CHAC (DIOS DI LLUVIA)

Mexico, 1975, 95 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Rolando Klein.

A Mexican film with anthropological interest. Rolando Klein went out amongst the Mexican Indians and used non-professionals, some of whom had never seen a film, to explore the nature of Mexican religion. He has said that he has used a lot of overtones of religion and symbols and numbers. This may not be very evident to most audiences.
However he explores a basic religious situation of' Indians, with primitive religion, praying to their god and performing rituals to gain rain.

The film has quite an amount to interest audiences with anthropological viewpoints. It explores the nature of primitive religion and superstition. It shows the simplicity attitudes of the Mexicans, and the grandeur and ugliness and violence of religions. It uses Mayan languages.

1. Interest, enjoyment? Overall impact? Mexican background? Religion and anthropological interest? The impact for the ordinary audience? Specialist audience?

2. The technical quality of the film, the beauty of the visuals, nature, the environment of the Mexicans and their experience of their gods and religion? The details of nature, of water, villages, mountains, waterfalls etc?

3. The fact that none of the actors were professional except the dwarf? The impact of their naturalness, authenticity? Mayan languages?

4. The importance of symbols? In the top corner of the screen? Numbers? The relationship to religion and anthropology and stories and archetypes?

5. The background of the Mexican gods, Mayan tradition? Chac as an angry god of storms?

6. The presentation of the situation, the Mexicans' needs, rituals and prayer, ritual procession, the mountain, petition etc?

7. The dangers for the men on the pilgrimage? The contrast with the villagers and their way of life?

8. The importance of the signs during the journey to the mountain? The various animals, places of nature? Their religious and superstitious interpretation?

9. The role of Sears, the Shaman? Their authoritative role, religious role?

10. The experience of despair?

11. The importance of a death and a man being victimised for the angry gods granting the prayer? The impact of the rain after the death?

12. How much characterization was there in the film? Which characters stood out, what did they stand for?

13. The meaning of primitive religion? Primitive society? Should these cultural patterns remain or be changed?