begins with the credits over a view of surreal Roland Topor images while a pleasant tune plays. The film's central figure is a young boy named Fando, who lives with his mother. His father has been arrested during the Spanish Civil War. Fando later finds a letter and discovers his mother turned his father in to the authorities. This triggers off the many fantasy sequences of Fando. Arrabal uses grainy filtered footage during these sequences and gives them several different colours. The film is full of frenzy. It was created by someone with a furious imagination. The bull slaughter scene is a masterful surrealist sequence. It is a remarkable film and essential viewing for anyone interested in surrealism.

From it's corrosive opening credit sequence accompanied by a haunting child-sung (and used as a sort of chorus throughout and even plays out AFTER the credits end - so stay tuned), to its biting criticism of Franco's regime in Spain (it's title, "Long Live Death" might be considered an ironic echo of Patrick Henry's famous "Give Me Liberty or Give me Death"). The film proper begins and ends with the military proclaiming they will be peace to the country even if they have to kill everybody! The film is told thru patented surrealist devices such as dreams, fantasies, extreme violence, naturist drama & erotic visions - sometimes all at the same time. Arrabal and Cinematographer Jean-Marc Ripert often use imaginative camera tricks including a then-novel use of tinted videotape.

With all this, I still can't wholeheartedly endorse the film. Much of it seems random or repetitive. It's clearly indebted to Luis Bunuel, SATRYRICON era Fellini & Jodorowsky (who of course, adapted Arabal's FANDO Y LIS - so the influence is mutual). Some of the visual metaphors are graphic in the extreme: Such as having the Mother (who is clearly symbolic of the morally corrupted country as a whole) actually cutting off the scrotum of a cow (and this isn't faked, in fact this is one film PETA members should not see).

A worthwhile curio to seek out. Particularly those partial to Bunuel and Jodorowsky.

After seeing this film my reaction was - who is this guy and what other films has he made? When I was told it was his first, I could hardly believe it. (I saw it when it first opened in 1970.) He was a writer in his 40's and the maturity shows.

It's surprising that this has not become a mainstay of the Art House cinemas. The use of allegory, childhood memories, repressed sexual desires, dream-like sequences (all those thing which evoke a visceral reaction in the viewer) are combined in a well directed, thought provoking, cinematic experience.