We Are the Flesh

It is very hard to have an opinion about We are the Flesh: in one way it says nothing at all,, but on the other hand it shows a great apocalyptic vision of people brought together in a situation driven to despair... at least in some way. I didn't like the boredom of the movie,, but I highly cheer for the level of experimenting in this movie.

I read a lot about this film before seeing it, and not many people had anything nice to say about it. It's being regarded as a crime against humanity! With that, I don't agree. I found the beginning to have been very well acted and the theme was setup well.

Then, it just goes off the rails in some surrealist artsy-fartsy direction that loses grip on what it was about in the first place (freedom = exploring the dark corners of your mind and embracing your taboo). It's not nearly as controversial as Serbian Film or Nekromantik, so if that's the hangup, people need to get over themselves. You spend 59 minutes of the 79 minute film not really knowing what is going on. All you can do is take in the pretty camera-work, which I thought was excellent. The musical selection was also really good. Basically, I wanted to hate this, but I'm able to easily find some noteworthy aspects to prevent me from throwing it away altogether.

This film is a bold slap in the face to the big studios who put out the same exercises in banality week after week. When you see the same romantic comedy and superhero movie over and over again, filmmakers tend to try to shock to get attention. Clearly We Are The Flesh accomplished that in spades with a mediocre film.

This film's main problem is that it doesn't make any sense. He's trying to be David Lynch and failing. I don't mind the "transgressive" routine, it's that it ultimately doesn't really go anywhere. Ambitious, but ultimately... meh.

This film right here, it's by far one of the most surreal, nihilistic, & sexual theatrical experiences i've had. And that's kind of what makes it good? Aside from the confusing story, where this film takes the crown is it's unpredictability and it's cinematography. We Are The Flesh is just as confusing as it is shocking & beautiful. That being said, the plot itself lacks substance and an actual direction. If the ending could clear up how all of this takes place a little more, it'd make this experience a lot more complete.

After seemingly wandering a ruined city for years in search of food and shelter, two siblings find their way into one of the last remaining buildings. Inside, they find a man who will make them a dangerous offer to survive the outside world.

For me, this film is all about the rich color of the cinematography (from Yollótl Alvarado), the depth of the sound (from Esteban Aldrete), and the overall atmosphere. I could have used a bit less dizzying camera movement, however, though it does have an underlying purpose. Whether you appreciate the plot and situations or not (and many will not), there is no denying the craft of the camera and sound.

Variety noted that the film was an "extreme Mexican fiesta of incest, cannibalism and explicit sex that should earn detractors and fans in equal measure." Other reviewers have called it simultaneously boring and shocking. It really is all these things... some moments were too much for me to really enjoy the picture, as the shock factor seemed gratuitous -- unlike the extremes of "Visitor Q" or "Salo", which have a clear satirical purpose.

Now, to be fair, "We Are the Flesh" does have its satirical moments. It has digs on "blind patriotism" and attacks the ritualism of religion, specifically Catholicism. As the film progresses, more of this is evident and we realize how much the social conventions and expectations are turned on their head. (Some of the most subtle moments are not even realized until we learn the "names" of the characters from the credits!)

"We Are the Flesh" made quite the impact during 2016 on the festival circuit. I had my first opportunity to see it at Montreal's Fantasia. There was never any doubt that it would be picked up for distribution, though it comes as a surprise that the ones who came along were Arrow Video. Arrow is without question one of the best film distributors in existence, but their focus tends to be classic cult, not contemporary.

Regardless, Arrow pulls all the stops with their Blu-ray. We have new interviews with the director and cast, as well as a highly enlightening visual essay from critic Virginie Sélavy, where she explains easily-overlooked symbolism and draws parallels to the work of Alejandro Jodorowsky. Perhaps best of all ,the disc has two other short films from director Emiliano Rocha Minter: "Dentro" and "Videohome", to really round out the experience.