A strikingly accurate, yet minimalistic and starkly self-reflexive depiction of war, Francisco Vargas Quevedo's The Violin may be one of the greatest Mexican films—an independent one at that—the country has released in quite some time. The film has been adapted from a 15 minute short of the same name—also directed by Vargas—though its unforgettable story of war is no less humanistic and tender, particularly given its violent opening scene: one is thrust into the depths of peasants in the midst of torture, their captors in search of rebels running a civil war against the military. This really plays as the ending, given its main narrative thread is Don Plutarco (Angel Tavira), an old, very wise man who passes as a violin player in order to seize ammo for his cause of the civil war. In his path lies a music-loving commander, who ultimately really ends up friending Plutarco until the film's last scene. Yet The Violin rings with an unfathomable amount of tenderness, whether portrayed through the lens of Vargas' austerely sumptuous black-and-white cinematography to non actor Angel Tavira's incredibly realistic role; the man won best actor at last year's Cannes. And Vargas' realization of the camaraderie amongst the peasants is also surprisingly and warmly portrayed, essentially giving the film its humanistic feel. That Vargas' storytelling is unique and rarely found makes The Violin another fantastic testament against the evils of war.
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