Guillermo del Toro has been good friends with director Alfonso Cuaron for years, so of course, he wasn’t going to miss his pal’s new dramatic epic – ROMA – which is currently the frontrunner for several Oscars. After seeing the movie del Toro took to Twitter to share his profound thoughts on the experience, and in the process proved why he is a must-follow for any film fans on social media.
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In a series of a dozen or so posts, the Oscar-winning director broke down his reflections on ROMA, the story of a family in Mexico, centering on one the maids, Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio). Even on the surface ROMA is a sweeping drama of technical mastery, but del Toro was able to see the depths of what Cuaron was going for and wrote about the movie’s ethereal storytelling devices and how they compare to the filmmaker’s past work – like CHILDREN OF MEN, GRAVITY, Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN and more. He even shares a story about Cuaron’s steadfastness with the studio regarding GRAVITY’s ending, more proof he’s one of the great auteurs of our time.
10 personal musings about ROMA.
1) The opening shot suggests that earth (the shit-infested ground) and heaven (the plane) are irreconcilably far even if they are joined -momentarily- and revealed, by water (the reflection). All truths in ROMA are revealed by water.
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 14, 2019
3) In my view, Cleo's "silence" is used as a tool for her dramatic arch- that leads to her most intimate pain being revealed, by water – again- after the Ocean rescue: "I didn't want her to be born" Cleo surpasses and holds her emotions in silence until they finally pour out
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 14, 2019
5) In every sense, ROMA is a Fresco, a Mural, not a portrait. Not only the way it is lensed but the way it "scrolls" with long lateral dollies. The audio visual information (context, social unrest, factions & politics / morals of the time) exists within the frame to be read.
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 14, 2019
7) The Class stratas are represented in the film not only in the family but within the family and the land-owning relatives and even between Fermin and Cleo- when he insults her in the practice field.
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 14, 2019
9) Everything is cyclical. That's why Pepe remembers past lives in which he has belonged to different classes, different professions. Things come and go- life, solidarity, love. In our loneliness we can only embrace oh, so briefly by the sea.
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 14, 2019
Cuaron often uses the Ocean in a metaphorical way: Children of Men, Roma, Y Tu Mama Tambien, etc
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 14, 2019
The studio then said: "Ok what about hearing the helicopters?" Alfonso, once more, said "no". The studio then suggested adding a radio giving her coordinates, promising help. Alfonso said "no". Once more an ending made of Air, land and water.
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 14, 2019
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So, yes, it seems like del Toro really loved Cuaron’s new movie. He writes about it with such passion and understanding, pointing things out that will make you go back to the movie and rewatch it in a whole new light. The thread is like its own, small commentary for the movie – which is terrific because we aren’t likely to get an actual commentary from Cuaron himself given the lack of a foreseeable Blu-ray release.
Del Toro’s love for movies is unbridled, which makes his Twitter account something to always pay attention to if you’re a film fan. He often muses about recent movies he loves and breaks them down and reflects on them with insight and profundity. How he talks about ROMA here makes me want to watch the film again think about it on a new level. That’s what good commentary should make anyone do, so please let this lead to a dual commentary track between del Toro and Cuaron. That alone would be Oscar-worthy, so make it happen, cowards!
ROMA is on Netflix now.
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