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“You can’t kill an idea…” Viva Zapata-1952

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viva_Zapata!

VIVA ZAPATA

The title of this film set the mood for the movie. In retrospect the meaning of the title seems to be a sort of “long live Zapata” with the significance being that his memory and mission cannot be killed. The film’s historical context is set up by the clothing and scenery. The first scene of Viva Zapata opens with the current president, President Porfirio Diaz, sitting in his plush office in a uniform weighted down with medals. His attire is in stark contrast to what the farmers are wearing when they enter the scene. The farmers are clad in clean, plain white clothes. The scenery dramatically changes as the film follows the farmers home, into the fields and up into the dry windy mountainous hillside.

Emiliano Zapata is a historical figure with whom the audience is supposed to relate to through his humility and reluctance to lead. Zapata begins the film an illiterate peasant who works in a stable. He is impatient in almost every aspect of his life. Zapata learns to read and to use his natural leadership skills to help advance his cause. Throughout (almost) the entire film Zapata upholds his one major value of giving the land back to the people as soon as possible.

http://everyeliakazanmovie.blogspot.com/2013/01/viva-zapata-1952.html

Eufemio Zapata, Emiliano’s brother, helps Emiliano by being his right hand man. Eufemio stays by his brother’s side until the end of the movie when he feels that he has been left behind and uncompensated for all of his work in the revolution. He ends up steeling the land that he helped give back to the people and getting shot by the people who he used to love.

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/sep/16/marlon-brando-reel-history

In this photo Eufemio is silencing the maid of Josefa, the woman Emiliano is determined to marry.

Fernando Aguirre is a fictional character who switches sides in the revolution to have himself continuously aligned with the current winners. He initially supports Madero, who was the president after Diaz. Aguirre then switches to supporting the leadership of Zapata when Madero’s reputation begins to slip. Aguirre then switches sides one last time to support General Victoriano Huerta in his fight against Zapata. The audience is to view him as the overall bad guy.

Emiliano and Eufemio Zapata are motivated by survival, both their own and their peoples’. Emiliano is also strongly motivated by justice. He believes that the land should be restored to the farmers so they are able to remain in their home. Over the course of the film Zapata loses sight of his original goal and get caught up in the bureaucracy of the matter. He realizes that he has lost his way when a new set of farmers comes in to speak with him and he realizes he is beginning to act like Diaz. He rectifies himself, but at the cost of losing his brother.

http://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viva_Zapata_(film)

The film conveys a message of complete solidarity of the village people and Emiliano Zapata and his ideology. The film shows this by Zapata being surrounded by the town’s people while he is under arrest. They say that they are following him so he doesn't escape. The film also gives a message that an idea is stronger than the mortality of a single person. The people in the town believe that the memory of Zapata and everything he fought for is enough to keep their movement alive.

A major theme of the film is that this is a tough group of people who know how to survive. This reoccurring theme is shown through the film by Zapata and the village people always bouncing back after an attack or tragedy. Another theme of the film is justice, justice for the people who have lost their land and way of life.

Overall I believe this was a fairly good film, although slightly historically inaccurate. The film makes it seem as if Zapata is the only normal person or peasant fighting and leading others into battle. The truth is there were other groups all over working to over through Diaz, Zapata was simply the most successful. Also the entire character of Fernando Aguirre was made up to help the plot along and give the audience a constant figure to hate. Also, in real life Zapata wasn’t nearly as reluctant as the movie makes him out to be. Emiliano Zapata, although, is still a major historical figure who stands for justice at any price.   

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viva_Zapata!


References

Paul J. Vanderwood, “An American Cold Warrior: Viva Zapata!” in American History/American Film

Viva Zapata Powerpoint