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Innocent Voices (Voces Inocentes) By Harry Forbes Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- "Innocent Voices" ("Voces Inocentes") (BB Entertainment Marketing) is the inspirational coming-of-age story of screenwriter Oscar Torres, who, as an 11-year-old boy here named Chava (Carlos Padilla), was caught up in the horrors of the civil war in 1980s' El Salvador. In Chava's home, the deafening, explosive sounds of gunfire are a frequent occurrence, and he, his mother (Leonor Varela) -- raising the kids alone -- and siblings must duck under the furniture to avoid the deadly rounds of ammunition. Otherwise, he lives a reasonably normal child's life, including having a budding romance with a pretty classmate, and palling around with Ancha (Gustavo Munoz), the town simpleton. One day at school, the army marches in, lines up the boys and takes away several of his friends. From that point on, the boys who reach the conscription age of 12 (which Chava is fast approaching) are fearful that they'll be forced into service. His uncle Beto (Jose Maria Yazpik) is a member of the rebels and wants to take Chava away to join their ranks, and thus avoid the army. Chava's mother will not allow this, and shortly after Beto leaves the family. Before going, however, he teaches Chava the song of the revolutionaries, and gives the boy his transistor radio. Beto warns him to be careful playing it in public places, especially when it's tuned to a banned station and the forbidden song. (You'll squirm as you see Chava stubbornly keep the radio glued to his ear in full view of the army!) As the man of the house, Chava decides he must work, and talks a surly bus driver into giving him a job, but circumstances soon put an end to that. There's also a brave priest (Daniel Gimenez Cacho) who tries to protect the children and stand up to the brutal government troops, for which he suffers a vicious beating. Director Luis Mandoki, best known for American films such as "When a Man Loves a Woman" and "Angel Eyes," actually shot the gripping film on his native Mexican turf, which convincingly doubles as the Salvadoran landscape. One of the film's most iconic images is the children lying on the roofs of their huts as they hide from the army. There is comfort in knowing that Chava will eventually pull through, both physically and spiritually -- as he has clearly lived to tell the tale -- but his saga is nonetheless harrowing and intensely moving. Mandoki is careful to leaven the tragedy with light and even humorous moments, and ultimately "Innocent Voices" is mostly about survival. The performances are understatedly natural. Padilla, in particular, is a real find. A shot of him perched in a tree, trying to comprehend some of the savagery he's just witnessed, is just extraordinary. War is never pretty, and the film has its share of violence and stomach-churning horror. Though it's not overtly shown, the killing of one of Chava's young friends by the army is strong stuff. "Innocent Voices" is principally about the effects of war on children, and its current resonance (e.g., child soldiers in Iraq) is inescapable. As such, Amnesty International has given the film its full endorsement, "as a testament to the courage of parents and children who are victims of armed conflict globally." On the one hand, it's good for children to see a film that doesn't glorify war and serves as a cautionary tale. On the other, even though the movie never goes overboard with graphic violence or bloodshed, what is shown is strong enough that the film is probably best viewed by older eyes. In Spanish with subtitles. The film contains some rough and crude language and expressions, wartime violence and bloody bodies, making this best for older adolescents and adults. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. - - - Forbes is director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. END Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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