Love Hurts

Camila, a movie about love and eventually death, was based on a true story. Camila, the main character, would do anything for love. She has a stronger yearning than her partner because she does not feel any guilt associated with the religious aspect or sins they were committing. This parallels Ladislaos constant hesitation. He also whips himself repeatedly when he first has feelings for her, a very memorable scene. This emotion was eerily absent from Camila. She even went as far to say that God would prove that he wasn’t mad at them if she got pregnant, which she did.

The political backbone was very evident, with men on horseback screaming through the streets sporadically. There are many lines to support the fight between liberals and conservatives as well, but one of the most standout was ‘Now we will shut up those dirty Unitarians’.

The Dore reading brought up an interesting point regarding historical categorization of dates and if they are relatable to significant milestones for women as well. Periodizations do not always have women as a priority, so these do not often reflect them fully. She states the creation of The Pill was more important (for the women’s movement) than what was logged for that time period. She also said women’s subordination was exaggerated, that perhaps they didn’t have it as a bad in some cases as historians believe. The Latin American women’s timeline is laid out in the paper in convenient sections. The author uses a quote from William E. French that best describes the change that is occurring in the women “Motherhood became a civic responsibility that only enlightened women could fulfill.” The changes weren’t drastic and immediate but there was a definite shift.

The Stevens article points out how the story is different because the director is a female. The feminine touch is appreciated on this love story. While many men may not enjoy this sappy script, it is a great representation of the struggle and power that is love. It is criticized that she filmed to emphasize the romantics, and Bemberg doesn’t deny this. The author points out inaccuracies, down to tiny details about the vehicle they used to flee. These issues shouldn’t be important to most viewers; every second of the movie doesn’t necessarily need to be an exact replica of the minutest details of their lives. As long as it is historically accurate, these worries are insignificant.

The thought about Camilla’s father trying to hide the scandal was quickly thrown out the window. This is most obvious in the final scene, where the two lovers are paraded through the town prior to their execution. The letter from Adolfo said that the priest seduced her. It is a little strange because he never saw them interacting. He just had to be a tattletale to,o? Family loyalty and safety should come before all other things, even if he doesn’t stand behind them.

In conclusion, Camila was a success, as Stephen M. Hart points out, outselling E.T. in Argentina. It used a controversial love story as a background to display themes and struggles of the Latin Americans in that period.