Oi Oi Dick! ARREBATO is among my favorite films of all time! Ivan Zulueta (the director) was an actual heroin addict as well as a "film" addict in many ways, and to me anyway, he uses the whole "vampirism" thing in a purely conceptual way (not a "Hammer" vampire - but a "force of life-sapping-leeches" way) to set up some very beautiful parallels between the life-sapping force of heroin addiction and the horror of "images" (shadows) taking over his own life (images can be viewed as two-dimensional copies of a reality - and like a jaded life - a shadow of one's former self etc. - i.e., a drug addict in the throes of addiction reflecting upon his life).
But yes, he takes it even FURTHER by making the camera actually KILL PEOPLE! Don't worry about people talking about the "vampire" aspect in that literal sense, because those people are kinda stupid. And while they're right, they're also really shallow in their ability to properly describe anything - and you really can't describe the sweet black floral arrangements of ARREBATO in that way, since it clearly steps into the mystical (even more so than the metaphysical - which I know lots of cine-freaks would love to slather this with - "oh it's so fucking META maaaaan" - shuuuut uppppp). This film has such beauty in it's delicate parallels and slow pace. A lot like Zulawski's POSSESSION in that way. There are plenty of needles and nodding off, but it's packed with original and intense theories and brilliant sidebars that to me, really reveal what a completely thorough vision that Zulueta had on these particular topics. Above all else, it is a completely honest film. I mean, he lived through heroin addiction and was typically very bizarre in his filmic output overall anyway, letting ideas really simmer (instead of pay-grabbing or lunging off cliffs at low-hanging fruit). This production being his first feature, it was actually constantly plagued by "late starts" and "missing money" (fill in the blanks yourself). It feels genuine is what I'm saying. And that aura is embedded into the film grain that caught it. Ironic statement, or transcendent achievement beyond the bounds of film (the entire notion of the film)?
The "camera-as-vampire", watching....allowing heroin addiction to be a backdrop; to mirror it's effects, is a genius stroke. And I don't frankly know how any film with that kind of "tone-setter" could possibly suck. But yes, then the acting is incredible on top of all of that. With "Will More", who never acted before or after (at least in anything "significant") is a master-fucking-stroke because that dude was a guy off the streets who NAILED that part only to disappear afterward (offering another parallel to the film's own resolution).
But I think the BEST aspect of ARREBATO is in the name itself, which means "rapture"...and this
pursuit of rapture in the characters' efforts at slowing down time....considering the nature of film as a medium...playing with images etc, shows a deeply metaphysical quest, and reveals the way the wheels are turning around in Zulueta's mind very accurately.
Anyone who understands even a small bit about shooting on film will really get an added dimension out of some of the allegorical significance of this film too. I mean, if you've ever at least shot and developed a roll of film...or understand the difference between digital and film...you'll see another texture in this.
I'm actually working with folks at a film archive at the moment to import a 35mm print of this with English subs to Chicago.
TRAILER:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wft4_Lia9bUIvan Zulueta in the big ivy covered house where he hid out...
PEDRO!
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