Gored

Greetings again from the darkness. Opinions of bullfighting seem to fall into three categories: those who admire the courage and athleticism of the matadors, those who respect the history and tradition so vital to the culture of some, and those who are outraged and disgusted by the cruelty bestowed upon the bulls. Director Ido Mizrahy and his co-writer Geoffrey Gray seemingly take no stance, and make no effort in manipulating anyone's feelings toward bullfighting. Instead, their focus is on one man. A man with an inner-drive that even he can't explain.

Antonio Barrera is billed as the most-gored matador in history. His official 23 times is remarkable when you consider that even once can kill a man … or at least destroy the bravura required to enter the ring. But this is not a story of numbers. It's about Barrera's relentless drive and passion for bullfighting, and his inexplicable (and sometimes medically impossible) ability to recover from injury and finish his duty. Once he was intubated due to lack of breathing, and as soon as he regained consciousness, he ripped out the tubes and returned to the ring … directly from the table.

Mizrahy "treats" us to more than enough clips of Barrera being gored and carried from the ring, but the most intimate and revealing moments come courtesy of interviews with Barrera's wife, sister and father. It's during these segments that we begin to understand that no logic can explain the matador's need to enter the ring … or return to the ring. His wife explains how she lives in fear while understanding she is not his first love; his sister discusses his youth and early training, while his father's inability to fulfill his own dreams probably etched in stone the destiny of the son.

The film opens and closes with Barrera's final performance in December 2012, and it's a breath-taking sequence featuring his crowd-pleasing Puerto Gayola – he kneels in the ring in front of the charging bull. Barrera muses on the acceptance that one must be ready to die while in search of the perfect performance, and how thoughts of dominating death seem like crazy thoughts to the rest of us.

It's unfortunate that the film only offers a quick glimpse into Barrera's post-matador life. It's a brief mention of feeling "lost" after walking away from his dream, and wondering (like the rest of us mortals), what is his dream now? It's clear managing the career of another matador does not fill the void, but we are left empty-handed and wanting to know more about Antonio Barrera … the former matador known not for his grace and elegance, but for his passion and courage.

A smart, touching and deep movie about family, love and death told through the story of a bullfighter. A film that uses the pace and rhythm of the bullfight itself to take the viewer on a journey similar to the one a spectator in a bullfight will go through, led by a skillful fighter. Stunning visuals, great music. Antonio Barreras in hypnotizing. A fascinating peek into the relations of the fighter with his horned "victim". The place of family in this strange equation. A father that pushed his son to a deadly profession, but "didn't teach him how to die". A family that has to compete with a powerful opponent. Its a feat for movie lovers. Highly recommended!

I absolutely loved this doc about life, death, bulls and awesome matador outfits. The director really captures the essence of Antonio Barrera, a man who has a burning desire for death. As you watch the interviews you can see the man's eyes and there is nothing else than death and bulls in his gaze. It's really cool. The film follows along Antonio as he prepares for a final performance and you can feel his heartbeats as he waits for the bull to come out. You can see this film as a beautifully edited and scored reflection on manhood in a rather old fashioned and nostalgic way. The footage on Antonio's gore career is also something very worth watching. Very entertaining, very powerful. Lots of thumbs up!!

This is a brave movie, with endless sensitivity to human inclinations, urges and drives. Gored confronts the viewer with their own morality, fears and doubts, telling the story of the most gored matador in history. Barrera is sometimes frighteningly intensive, not a simple pill to swallow, and fascinating nevertheless. One of the most interesting things about watching this film is how such a controversial theme, that obviously raises many questions and objections, is transformed into a love story between a man and his bull, a man and his family, and a man and himself, and becomes something that is hard to ignore. Very recommended