Analyzing Maria Full of Grace Movie - Essay Example

A Girl d Maria It has been believed that certain individuals have specific roles to play in society. During the ancient times, males were already considered as the providers and protectors of their families and their tribes. Females had the role of taking care of the children and the home. However, in the present time, the line between the roles of males and females have somewhat been blurred. More and more females are becoming empowered, taking on more responsibilities and being awarded more rights, politically and socially among others. Patriarchy, which was the setup during the olden days up until centuries ago, is the sociological condition wherein the males are considered to be more dominant than the females. More often than not, in this particular type of social setup, males are those in positions of power and enjoy more rights than the females. The society is said to be reigned by either a single male or a group of males. Females, including children, as a result of this type of social organization, are then forced to assume subordinate roles. In Latin America, the culture has been influenced by several other cultures, mainly by the Europeans and the Africans. Nonetheless, just like any other society and culture, which have the tendency to evolve through time, patriarchy in Latin America has already experienced a decline, giving females much more power and responsibility, somehow offering them a more solid stand as to their place in society. On the other hand, another pressing issue worldwide, which also takes place in Maria's story, is political corruption. In its very sense, political corruption is the improper use of government or political power, usually for personal gain. No form of government is safe from corruption. Though it may display itself in different manners, the most common manifestations are "patronage, bribery, extortion, influence peddling, fraud, embezzlement, and nepotism" (Wikipedia, 2006). When a country is experiencing political corruption, it will be much more difficult for the country to progress, including its citizens. Not only does it compromise the general development of the country, but its development in all other aspects as well. With the political and economic status of Colombia, it is imminent that its citizens will suffer the consequences of other people's actions, with Maria being one perfect example of such an individual. Living in a patriarchal society, she is unable to exercise her rights in the fullest sense, as women are not given that much power, voice, and opportunities. Coupled with the kind of poverty that Maria and her family are experiencing, it is not surprising that she will want to look elsewhere for other opportunities, in order to give herself, her future child, and her family a better life than what they have at present, and something that they most definitely deserve. Just like any other person who is under extreme poverty, Maria made a quick life-changing decision without weighing the consequences and understanding the possible risks involved. She was only focused on the goal of earning more money through a seemingly easy job in order to uplift herself and her family's status in life. The film Maria Full of Grace gives an initial impression of the movie being of a religious sort. However, when one takes a second look at it, realizations of the real meaning and the true story come out. Maria Full of Grace is a story of a young woman who embarks on a journey from her present life at Colombia to the possibility of a better life in New York. Maria Alvarez, the heroine of the story, is a newly-pregnant 17-year-old who lives with her family in Colombia. With her job removing thorns off roses in the farm, she supports those in her family who are financially dependent on her, what with her meager wage. However, just like any other person who is experiencing poverty, she wants more out of life. She wants to be able to escape the life that she is currently experiencing and move on to greener pastures, so to speak. Not only for her self and for her family, but also for the child she is about to give birth to. With her background and the amount of experience that Maria has, it is not surprising that she does not have that much of a luxury with regard to exploring her options. So when someone offers her a job that involves traveling, she jumps at the opportunity, without considering the risks she is putting herself in. The movie, which was written and directed by Joshua Marston, is the film debut of both the writer-director and the lead actress, Catalina Sandino Moreno. Fortunately for her, though without any sort of experience in the industry and in acting itself, Catalina had an Oscar nomination for the role that she played. She brings her inexperienced self and uses it to her advantage. Catalina did not prepare herself for the movie by meeting with drug mules or trying to swallow the pellets. Both she and Joshua agreed and believed that it would be best if she did these for the first time on the set, so that Maria's story can be told and portrayed more effectively and realistically. The film follows Maria wherever she goes, giving the audience a more in-depth perspective into her life. Though it may seem as one of the most clich storylines, the movie actually gives a different view on things. It focuses on the life of Maria herself, and not on the drug mules per se. It takes the viewers from her so-called ordinary life in Colombia to a more complicated life in New York. The movie leaves much to the imagination, as viewers are kept at the edge of their seats, not knowing what will happen next. Joshua has long been interested in making a feature film, other cultures, and the immigrant experience in the United States (Maria Full of Grace Movie, 2006). And because where he grew up in was also home to many Colombian immigrants, Joshua was able to familiarize himself with Colombia's political issues, internal affairs, and other pressing issues. As taken from the official website of the film, Joshua says, "As a filmmaker, my approach is to reach outward and find compelling people, places, and stories, and then, to listen. That sort of anthropological focus is how I came to filmmaking and why I want to tell stories." Joshua has learned from the Colombians themselves about the lives that they lead-from how they were living while they were still in Colombia and to how they are living now that they are in the United States. When he learned about a first-hand experience of a woman, who ingested heroin capsules in order to transport them to the United States and then was arrested and imprisoned, it became one of the major inspirations for the story of Maria. While in the process of writing the story, he continued doing his research, talking with imprisoned drug mules and Custom officials at the airport, even to the point of observing them at work, especially while interrogating passengers that were arriving from Columbia (Maria Full of Grace Movie, 2006). Drug mules are individuals who ingest drugs that are packed into pellets. The amount of drugs that a mule carries is dependent on the person's body size. However, just the thought of carrying these drugs in one's stomach should be enough to scare anyone out of this business. One single pellet is enough to kill a person in an instant, the moment the protective coating is burst. It should be taken into account, though, that the movie is not a story about Maria as a drug mule. The focus is on Maria herself, her life and her struggles. Joseph delves into the inner workings of Maria's mind, especially as to why she makes certain life-changing decisions, more importantly her decision on becoming a drug mule. Joseph even enlisted the help of Orlando Tobn, "a respected leader in New York's Colombian community who has worked on behalf of drug mules and their families since the 1980s" (Maria Full of Grace Movie, 2006), with him eventually becoming an associate producer of the film. Orlando says, "I thought it was a beautiful idea for people to see an authentic depiction of a drug mule's situation - to see the human story" (Maria Full of Grace Movie, 2006). And when he saw Catalina portraying the heroine, Orlando was actually reminded of real people who were going through the same things in real life, which proved how much authenticity was given by the characters and the people who worked behind the cameras. Joseph and Jim Denault, the director of photography, decided to employ a hand-held approach in order to "achieve the intimacy and focus that Maria's story demanded" (Maria Full of Grace Movie, 2006). The story of Maria and the entire film in itself is as real as the filmmaker can possibly make it-with the setting, the characters, the language, the plot, and the intensive research. Just because the story also touched on Maria as a drug mule does not mean that the film is only about drugs in itself. Maria Full of Grace is mostly on the human aspect of the story, taking the viewers and putting them in the shoes of Maria, a strong-willed 17-year-old who wants more out of life, yet is still uncertain as to what the future really holds for her and for the people around her; a woman who is unsure of her place and trying to figure out herself and everything else. Joshua believes that 17-year-olds across the globe go through the same things; no matter what their culture or upbringing, or their social or economic status. Works Cited Maria Full of Grace. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). 2006. 23 Apr. 2006 . Maria Full of Grace Movie. 23 Apr. 2006. . Political Corruption. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 2006. 23 Apr. 2006 . Read More