Like many people in the class, the piece that affected me most in this unit was Intringulis. However I feel between class discussions, my video blog, and conversations I’ve had with friends, I’ve spent too much time talking about it. So I want to discuss another piece that really moved me: Maria Full of Grace.
Every now and then when I was watching the movie, I would have to stop and remind myself that Maria was supposed to be younger than I am. They way she grabbed her life by the reins amazed me. Of course, the movie started with her caring for her mother, sister, and nephew, so I suppose taking care of herself didn’t seem like a big feat. But the way she never got scared, just took care of what needed to be taken care of while still maintaining her morals, especially compared to the way Blanca acted, was so surprising. It was incredibly refreshing to see such a strong female role.
Of course the story was what made it such a strong piece about immigrants. It showed how rough life can be for people before they come to America, and the extreme measures they’re willing to take to leave. Maria knew that there was a high chance she could get caught by border patrol or die from a pellet opening, but she did it anyway.
It was interesting that in America, Maria saw that although life was better, it was far from perfect. Most discussions of immigration idealize America so much, so I liked that Maria Full of Grace also showed some of the downsides. The fact that she was aware of these imperfections and still chose to stay in America shows just how bad life was in Colombia and how idealistic Maria was.
It was also so easy to feel sympathy for the characters. When Maria was learning how to swallow pellets, my throat hurt. I couldn’t look at the screen. When Maria and Blanca found the bloody bathtub, I started freaking out for them. When Carla got the phone call about Lucy, I got nervous. I felt the movie conveyed the moods of scenes really well.
I think the powerful message, interesting plot, good actors, and relevance made this a great movie. I was so focused that at some point I forgot it was in Spanish. When the border control officer spoke to Maria in English, I was confused. I knew something had changed, but I wasn’t sure what it was. Then Maria answered in Spanish and I realized. I’d like to think that’s a sign of a great foreign movie.
