Canoa

This movie is based in a real life story in which a group of students and university workers go on holiday and finish in a small town (Canoa) in the Mexican countryside. They look for a place to spend the night without being aware of what his happening around them until it is too late.

The political climate is volatile: Mexico, 1968, leftist students have been protesting all around the country and the local priest is a megalomaniac afraid to loose his little power and completely paranoid about communism.

What follows is the mob taking over under the directions of the local priest, with funest consequences for the unfortunate students.

Very explicit violence, Disturbing scenes.

Highly recommended.

I watched Canoa when it first came out to the movie theaters; I was around 15 and I had lived the 1968's student movement. Tlatelolco massacre was fresh in our minds and hearts and while not referring directly to it, Canoa catches that feeling with honesty and courage. This two qualities are always present in Cazal's work, but this film is his master piece.

We have also tho see Cazal's films in the context of the Mexican cinema of the moment, along with the work of Arturo Ripstein, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, Jorge Fons and many other talented filmmakers. In Mexico their work tend to be overlooked mostly for political reasons.

Mario de la Garza

This Film takes no concessions, it is certainly one of the most powerful films in cinematographic language, I've ever seen.

Felipe Cazals has done an extraordinary job, previously to Canoa, he did a great documentary about the feelings of the mexicans regarding the foreigners but especially those who were involved in the Mexican life in one way or another.

Cazals maybe tried to input that same kind of documentary-style to Canoa which makes the film more special since it doesn't follow the traditional standards on editing and screenplay.

Highly recommended film that is not for those of weak guts, it has some violent scenes but it don't fall onto morbid stuff.

Also, I highly recommend Felipe Cazals' films (except those of Rigo Tovar ones). it is certainly one of the greatest mexican filmmakers ever.

For a knowledgeable viewer, there is no doubt that "Canoa" has become a major classic film due to various artistic as well as political reasons. It was one of the first films in the history of Mexican cinema to show that even history especially historical events can be given a fictional form. While watching "Canoa" one can easily understand how Christian religion especially catholic church was unjustly misused for one's personal gains.The use of a local character to narrate important facts and story works very well for "Canoa". A viewer is able to get detailed visual information of events which were responsible for horrible lynching of some youngsters by an irate mob. Authenticity seems to be this film's hallmark as viewers are likely to feel as if tragic events had taken place in their midst. For this reason, Felipe Cazals chose to depict important events through a time prism. Lastly, there are moments when a human body can withstand any amount of blows. One such moment was shown in Canoa when a doctor is utterly surprised to find a victim of violence in good shape. Director Felipe Cazals has always made films which have cast a poignant look at negative aspects of Mexican nation. His films need to be discovered by viewers if they wish to learn more about Mexican society. Hence, for this reason any effort to appreciate Canoa can be called a good start.

This film is part of the beginning of the New Mexican Cinema, based in a true story and made like an example of the uncertain time in Mexico after 1968 and how can be influenced a entire town against a group of people whom their only sin was; be a student.