Based on the 1972 book by Rudolfo Anaya, Bless Me, Ultima
deals with the coming of age story of 6 year old Antonio Juan Marez y Luna in
1944 New Mexico. Early on, Antonio watches the shooting of a WWII veteran who
has appears to have post-tramatic stress. Antonio worries about the souls of
the men who shoot him, who include his father. Antonio’s life changes forever
with the arrival of Ultima, a curandera (folk healer) who comes to live with
his family. Antonio’s sisters fear Ultima is witch, but he and she immediately bond.
An owl arrives also when Ultima comes and is seen by Antonio as the spirit of
Ultima.
Antonio becomes Ultima’s pupil. When his mother’s brother is
bewitched by the three Trementina sisters, Ultima saves him and sets a curse onto
the witches. Ultimately one of them dies and their father leads a mob to kill
Ultima for the girl’s murder. In a
show-down at his parent’s house, the owl saves Ultima by attacking and blinding
the father in one eye. The father’s hatred and quest for revenge fuels much of
the film.
Antonio’s life is filled with questions (Why is there evil
in the world? What if God were a woman? Rather than cursing someone to hell,
wouldn’t she forgive them like the Virgin Mary forgave the men who killed
Jesus?). His questions of faith make the other children see him as “the Priest,”
and in one scene they have him confess them. One of his friends, who is
orphaned and says he doesn’t believe in God is forced by the others to confess.
When he refuses and says he has nothing to confess, Antonio as the priest says
that his sins are forgiven anyway. The resolution of their story becomes a
powerful metaphor of Antonio’s questioning.
Themes of destiny, the place of religion, and the role of
family all play parts in the film. Just as Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird is
told to walk around in other’s shoes, we begin to appreciate the complex roles
of religion and superstition in the lives of the mid-century Mexican-Americans.
The film is filled with magic realism. As Antonio seeks
answers from his family and his church, it is Ultima’s teaching him about the
world around him and her ability to feel empathy for even those who hate her
that teaches him the most about his world.
Luke Ganalon as Antonio becomes an appealing protagonist. He joins Alexandria of The Fall, Toto of Cinema Paradiso, and Scout of To Kill a Mockingbird as favorite child characters. Miriam Colon as Ultima offers strength and mystery, while Castulo Guerra as Tonario,
the father seeking revenge, becomes the
symbol for all the world’s evil. Antonio’s parents, played by Benito
Martinez and Delores Heredia, illustrate the power of family love along with the
disappointment of failed dreams.
Bless Me, Ultima is definitely one of the films to see in these early
months of 2013. ****
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