Roma
Creative influence comes from within. True artists create the best work by drawing on their experiences and turning it into a cinematic story. Telling a life story is precisely what Alfonso Cuaron's 'Roma' tells the audience about. The story in 'Roma' is told through the eyes of a young maid named Cleo who helps Antonio and Sofia care for their four children during the 1970s. One way to realize the decade in which the story takes place is through Antonio's vehicle, a 1970 Ford Galaxie kept in mint condition.
The car tells the story in two halves - the introduction of a family being held together by a structured household and a father working hard to care for his family and afford a maid. Then, once Antonio runs away with his mistress, leaving his wife broken and confused, we see the same clean Ford Galaxie pull into the garage and get wrecked. In this scene, Sofia is behind the wheel, continuing to scratch a dent in what was once a perfect car, which has now lost its value. A value Sofia seems to feel she has lost now that her husband has abandoned his family and their marriage, forcing her to find an identity she lost long ago.
There is a gentleness throughout the film, which quickly goes away with chaotic bursts and the feeling of no hope for Cleo or the family she cares about, meaning much more to her than a job. The four children admire Cleo. The way she calmly wakes them up for school and how happy they are to see them - the disconnect in a wealthier family not even having their children see their face first thing in the morning but instead a maid who can be more loving. It was made clear that there is a divide in social classes, which comes out through Sofia's communication with Cleo at certain times. While she does get treated well, there is no equal playing field of wealth within the client and worker dynamic. Sofia sometimes loses her temper with Cleo and threatens her job, ensuring she remembers her role in the household and society - the bottom.
Cleo's life outside her job is a nightmare because she feels alone and not having anyone to run to for help. She hardly speaks and doesn't divulge any information about her life in the village, family, or childhood. Her outside world can be described as visceral. Having relations with Fermin, who is obsessed with martial arts, showcases his skills in a hotel room fully naked. As uncomfortable as I was watching this scene, seeing Cleo's face as she lay in bed wanting to pull the covers over her head to get out of this moment is something we can relate to.
There are a few other visceral scenes in 'Roma.' As Cleo is out shopping for a crib, she is held at gunpoint as student protests quickly turn violent. Even though it is not specified, Cuaron seems to show what the environment was at the time of the Corpus Christi Massacre of 1971. The moving parts in this sequence paint the chaotic period. Still, the audience is locked in on how Cleo navigates through this situation, questioning her life as she is responsible for another one.
The other visceral scene in the film is where Cleo goes into labor and has a stillbirth. Heartbreaking, Cleo looks at her child with tears coming down her eyes, and then the doctors quickly take the baby away and wrap the dead body. Cuaron gives a depth-of-field shot as Cleo lays in the bed, distraught. However, the audience can still see the stillborn being wrapped in blankets, watching the doctors handle a lifeless soul - making for a powerful piece of cinematography.
Is Roma considered to belong in the world cinema industry? Coming from the director who directed a Harry Potter film, there is no doubt Cuaron's line of work is mainstream. If Roma was not released on Netflix, then there would not be a debate on its category of World Cinema. But it would not be world cinema since it was released to mainstream audiences on the world's most extensive streaming platform?
