Maria full of grace Film Review by Katherinne Peralta
María’s story stresses based on countless true stories. The film keeps the audience engaged, in a performance that feels lived in rather than acted. “María full of grace” (Maria, llena eres de gracia) is a 2004 US- Colombian movie, written and directed by Joshua Marston. The director portrays the reality of many Colombians, using María’s story as an example. Joshua Marston intended to humanize the drug mule and make an educational movie about drug tracking and the dangers of this one. There is a play on words that is being made with the film’s title. In the Catholic church, the Virgin Mary is full of grace because she is pregnant and carries God’s son. In this film, María is also pregnant but, besides, she carries cocaine in her stomach. Within the film’s narrative covers topics such as the American Dream, drug trafficking, and the issues of the Third world.
“Maria full of grace” depicts the story of a seventeen-year-old teenager who faces the challenge of fending for herself due to poverty and pregnancy make her accepts a job as a drug Mule. The movie addresses issued of international drug trafficking. Poverty favors drug trafficking as traffickers take advantage of people in a desperate situation. For instance, Maria works on the production of a rose plantation with low wages, and she decides to quit due to the unjust treatment. She is in a desperate position to find a new job since her family is facing financial struggles and she discovered her pregnancy. Franklin offers her a lucrative deal working as a drug mule. María agrees to carry the drug-filled pellets in her stomach from Colombia to New York. The lousy deal seems like an easy way of getting money at the beginning. Any hope of success as a smuggler requires that María lie with a straight face under extreme stress. Before flying to New York with trumped-up papers and cash, she trains for the job in practice sessions by swallowing large grapes that are the same size as the drug-filled pellets. The movie reduced the issue of transitional drug trafficking to focus on a single story with a happy ending. The movie emphasis on the process of drug trafficking instead of the political context in which it occurs.
The movie shows a comparison between the Third world and the First world by addresses issues of the Third world. The movie objectifies Colombian Women as stereotypical global south. The Western representations of women’s from developing nations are through images of the “other” making an emphasis on the difference between the first and the third world. There is a projection of American supremacy. Colombia’s dependency on global economic structures is represented by a social, demographic and economic development in contemporary South America. For example, in the movie, there are depictions of poor living conditions.
The American Exceptionalism is discoursed by showing the US as the land of opportunities and the American Dream. Maria’s character is a representation of the enormous complexity of Hispanic life in the U.S in an illegal variety. American audience can emphasize on Maria’s decision to stay in the U.S based on her values. The movie glorifies the United States as a land of opportunity for developing nations immigrants. For instance, The film shows a social community of Hispanics in Queens that supports immigrants. Comparing, in Colombia, she has lack of support and empathy from her community in Colombia. The movie endorses a belief in American exceptionalism by suggesting that Maria’s immigration to the United States is the answer to her problems.
An example is Lucy’s description of the United States as too perfect and a country where everything is straight. Carla is portrayed as a representation of Colombian emigrants in the USA. Carla has struggled to create a new life in a new country, but nothing is comparable to the happiness of being with her loved ones in Colombia. She stays in the USA because she wants a better life for her son.
Despite many of the significant aspects of the film, it does have some hits and misses. The absence of dialogue in important scenes is on purpose to enforce an enigmatic flair. Maria’s action is much more telling than their words. The absence of dialogue to give the audience the opportunity to empathize with Maria and to image her thoughts and feelings. There also are the absences of subjective camera view and the camera work focus more on Maria. Some camera shots such as medium close-ups and close-ups show Maria as the center of attention
“María Full of Grace” offers a poignant and unflinching look at the harsh realities faced by many individuals caught in the cycle of poverty and drug trafficking. Through María’s journey, the film humanizes the struggles of drug mules and provides a stark commentary on the socio-economic disparities between the Third World and the First World. Joshua Marston’s compelling storytelling and focused cinematography invite viewers to empathize deeply with María’s experiences, making the film not just an engaging narrative but also an important educational piece on the complexities of immigration, the American Dream, and global inequality.
