Jacob Silverman

HILD14

3/1/2012

Roots of Revolution Kazans Viva Zapata explores the dynamic between the Porfirian ruling class and the revolutionaries leading up to and during the time of the Mexican revolution. The introductory conversation between the natives and Diaz helps to establish an understanding of power roles under Porfirian rule. The scene where an old man under arrest is killed by his arresting officers reveals to us the foundation of Zapatas rise to revolutionary leader. These two separate scenes serve to create an understanding of how those in power sow the seeds of resistance due to the natural limitations of their ability to assert total control and create public consent for their abusive and unjust actions. The introductory scene of the film depicts a meeting between rural indigenous villagers and the president, Porfirio Diaz. Initially, the men are roughly checked and harassed, as a sign of the dominance of the ruling class. When the President comes before them, he greets them with Good morning, my children. This statement asserts that he considers himself to be in the dominant role, and sees them as infantile inferiors. The men have come to contest the fact that a large hacienda has usurped their use of the land without their consent, land that they have documentation as being theirs. Diaz is presented the documents, and in the blocking the audience sees that the villager is not allowed to directly hand the papers to Diaz. This symbolizes the many intermediaries put in place as a measure of control over the lower class. It also emphasizes the condescending outlook of the current regime. Diaz tells them that they must go to the courts, and that he will personally provide them with his own attorney. But he warns that they must check their claims very carefully, emphasizing the need for facts in such matters. This reveals an assumption Diaz makes that abuses of the lower classes are easy to dismiss, for their arguments rely too heavily on emotions, the kind of evidence that would not hold up in a court of law.

Jacob Silverman

HILD14

3/1/2012

Zapata can see through the logical fallacy however, noting that the reason the villagers are unable to check their claims is because the hacienda owners have set up an armed guard and border fence, and it could mean violent struggle if they attempted to enter. When asked for official permission to go onto the land and check the claim, Diaz states that he can only advise that the men do so, but cannot officiate it. The fact that the president himself is unable to help them at an official capacity shows that he has no intention whatsoever of assisting them in reclaiming their lands and hopes by telling them to engage in the conflict the problem may solve itself. It is obvious that he sides with the haciendas position. Diaz refers to himself as the father of the villagers, asserting he knows what is best for them as an attempt to avoid the fact that these are ancestral lands. In his vision of modernity, it becomes apparent to the audience that the natives will pay the greatest price. When unfair policies are executed on oppressed communities, they manifest in many ways. The first example of the land grab was certainly only the beginning of the troubles. As contact between Madero and Zapatas groups grows, a revolutionary atmosphere begins to develop. But because of his desire to marry a woman looking for an uneventful lifestyle, Zapata initially declines the invitation to be a revolutionary leader. He does not want to be anybodys conscience. However, in the next scene the audience sees how this attitude begins to shift to his being more accepting of that kind of responsibility. An old man, with rope around his neck is being led by Porfirian officials. The men approach him and ask why Inocente has been arrested. The name choice and depiction of this character is meant to convey that during this period of time, innocent peoples were being detained, possibly as a means of asserting control over lands or other resources. His age helps to enforce the image that he is helpless in the matter. Inocente cannot respond, and so Zapata asks the officers why the man is arrested. They

Jacob Silverman

HILD14

3/1/2012

confirm that there is not really a justified reason and so Zapata kills one of them. The other speeds off on his horse, dragging and subsequently killing the old man before his rope can be cut. The old mans wife calls him a fool, but another man explains with a metaphor that the land is like a woman, not easily let go after years of tending and mutual nurturing. This man also claims that Zapata understands this well. The metaphor reveals much of Zapatas attitude in the revolution as well as the way he is being perceived by his fellow revolutionaries. He is one who cares deeply for the cause of land use reform, hoping to reclaim the land for those who have grown over generations to have a deep connection with and reliance upon it. At the same time, he is viewed by those he leads as having a deep understanding of the importance of land as their livelihood, even at a young age. So much so that he is willing to stand up against the oppressive forces in order to regain their heritage. None of these revelations could be realized if not for an overly hegemonic regime. Because of the villagers respect for his leadership skills, and Maderos interest in fueling the revolution, it is no surprise that once the Porfirians come to arrest Zapata, that the revolutionary atmosphere becomes a storm front and the political tides begin to shift greatly in favor of the lower class. We see through these and many other scenes in the film that the main catalyst of revolution is not the lower classs autonomy but in fact the ruling classs abuse. A conflict is almost always started through the issue of power abuses, the more severe and bloody, the less ability to control public dissent. It takes leadership to have a revolution, but if not for unjust actions of the ruling body, the urgency to organize action cannot often outpace the ability of power to put down the resistance. This is not only for the case of the Mexican revolution, we see this repeat itself into the modern day. The most important lesson that can be learned from this

Jacob Silverman

HILD14

3/1/2012

observation is that power has a tendency to corrupt, and if it cannot be checked effectively the revolutions of the past can become the oppressive regimes of present and future.