Once in a while, a film comes along and completely leaves me flabbergasted. In the case of Spanish filmmaker Fernando Arrabal’s twisted, Franco-era, autobiographical Viva La Muerte! (Long Live Death), that is both for better and worse.
Buy Viva La Muerte! Blu-rayFando (Mahdi Chaouch) is a young boy living during the end of the Spanish Civil War, one whose progressive father is captured for treason. As he struggles with the fallout afterwards, he also deals with his conflicting (and perhaps psychosexual) feelings for very conservative mother (Núria Espert) who tries to convince him that his father killed himself, but Fando isn’t buying it.
The film wildly takes you down a disturbing rabbit hole of shocking violence, dark childhood fantasies, weird sexuality, and surrealism, something that will most likely turn off many viewers who aren’t usually into experimental/avant-garde cinema. But not me, because I really dug it. As someone who enjoys abstract film, it was totally right up alley. However, I could have done without the many scenes of animal violence. I know that Viva is a portrait of the evils of humanity, but I don’t think it needed so much animal carnage to prove its point. So, it can be described as a beautiful beast, one that also expresses how nightmarish growing up can be.
Radiance Films has created another winner with their new Blu-ray release by providing a crisp restoration, one that helps enhances the film’s blistering imagery. There also some great special features like a new audio discussion from the Project Booth podcast featuring Mike White, Heather Drain, and Jess Byard; Sur les traces de Baal – a short documentary by late director/screenwriter Abdellatif Ben Ammar which captures Arrabal at work on the film; VIDARRABAL – a feature-length documentary on Arrabal by artist Xavier Pasturel Barron; interview with scholar and Spanish cinema expect David Archibald; and a trailer. Also included is great new essay by freelance arts writer Sabina Stent and archival interview with Arrabal.
If you’re into bonkers cinema, but with real human themes, then Viva La Muerte! might be one for you. Just be warned, it will take you on a hypnotically demented ride.
