Soledad

Soledad is a wonderful tale of Richard, a man who is coming to terms with being a free man after spending his whole life as a slave. He had to endure watching his mother sold off to another slave trader, while his father was beat before his very eyes. An unfortunate accident during this whipping leaves him with a permanent scar ever reminding him of that day when he lost so much.

As he walks around he is constantly reminded by all those around him of how "different" he is. By chance he runs across Matilde a beautiful flamenco dancer who seems as trapped by her life as he is. There is a beautiful moment where they together are both completely and utterly free of the bonds that have held them too long.

This is both magical and poetic because it doesn't rely heavily on dialogue, but instead creates form and image to represent the emotions and tragedies that have befallen them both. The film has a wonderous texture, making you forget where you are and what you are doing and allow you to live in another world for a few minutes. It's something film should always do, but always seems hard to come by. If you ever get the chance check this one out, it's a rare find.

I watched Soledad recently on IFC and was taken by how it made me feel. It portrays slavery as it truly was - brutal. It shows how families were shattered and how human beings were treated as no more than animals.

I particularly like the flamenco guitar sound track. Flamenco has a soulful, haunting, style that went well with the subject matter. The costumes and set were done well and the acting was superb. I hope to see, Reggie Willis, Adam del Monte and Laila del Monte in films again.