Cronicas (World Dramatic Competition) Directed by: Sebastian Cordero

The most amazing thing about film is that there are certain events, situations, states of mind, and people that can be communicated across cultures through this medium that bypasses all boundaries. “Cronicas,”directed by Sebastian Cordero, is one such film that, despite its set location of Equador and Spanish subtitles, can still reach even American audiences by injecting those who watch it with a sense of uneasiness and confusion about the psychosis and obsessions of the world, both in the mind of a criminal, as well as that of the everyman. Directed and written superbly, “Croncias” also explores the uneasy territory of how human nature, via the example of popular media, will sacrifice the well-fare of others if it’s advantageous to one’s own self.

Based loosely on true events in Equador, “Cronicas” is a story about a reporter named Manolo Bonilla (John Leguizamo) who occupies within Spanish society an enormously powerful position–that of a reporter on a news show akin to the United States’ “20/20" or “Dateline.” He has the ability to mold people’s opinions through the news, depending on how he slants his story, and he will not stop until he has brought information–biased or not–to an audience that loves and worships him with a cult-like following.

Naturally, Manolo is fascinated when he has the opportunity to interview Vinicio Cepeda (Damian Alcazar), a Bible salesman in jail on the charge of killing a child (though accidentally). His interest, however, is for quite a different reason. Though the murder that Vinicio has been imprisoned for was quite accidental, Manolo believes that the man could very possibly be a serial child rapist and murderer that has been evading capture for years. Seeing his opportunity for the biggest story of his life, Manolo convinces Vinicio that in exchange for information that could lead to the whereabouts of the killer, which Vinicio maintains he knows, Manolo will run a story on his show about the injustice of his captivity that could lead to his freedom. Through interviews, however, Manolo believes he can get Cepeda to confess as the killer himself, and becomes so deeply involved in this murder mystery that he changes the outcome to one that is entirely different than he could have suspected.

“Cronicas” can first be complimented for its superb screenwriting and direction, both of which can be attributed to Sebastian Cordero. Cordero has an almost “creepy” way of leading his audiences through this story of intrigue by first setting up the suspected killer, Vinicio, as a person both with a likeable personality, but also as someone with a suspicious past (especially in the beginning, when we are privy to watching Cordero unexplainably wash his clothes and bathe in a lake, even though he has his own house and a wife). Vinicio is established as a quiet, religious, and peaceful man–hardly capable of being a child murderer, aside from the boy he accidentally hits with his truck (and is later imprisoned for). When he is attacked by a lynch mob for the manslaughter, the audience is struck with such a deep and sincere sympathy for the man based on its previous experience with him, and true disgust for the lynch mob, that it is difficult to let those emotions go throughout the film, despite the various instances of circumstantial evidence brought to light throughout the film that convincingly make an argument against Cepeda’s innocence. The lead character, Manolo, is likeable as well, even though portrayed as an arrogant demi-god of the television world, well-aware of his manipulative ability to mold his viewers. So confident is he, in fact, that he puts his job on the line to construct a story for his show that will set Cepeda free because he knows he will not fail. The character development in this film, particularly within Cepeda and Manolo, is so strong that you simultaneously hate and love both characters, unsure of which to believe and mentally convict.

In terms of direction, like with his screenplay, Cordero is careful to not let his audience see too much which may lead to a premature conclusion, or any conclusive decision at all, as to the guilt of Cepeda. Many of his shots are composed in dark environments, effectively hiding faces. In the jail that Cepeda is being held at in particular, one can really only make out very indistinct features, identified only by eyes that tell as much as the possibly lying words coming out of both characters’ mouths as they seek to manipulate one another–Manolo trying to convince Cepeda he is sincerely trying to free him, and Cepeda trying to prove to Manolo that he isn’t a child killer.

This film also succeeds in its uncanny ability to reveal human nature when it becomes consumed with completing its assigned job. In this case in particular, Cordero chooses the popular media as its most likely victim to show this dark side of humanity to succeed at all costs. For example, using the Manolo character, he and the camera crew accompanying him happen upon the death of the young boy hit by Cepeda just as it’s happened. The boy that has been hit is also the only son left of a man who has just lost his other child to the killer Manolo later suspects Vinicio of being. In his rage, the man incites a riotous lynching mob to kill Vinicio, doing everything from dousing him in gasoline and lighting him on fire, and all in front of his wife and child. Being in a position to do at least something, Manolo and his crew merely stand by for a few minutes, and Manolo even encourages his camera man to get into the thick of the riot to get better shots of the chaos. He even records the police attempting to intervene, and later manipulates the placement of these images with narration to create the insinuation that the police did not even try to break up the riot. Manolo only stops the riot to save Vinicio’s life when his camera man is threatened by the violence! To Manolo’s benefitm howver, he now not only has great footage for a story, but also “evidence” that he is a hero.

The fact that it took Manolo and his crew so long to intervene, to simply stand by and watch a man be burned to death by a murderous lynch mob, is indicative of human nature’s ability to be so consumed by “getting the story,” or succeeding in any other endeavor, that a person would allow something disastrous happen to another if it could be viewed as advantageous to themselves. Continuing to use the media as an example, while there are plenty of journalists with an honest sense of ethics and for what’s right, there are instances in our world today where the ravenous media would gladly crucify someone else if it could help them. Celebrities are an excellent example, as paparazzi will invade privacy to no ends, even if it results in death (as was the case with Great Britain’s Princess Diana), to get the pictures or story that they need. And, in addition, the fact that there is an unrelenting market for such materials, despite the fact that the public is well-aware of the means exercised to gather them, is indicative too of this all-consuming sense of entitlement above others. This harsh look at humanity is expressed extremely well by Cordero.

“Cronicas,” an entry in the World Dramatic competition, is an extremely interesting film both cinematically and from multiple psychological viewpoints. Not only do the direction and screenplay operate successfully, but to let the film be a peek into human nature’s dark side–a side that transcends barriers of language and culture–is truly what makes this film a success. It forces its audience to constantly think and re-evaluate the story and whom they believe, but also themselves and the capability of human nature to act so callously, that the well-fare of other human beings can be devalued in place of one’s own.