Camila, oh Camila

 <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The film <i>Camila, </i>directed by María luisa Bemberg, is set in the 1840’s Buenos Aires, Argentina.<span>&nbsp; </span>It is the true story of a young lady named Camila, who falls in love with a Jesuit priest, Ladislao, and is a social commentary about Argentina’s history.<span>&nbsp; </span>(Hart, Stevens)<span>&nbsp; </span>The priest attempts to withhold his feelings for Camila, but the temptation is too strong.<span>&nbsp; </span>The priest is not allowed to take a wife, so the two elope to a secluded village where they are married and change their names.<span>&nbsp; </span>In the village, they begin a children’s school.<span>&nbsp; </span>Eventually their identity is revealed by a local priest, and with the acts against the Catholic Church and Camila’s family they are given the death sentence without trial.<span>&nbsp; </span>The film is successful in the ways that it showed a decent love story, and it also used Bemberg’s feminist point of view.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Maria Luisa Bemberg was a feminist, which is why she chose to take Camila’s perspective rather than Ladislao’s.<span>&nbsp; </span>This is counter to the culture in Argentina in the 1840’s, and gives a voice to the women who were silenced by the ruling parties in that time.<span>&nbsp; </span>(Stevens, 86)<span>&nbsp; </span>Camila provides a viewpoint of the history different than it would be perceived otherwise.<span>&nbsp; </span>She is a female who is not just scenery, but is very dynamic and enthusiastic. <span>&nbsp;</span>In this way, she becomes the focus of the film and allows for feminism to take hold of the movie in a way that is not overt, but rather a subtle point of view.<span>&nbsp; </span>(Hart 111)<span>&nbsp; </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Hart describes <i>Camila </i>as speaking on two levels.<span>&nbsp; </span>(Hart 111)<span>&nbsp; </span>It told the story of Camila and the true events that occurred in her life and eloping with Ladislao, and also told many Argentineans about their history underneath the control of Juan Manuel De Rosas.<span>&nbsp; </span>(Stevens 86)<span>&nbsp; </span>The film also showed how the military tried to control the lives of many men and women through the law enforcement.<span>&nbsp; </span>Local officials exerted pressure on men and women to conform to what the elite define as proper behavior Elizabeth Dore writes in her historical review of the film.<span>&nbsp; </span>When Camila talks back to her father at dinner, she stepped out of her accepted role as a female, which countered the views of her father.<span>&nbsp; </span>The father dismissed her from the meal because of this action.<span>&nbsp; </span>Later, Ladislao does not serve Camila communion and is once again not allowed to partake in normal activity because she had stepped out of her scenery role and kissed him earlier.<span>&nbsp; </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>The film <i>Camila </i>was a success on Bemberg’s part.<span>&nbsp; </span>She did well on directing a historically accurate and intriguing story during a difficult time in Argentina’s past.<span>&nbsp; </span>Camila’s story is told, which shone a light on a woman who had been held down all her life, and allowed Bemberg to get her word out and promote her own views as a feminist.<span>&nbsp; </span>(Stevens, 86)</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4519892394579927293-8304252158539565435?l=jeremiahglass.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>