Lav Diaz’s “Magellan” Confronts Colonialism with Haunting Power
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A searing, 163-minute epic from Filipino auteur Lav Diaz, “Magellan” doesn’t glorify exploration; it dissects the brutal realities of colonialism, offering a stark adn unflinching look at the motivations and consequences of 16th-century conquest. Starring Gael García Bernal as the famed explorer, the film opens Friday, Jan. 9 at Landmark’s Nuart Theater.
Diaz, known for his deliberately paced and immersive filmmaking – including the four-hour “Norte, The end of History” – delivers a film of immense power and moral weight. “Magellan” doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of colonialism, presenting it not as a tale of adventure, but as a systematic dismantling of cultures and lives.
The film opens with a visceral scene: a nude indigenous woman discovering the arrival of outsiders, her subsequent warning – “I saw a white man!” – foreshadowing the devastation too come. This is quickly followed by harrowing images of slaughtered bodies, a stark depiction of the Portuguese conquest of the Malaysian peninsula in 1511.
The film portrays Ferdinand Magellan not as a heroic figure, but as a cog in a larger, ruthless machine. While Bernal’s portrayal hints at ambitions beyond simple obedience, the film doesn’t excuse his actions. A notably chilling moment features a conquistador, fueled by drink, proclaiming, “We will suffocate the entire world! Islam will finaly disappear!” before collapsing – a potent symbol of the destructive ideology driving the era.
From Lisbon’s Shadows to a Perilous Voyage
Diaz meticulously charts Magellan’s journey, revealing a man driven by a complex mix of ambition and desperation. Scorned by the Portuguese king, Magellan finds new patronage in Spain, embarking on a quest to find a westward route to the spice islands. This necessitates leaving behind his pregnant wife, Beatriz (Angela Azevedo), adding a layer of personal cost to his grand endeavor.
The subsequent 45-minute sequence depicting the multiyear circumnavigation is a masterclass in cinematic endurance. Devoid of music and melodrama, it’s a brutally honest portrayal of transoceanic voyaging, marked by paranoia, hallucinations, death, disease, and starvation. The film’s languid pace and long takes force the viewer to inhabit the sailors’ agonizing experience, practically training the audience to listen for the faint cries of seabirds that eventually herald the cry of “Land!”
The Human Cost of Empire
Beyond Magellan’s perspective, the film powerfully centers the experiences of those subjugated by his ambition. The character of Enrique (Arjay Babon), a Malay slave who becomes a translator, offers a harrowing portrait of displacement and unrootedness. His journey highlights the human cost of empire, a theme echoed in the pervasive spiritual wailing that permeates the film – from the pleas of invaded Indigenous peoples to the grief-stricken cries of wives awaiting news of their husbands.
diaz’s masterful use of long takes and angled perspectives, alongside co-cinematographer Artur Tort, creates a captivating and distanced viewing experience.Bernal delivers a nuanced performance, registering Magellan’s internal conversion – from curious explorer to enforcer of Christian conversion – with subtle brilliance. The film suggests that the very act of domination fundamentally alters the soul.
A Legacy of Pain and Unconquerable Splendor
“Magellan” is not a pleasant film. It stretches time, forcing viewers to confront the painful legacy of colonialism and to acknowledge the raw splendor of a world forever altered by conquest. The film’s multilingual dialogue – in Portuguese, Spanish, Cebuano, and French, with subtitles – underscores the global reach of this historical trauma.
Ultimately, Diaz’s film is a powerful reminder that while empires may rise and fall, the wounds of colonialism endure, and the inherent beauty of the world can never truly be conquered.
‘Magellan’
In Portuguese, Spanish, Cebuano and French, with subtitles
Not rated
Running time: 2 hours, 43 minutes
playing: Opens Friday, Jan. 9 at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre
