Rojo amanecer

i recently saw this movie again, and it just made me feel sick, because even though that actually happened 34 years ago, and we as a society think that so much has changed, you soon realize that it hasn't, because that could actually happen again in this day and age, and it actually has, of course we don't hear anything about it, as we didn't hear much about it back then, there's a scene in the movie, when the family after thinking the worst is over, sit around the tv to watch the news, and they are shocked to hear the news anchor reports about just a minor disturbance, with some injured and some dead, 34 years latter we still don't know the whole story, but what we do know is that it wasn't a minor disturbance, hundreds of students, most in their late teens or early twenty's where slaughtered like pigs in the middle of the street by the mexican army, that's the reason all student movement's are doomed to fail, because politicians who are supposed to be the ones looking after us don't think twice about murdering the innocent as long as they get to stay in power, a lot of people don't understand, and say "well they asked for it" or "what where they protesting", they where protesting a corrupt government that didn't think twice about doing what it did, there's some very violent scenes in the movie, but i don't think it was enough, i wish this movie was so raw and in your face that it would have been able to wake up everyone who is still living in the dream world.

When I saw the film as it was released in the theaters, I thought it was a superb film. More than a decade later, a part of such awe is gone. The plot? A middle-class family undergoes the violent events happened in Tlatelolco, Mexico City, in 1968.

The sound recording and editing was most probably done by butchers. Clumsy ones. The firing sounds seem to be stolen from a Pink Panther cartoon episode. I suppose –though– that the budget was small, so I will not insist too much on it.

There is nonetheless some VERY good acting in here, performed by Héctor Bonilla, María Rojo and Demián Bichir. My highlight performance happens when Bonilla angrily addresses his sons at the family table, after arriving from work. Sadly, most of the other actors perform poorly (Bruno Bichir, although decently acting,is decidedly overshadowed by his brother). The pamphlet girl's acting is wooden and many other actors seemed to have been simply borrowed from a student theatrical company. The cops (judiciales) are almost a caricature and -even though they can be brutal in real life- suffer from overacting.

The scenery is flawless and honest. Lighting is OK, but nothing out of the ordinary. Some dialog lines are marvelously embellished and made "real" by Bonilla's and Rojo's delivery, although the dialog lines in general tend to sound kitschy, biased and overdone when dealing with political issues.

Recommended to those who want to analyze the evolution of the recent Mexican cinema and to evil cops who are looking forward into improving their verbal intimidation techniques.

La película es un suceso horrible que pasó en México, me hizo sentir desesperación, enojo, tristeza y pánico. La forma en la que la historia está narrada es muy inteligente! Se filmó la película con muy poco dinero y clandestinamente, la considero un must de cine mexicano, muy muy recomendable.

ROJO AMANECER shows perfectly the situation that blackened the lives of hundreds of Mexicans back in 1968. People who watch the movie should understand the truth about the events and then watch the movie to get the director's point of view. Even if you think that the events happened in another way you should still watch this film.

The killings in La Plaza de Las 3 culturas is the most terrible and violent event in Mexican contemporary story. This film showed what really happened in a crude and realistic way. The story is well crafted, the character development is great, and the explaination of how the events ocurred was perfectly narrated through the dramatic plot.

The direction is excelent as it's a dramatic film based on real events, instead of a documentary the dramatic plot fit perfect. The acting couldn't have been better. Consolidated and talented actors like Héctor Bonilla, Maria Rojo, Eduardo Palomo, and Demián Bichir, give the best performances in the film. The score is crude but effective, works perfect with the tension of the film. The cinematography gave a documentary feel, still it worked great.

ROJO AMANECER is without a doubt, one of the best Mexican films of all time. Not only for being a great produced film, it's a film that has the intention to show how things really happened, and sadly, nowadays the events shown in the movie are the pure reflection of a decadent Mexican society.

Excelent film, recommended for everyone. ACTING 10 DIRECTION 10 SCORE 9 FUN FACTOR 10

9/10

Very good article in today's (Oct. 3, 2008) LA Times re the massacre.

The "news peg" is the memorial March held in the capital on Oct 2, 2008.

They mention that Marcelo Ebrard ordered flags flown at half-mast, a major recognition of the event.

It covers the continuing problem of impunity.

It does not, however, mention events in Guadalajara.

The article skims through various attempts to investigate and fix culpability over the years.

It also mentions calls from Amensty International and other human rights organizations for investigations and justice.