teb@stat.Berkeley.EDU (Thomas E. Billings) (05/08/91)
CABEZA DE VACA
A film review by Thomas E. Billings
Copyright 1991 Thomas E. Billings
Synopsis:
The story of Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer shipwrecked off the
coast of Florida in 1528, who performed the incredible feat of
traveling (by foot) from Florida to the Pacific coast of Mexico, an
eight year journey of hardship and adventure. The director put more
emphasis on ethnographic details than on story-telling, and the film
reflects this. An interesting film nonetheless.
Mexico (English subtitles), color, 1990, 112 minutes.
Director/Writer: Nicolas Echeverria.
Screenplay based on the book "Naufragios" by Alvar Nunez.
In 1528, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, the treasurer on a Spanish
expedition to the New World, was shipwrecked on the coast of Florida,
with several other men from the expedition. This began an eight-year
journey, on foot (no horses in those days; horses were introduced later)
across the new land of America, to the Pacific coast of Mexico. It's an
incredible (true) story, although the film appears to have quite a bit
of fiction mixed in with the facts.
The film begins with Cabeza de Vaca arriving in a Spanish
settlement in Mexico. Then, thru a long flashback, the story unfolds.
It begins with the shipwreck in Florida. The shipwrecked men find
wooden trunks from their ship, amidst evidence of cannibalism. The men
are attacked by Native American tribesmen, and Cabeza de Vaca becomes a
slave to a shaman/sorcerer. Cabeza de Vaca views his fate in spiritual
terms, and becomes something of a shaman himself. The shaman recognizes
his spiritual power of healing, and sets Cabeza de Vaca free. The story
continues as he heads west alone....
This is the first feature film by director Nicolas Echeverria, who
is an ethnologist and has done a number of documentaries. His knowledge
of Native American culture shows in the detailed, interesting view it
provides of the Native American tribes that Cabeza de Vaca encounters.
These are not the "Hollywood Indians" of old westerns, nor do these
cultures resemble the DANCES WITH WOLVES images. Rather, it is a view
of Native Americans before the influx of the white man. So, there are
no horses (as horses were introduced by Europeans), and the Native
Americans live in primitive hunting and gathering societies that are
very close to the stone age in terms of technology.
I think the film is worth seeing for the view it gives of early
Native American culture. However, the film has a number of flaws, some
of which detract from the story. The film is the story of the outward
journey of Cabeza de Vaca, and his inward journey as he becomes a faith
healer of sorts. His interaction with Native American shamanism is the
driving force in the story, and the story is not told very well. Some
of the editing is abrupt, and there are huge gaps in the story. In one
scene, Cabeza de Vaca is being set free in Florida; in the next scene he
is walking in a snowstorm in what appears to be the West. Further, we
see only 3 different tribes in his long journey across America.
One serious technical error deserves mention. In the scenes that
are supposedly taking place in Florida, there are mountains in the
background! As one who grew up in Florida, I can guarantee that there
are positively no mountains in Florida. (The Florida scenes were filmed
in a mangrove swamp, possibly in Yucatan).
Although the abrupt editing and faith healing subplot detract from
the film, it is still worth seeing for the view of early (before the
arrival of the Europeans) Native American cultures. The film is rather
interesting, though I didn't find it to be very entertaining.
Distribution: The production credits for the film list a number of
financial sources which suggest that the film will get wide
distribution. These include American Playhouse Theatrical Films,
implying an "art house" run in the U.S., possibly followed (2 years
after theatrical release) by broadcast on PBS television stations in the
U.S.; Channel 4 Television (England; possible television broadcast),
Television Espana (Spain television), etc.
Print Source: Ventana Films; 2021 Rosilla Place; Los Angeles, CA 90046.
Reviewer contact: teb@stat.Berkeley.EDU