Last we met I had just gotten the film "the jackel of chochtel”. It was incredible. The filmmaking was far beyond it`s time. Sadly it seemed to diasappear into the obscurity of world cinema instead
of simply being regarded as a truly great piece of filmmaking. The film is about a man convicted for the murder of a woman and her five children.
While living in rural Chile, the two find each other. He was a wandering hobo and The woman recently evicted from her house after the death of her husband a farm hand on the land.
After a night of drinking, the two argue and ignited by something the woman said, the jackel strikes her eventaully killing her. He then goes on to kill the children all under the age of 8.
The film mixes real footage with fiction seemlessly bringing to question poverty, captialism, and lack of education as the leading factors to crime in modern society.
"Dead man walking" has nothing over this film. I was tempted to rent it but got discouraged at the thought of the over use of close ups in US films. That's one of the things I noticed most in The Jackel.
In order to include the complicity of legislation and society, the camera makeas a point to focus on the enviornment. We tend to blame the individual. This isn't new news and it's such aan important
role in how we aim to reshape the world if we ever get the chance. Seems hopeless. Part of the sucess of the jackel is it's honesty regarding the possible fact that it all will never get
the chance to reform. The story builds hope while thee jacakel iaas in prison and rehabilitated. He learns to read, write, gets counciling,
and time to reflect. Even when the brutal murder occured there was a moment where the realization hit and regret filled the moment.
The true tragedy after the deaths is the execution of the jackel and the perpetual penial system. It's not surprising the film was made in 1970 while Allende was president. It was a great moment in history
because something else was possible. Now before I get accused of being a commie freak I'm for a different progressive, intelligent, fair, humane, healthy, relational difference in our political, governmental,
and religious insatitutions. I wake hopeless most of the time if I've got to be honest. the jackel reminds me that there was a moment when
Cahnge became real let's hope Allende's history isn't repeated.
