The Old Man Who Read Love StoriesRolf de Heer (2001)

The storyThe film is set in post-colonial South

America, in a village on the banks of a tributary of the Amazon – El Idilio

After living in the jungle for many years, Antonio Bolivar returns to the village. He learns to read and is given books by Josefina. A poacher hunts and kills jaguar cubs, and the jaguar seeks revenge on man. Antonio is convinced he must kill the jaguar. He goes out into the jungle, hunts the jaguar and kills it.

Key CharactersAntonio Bolivar (‘old man’)Rubicondo (the dentist)JosefinaLouis Agalla (the mayor) (‘slimy t

oad’)Nushino

Antonio Bolivar(Richard Dreyfuss)First came to South America as a

Spanish colonistBrought his wife, Delores. She died of a

fever after only 2 years in the jungle.After being poisoned by a snakebite in

the jungle, he is rescued by the Shuar people. He lives with them for forty years.

He is learning to read through love stories

Antonio Bolivar - characterisationHis hut straddles the divide between

the village and the jungle.◦He is the bridge between civilisation and

savageryHe is referred to as ‘old man’ – he is

respected for the length of time he has managed to survive in the jungle

He wears light coloured clothes and no shoes – representing his harmony with the jungle

Antonio Bolivar - characterisationDe Heer shows that he is patient,

cool, considered.◦He reflects on his reading – trying to

seek the meaning◦He is patient when speaking to the

mayor about the death of the prospector Solinas - he doesn’t get angry with his ignorance

◦His memories help us to unlock his search for redemption.

Characters

Rubicondo(Hugo Weaving)Is the travelling dentist – he journeys

throughout the area to each settlement to provide the settlers with dental care

He is a shameless womaniserHe becomes stuck in El Idilio for the

rainy season after being caught having sex with another man’s wife

Shamelessly critiques the establishment – eg. ‘those bloodsuckers from the government’

Rubicondo - CharacterisationChair is set up on the pier –

emphases his nomadic life – he doesn’t have ‘rooms’ to see his patients

At Antonio’s hut, he is shot leaning in through the open window – he is Antonio’s connection to a wider world

Dresses in pastels – emphasising the vibrancy of his character as a flamboyant ladies’ man.

Characters

Josefina(Cathy Tyson)Josefina is the Mayor’s domestic

servantShe is willing to sell sex for

moneyShe gives Antonio the love

stories after Rubicondo convinces him that he shouldn’t read the bible

She leaves the service of the Mayor to live with Antonio in his hut

Josefina - characterisationHer hair is worn tied back,

however, you can see that if it were loose it would be wild and frizzy. This represents her personality – being held back, restrained.

Wears long skirts, tops – not necessarily revealing – you don’t see her as ‘easy’

Often shot to the left of the frame or in close-up – it is through her that Antonio builds his understandings of his life.

Characters

The Mayor(Timothy Spall)Also referred to as ‘His Excellency’

and ‘slimy toad’Is the mayor of El IdilioCorrupt – as shown during the electionBelieves himself to be better than the

others because he is educatedIs overbearing and disrespectful to the

people in the townPhysically abuses his wife

Mayor - characterisationDress is untidy, he is always

sweaty and his shirt is open. Unshaven.◦Relaxed about his appearance and

appears ‘wild’◦Although he claims to be civilised, in

a city his appearance would be considered poor

Use of boots to show that he is not attempting to embrace his environment, rather wants to control it.

Characters

NushinoIs the leader of the Shuar peopleTeaches Antonio how to live in

the jungle as ‘the Gods have accepted you, Antonio Bolivar’.

Acts as Antonio’s guide – and conscience

Used in flashbacks to tell the story of Antonio’s life in the jungle

The shooting of the gringo that shot him leads to Antonio’s quest for redemption

Nushino - characterisationWalks upright through the jungle – implies

he is noble, upstanding, knows his place in his environment

Often shot in close up – emphasising his significance in Antonio’s life.

Eyes wide open, often staring – he can see the ‘truth’ of the world

Dress for all Shuar is the same, including haircuts – emphasising the unity of their tribe. Their loincloths are clean and bright red – they are at one with the jungle.

Characters

SettingThe film is set in South America, in the

jungleSettlement at El Idilio appears shabby

and rundown – in contrast to the lush expanses in the jungle◦The jungle appears to be ‘rotting’ the village

so that the settlement will disappear and it can take over

The land around Antonio’s hut is not cleared – the jungle hugs his home – his building appears to fit within the environment

The JungleThe jungle is used not just as a setting

but as a lens through which we can view the film

The jungle represents the wild, untamed side of nature. This links clearly with the Jaguar.

The Shuar appear to fit well within the jungle – they are able to survive and heal Antonio from snakebite without needing modern medical technology

The JungleIn contrast to the Shuar, the white

settlers and their town do not ‘fit’ with the land◦They cut away branches with machetes

rather than moving them aside◦They carry guns to hunt the jaguar rather

than using the natural weapons the jungle could provide

◦Whilst walking through the Jungle, the displacement of the white settlers is well represented through the actions of the mayor

The JaguarThe film uses magic realism to humanise

or ‘anthropomorphise’ the jaguar◦she longs for her babies◦She gets Antonio to put her mate out of its

misery and cries out in pain at its death◦She seeks revenge on the ‘gringo’ who

murdered her babies – ‘grief-crazed’The Jaguar is the champion of the

environment, fighting against the poachers and prospectors who are destroying the beauty of the jungle

Central ThemesBarbarity of manFear and CourageLove and BeautyGuilt and Redemption

Barbarity of manAlthough set in the ‘civilised’ village

of El Idilio, the film highlights the inherently barbarous nature of men.

Antonio states that he reads to “escape the barbarity of man”

De Heer questions what makes one civilised?◦Is it because people can build and erect

cities?◦Is it because they are educated?

Barbarity of manConnects to the setting – the nature

of the jungle in contrast to the village◦South American settlement in the

Amazon – de Heer explores the nature of settlement and colonialism

All characters in the film have the potential to be barbaric – even the Shuar kill the sloth – however, it is their quest to move beyond this that sets some characters apart.

Fear and CourageCourage is required to defeat the JaguarThe Shuar value courage and shrink heads

in order to gain it from their adversariesGuns and other unnatural weaponry are

seen as representative of fear – they do not require the adversaries to meet on equal terms

The mayor represents the fear that white men have fallen into – he is afraid even of the dark and fires randomly into the night, spoiling the hunt

Fear and CourageAntonio must step out from

behind the gun in order to regain his courage and thus atone for his failures towards Nushino

When hunting the jaguar, Antonio lies waiting on the jungle floor for her, and ultimately kills her with the blowpipe – it is this act that requires true courage.

Love and BeautyThe jungle is used to signify the

natural beauty of the environment, it appears lush and vibrant

Antonio’s previous relationships have been hollow – his marriage with Delores was one of obligation and his interactions with the Shuar woman are without passion as they don’t kiss

Love and BeautyBeauty is ultimately seen as accepting

and embracing what things are◦After this, love will follow

Shown through Josefina – her beauty is wild, untamed. Antonio does not seek to control it and is therefore rewarded with her love.

Antonio remarks that the words in the love stories are beautiful – it is this quest to find beauty in the mundane that sets him apart.

Guilt and RedemptionAntonio’s guilt for failing Nushino is

central to his choice to hunt the jaguar◦He feels that he must redeem himself for

failing to ‘capture the courage’ of the gringo who killed Nushino

This guilt sets Antonio apart from other characters and suggests that, morally, he lives outside of the societies he inhabits◦Rubicondo shows no guilt after being

caught with a married woman

Guilt and Redemption◦The mayor shows no remorse after

falsely accusing the Shuar of murder after they bring him the body of the Jaguar’s first victim

◦The mayor also apparently feels no remorse for his ill-treatment of the women in his life, including abusing his wife

◦The townspeople laugh shamelessly at others’ misfortune and are gleeful when someone must have their teeth pulled by Rubicondo.

StructureThe film begins and ends with

Josefina reading◦Initially, she is narrating Antonio’s

story but exists outside of it – she is not yet part of his life

◦In the end, she is inside Antonio’s hut, sharing the story with him. Their life and their love is complete – ‘happily ever after’.

StructureThe film uses flashbacks to help us

understand Antonio’s quest◦Flashbacks are predominantly illustrating

Antonio’s life with the Shuar and his interactions with Josefina

Antonio’s fall from grace in the eyes of the Shuar is emphasised at the same time as Josefina’s growing estimation of him◦ Illustrates the dual need for redemption –

not only to atone for Nushino but also to show that he is worthy of Josefina’s love

MotifsLooking glass

◦Represents the clarity with which he sees life

◦Highlights the way the stories are helping him to gain insight on the nature of life and love

Blowpipe◦Connects to nature – what nature provides is

the best for the jobDentistry

◦Illustrates the moral decay of El Idilio and the settlements in South America

MotifsGuns

◦Used throughout the film to represent western settlement and ideals

◦Destructive nature of guns is highlighted by the killing of Alkaselter’s mule

Reading and Responding: SAC41-50 marks:A highly-developed and well-sustained

interpretation of a selected text supported by the considered selection and use of highly appropriate textual evidence. Thorough and insightful understanding of the ideas, characters and themes constructed and presented in the selected text. Complex discussion and critical analysis of the ways in which the author constructs meaning and expresses or implies a point of view and values. Highly appropriate use of relevant metalanguage to support analysis. Highly expressive, fluent and coherent writing

The CriteriaA highly-developed and well-

sustained interpretation of a selected text supported by the considered selection and use of highly appropriate textual evidence.◦Have you thought about multiple

interpretations of the question?◦Have you got a central idea in your

response?◦Are you including relevant evidence -

and a variety of it?

The CriteriaThorough and insightful

understanding of the ideas, characters and themes constructed and presented in the selected text.◦Are you considering all of these

elements, or just some?◦Have you considered the characters in

an in-depth manner or do they seem one-sided?

◦Are you connecting events to central themes and ideas?

The CriteriaComplex discussion and critical

analysis of the ways in which the author constructs meaning and expresses or implies a point of view and values.◦Are you acknowledging that De Heer

is trying to say something with this movie?

◦What is De Heer trying to say?◦Link to post-colonialism and

environmentalism as springboards here.

The CriteriaHighly appropriate use of

relevant metalanguage to support analysis.◦Are you using the right terms in the

right places?Are you using a range of terms?

◦Do your terms make sense in the sentences, or have you just thrown in some ‘metalanguage’ to tick off this criteria?

The CriteriaHighly expressive, fluent and

coherent writing◦Can I easily understand what you

mean (or are you just inferring it)?◦Do your sentences flow?◦Are your paragraphs broken up

clearly and sensibly?Have you got the right structure?

◦Spelling and grammar – any big boo-boos?