19.3.23
Alcarràs is a film that intelligently looks at human fear, seen through four different perspectives in a Catalan family working on a peach farm. Through the eyes of the bloodline’s elderly patriarch (legacy), his outraged son (injustice), teenage grandson (rebellion) and innocent granddaughter (friendship), varied yet universal subject matters are skillfully explored. It’s not simply a tale of ‘the capitalists versus the people’, which makes the conflict of the film delicate and complex, suiting its subtle style. There is no antagonist of such, so instead the film plays with the idea of ‘progress’ being the enemy, especially when some members of the family become hostile to change and others less so.
I feel like the film is at its strongest during the scenes with the young children. Their distaste of ‘the big trucks and scary men with the solar panels’ but at the same time showing them to have kind and tender moments with the black immigrant workers to be really effective. I found it to be a smart commentary of the ever-present immigration debate in Europe which seems to get more ugly and complicated with every passing year. However, I do think the film is at least 20 minutes too long, and there are some characters and scenes which don’t add to the overall feel and message of the film. I also felt that it could have been elevated with an effective score or soundtrack but nothing memorable is present.