Review of Uruguay Film Gigante
Adrain Biniez's Silver Bear Winner is a Boy Meets Girl Romance
Oct 31, 2009
Gigante not only describes the stature of Jara; but also, the immensity of his heart. Living in Montevideo, Uruguay, Jara is a night watchman at a local supermarket who lives with his sister and her son. On weekends, he is a bouncer at the Molotov Disco Pub. He loves heavy metal music and playing video games with his nephew. During his tedious evening shifts at the supermarket, he watches the other employees for thievery on the monitor. One evening, he notices Julia after she has an altercation with the manager. Thus, begins his obsessive attraction for her. This kind, lion-hearted giant follows Julia around town to movies and dates with other men, never approaching her for as much as a hello.
Cactus From an Unknown Man
Gigante is a heart-warming story of a man who falls into a hopeless obsession with a janitor at work. The story is reminiscent of Ophuls' Letter From an Unknown Woman in that the protagonist becomes obsessed with someone and watches them from afar. Jara watches Julia on a date with another man, just as Lisa watches Stefan bring women back to his apartment. Similar to Jara, Lisa waits for Stefan outside his apartment, just wishing to see him. Lisa does not approach Stefan until the end of her life, when she sends him a letter. Jara, equally enamoured with Julia, cannot bring himself to speak to her, but he does give her a present: a little cactus.
Gigante Lumbers Along
Gigante, though, moves slowly as a film. Jara's infatuation with Julia is demonstrated by his following her, which is played out too often in the film, to the point where it feels repetitive and the audience is eager for a new tack. Jara's using Julia's lip balm, or avoiding her at the club he works at, already helps the story move forward and re-engage the audience. However, for anyone who has suffered from unrequitted love this is a very moving film. And perhaps by playing out repeated scenes of following Julia, Biniez intended to communicate Jara's longing, which for anyone who has been there, seems to last forever.
The portrayal of Jara is very captivating and unique. From his employment to his family relations, one gets a strong sense of his gentle nature despite his enormous size. He not only protects the disempowered; for example, the women janitors, but also, he defends a man, who his beloved Julia spent the evening with, from a gang. He is a truly charming character, which the audience cannot help but cheer for in his pursuit of Julia. Though he is too good to true, for a romance, he is the perfect man for Julia.
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