Page 52 - Metro

There’s no such polemical undercurrent running through Jungle,
which seems more concerned with cranial worms and quicksand
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survival rise above mere genre thrills and good performances.

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Down and out in Bolivia
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Considering this is a true story – or, at least, claims to be interested in investigating any such comparisons.
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in the way that stories of this sort usually are – it’s a struggle of political urgency in his 6NKE "QDDJ projects, which so far
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(Werner Herzog, 1982) have obvious colonialist themes at ZDV t DV GHVFULEHG VXFFLQFWO\ E\ FULWLF 6LPRQ 0LUDXGR DW
their centre, )TMFKD can’t claim any such political intrigue. If WKH WLPH t D oGDPQLQJ VDWLUH RI $XVWUDOLDQ YDOXHV SDUWLFXODUO\
\RX UHDOO\ WU\ \RX FDQ YLHZ 0F/HDQpV ĺOP DV EHLQJ DERXW WKH as we enter a renewed age of “other” fearing’. Miraudo went
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standing – and the destructiveness of Western cultures’
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it’s possible. Assuming this message is even meant to be ADMC SN ADBNLHMF O@SQHNSHB @F@HM .MKX RNLDNMD SGHR O@R-
there at all, it’s easy to miss it entirely. RHNM@SD @ANTS NTQ M@SHNM @MC RN @MFQX @ANTS HSR BTQQDMS CH-
)TMFKD would have been an altogether more interest QDBSHNM BNTKC L@JD RNLDSGHMF RN ONSDMS 2
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PDNLQJ D IDLWKIXO UH FUHDWLRQ RI *KLQVEHUJpV ERRN )TMFKD But there’s no such polemical undercurrent running through
'@QQNVHMF 3QTD 2SNQX NE 2TQUHU@K, instead using its tale of )TMFKD, which seems more concerned with cranial worms
D PDQ ORVW LQ WKH %ROLYLDQ MXQJOH WR UHĻHFW RQ VRPHWKLQJ ELJ and quicksand. There’s nothing wrong with depictions
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pointment. In particular, )TMFKD never draws a connection $QGUHZ 7UDXFNL LQ WHUPV RI VKRZLQJ QDWXUH LQVSLUHG
between Yossi’s desire to run away from the obligations WHUURU RQ VFUHHQ 0F/HDQpV ĺOP QRQHWKHOHVV ODFNV D FRQWH[
of career and family, and the displacement of his own kin. tual spine to make its tale of survival rise above mere genre
While the image of Yossi, emaciated and smeared in mud, thrills and good performances.

50 • Metro Magazine 195 | © ATOM