One doesn’t often see a buddy road genocide pic, but here it is. Oh, and it’s historical, too. What a treat. Or, you know, not, as the case may be.
Like every European who “discovered” America in the past millennium, the Spanish who “found” what would eventually become Chile had to deal with the fact that it wasn’t empty. Well, ain’t that a bitch? Don’t you hate it when there’s an infestation before you even get there?
What do you mean we’re not the good guys?
So there’s this land baron, José Menéndez, who owns basically everything from Santiago to Tierra del Fuego (well, maybe not that much, but you get the point), and José ain’t exactly as tolerant as your average megalomaniac, so he invested in teams of people to get rid of the natives. This particular narrative describes the turn to the 20th century in southern Chile, but to be fair, this could be the story of pretty much anywhere in North and South America taking place at, say, any time past the 15th century.
José Menéndez has invested in two specific “protagonists:” and English army captain, Alexander MacLennan (Mark Stanley) known as “the Red Pig,” and a redneck American companion Bill (Benjamin Westfall)
. After Act I, the two acquire mestizo local Segundo (Camilo Arancibia) as the movie’s conscience. Segundo can’t stop the genocidal maneuvers, but he can let us know he’s not a fan.
The film has two major problems: 1) the guys we’re following are homicidal douchebags. And 2) they’re boring. The camera often “settled” for many inaction shots in lieu of murder. The Settlers mostly described or hinted at the worst; it didn’t actually show it. On the one hand, this makes me thankful; I certainly don’t need more expressly depicted genocide in my life. On the other hand, The Settlers is a lifeless bore of a film. When you take away the brutality and evil, you’re left with, well, nothing. Nothing at all. Just one dude after another staring into the horizon.
The Settlers is simply an unpleasant tale. There are no two ways around that fact. The movie itself is a seemingly endless tale of men staring straight ahead periodically interrupted by rape. If you knew that fact going in, to whom would you recommend such a film? I’m at a loss. I don’t even think xenophobic MAGA jerks would enjoy this as the indulgent murder happens almost entirely off screen. So, what has the film left for us but an uneasy feeling of disgust. Yes, this is certainly American History, but if you’re gonna take the perspective of the villains, your film better have some enlightening thoughts about them. The Settlers did not.
There were once two fer-ners out raw
Who slaughtered every native they saw
Was it only in Chile
Hey, now, don’t be silly
This is modified European bourgeoisie
Not Rated, 97 Minutes
Director: Felipe Gálvez Haberle
Writer: Antonia Girardi, Felipe Gálvez Haberle, Mariano Llinás
Genre: Painful
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Historians?
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: “Why am I following the “adventures” of a genocidal monster known as “the Red Pig?”
