Strange thing happened last night. CasparSongs won a ticket to see a documentary about Mexican recent history and the way music from a local band called Molotov was considered a soundtrack for changes in Mexican society during the last two decades. Thing is, the film showed little such connection.
At the start of the film, for about a half hour, we get Mexican history from early 20th century, to the 1980s. It is pretty obvious that the fimmaker is very criticle of the general way the country is ruled, and rightfully so! As in many (if not all) Latin American countries, the rule of law was always in the hands of a few families, sharing economic, political profits between them. The large majority is kept poor, illiterate, and far from any pretentions of power. The story is told not just as a voice over and well edited film material, but also by interviews with musicians, and, for example, the organizer of the aptly called Mexican Woodstock festival in 1971 that was interrupted by governmental forces when the public started to yell for freedom.
As the film enters the nineties, all of a sudden we get to know Molotov. A few kids from the well-to-do middle classe, with no apparent interest in politics. There first demo is copied a lot and they are ready to sign their first record deal. But, they are not accepted by society. That is to say, the parents of their fans and the management of record labels. Again, there is no mention of any political statement against them, like a break up of one of their shows by the police. No wonder: the reason they are not popular with society is that they used the word fuck a lot. Another song is about a television character broadcasting on behalf of government. That is about it.
Next, the film switches again to general developments in Mexico. In 2000, much to anyone's surprise and for the first time in history, the opposition candidate is chosen as president, and everybody is hoping that this will bring change, for example freedom of expression.Unfortunately this hope is in vain, Presidente Fox appears unable to make change happen, a fact that the film maker apperently enjoys as he shows clippings of Fox putting on his cowboy boots and being squashed by an interviewer from the USA.
When we switch back to the band again, we get a live version of one of their songs. This one is about puto, which is translated to English as faggot. Basically, Molotov has got a whole venue shouting kill faggots. I have to say this: I thought this was sickening, and completely unnecesary. I was ready to leave the venue because of this, when I saw that the band was attacked on their use of the word by various people. Still, the one band member asked why they use the word mutters a little that he forgot. What a lame duck; man, or you stand by your convictions, or you take a stand against gay violence. But this way, your society will stay the same backward, macho society that it has always been.
For one reason or another, Molotov is considered to have written the sound track of change. For me, they are nothing more than an average rock band. Mediocre songs, technically okay enough, but really just a few pompous, spoiled brads. In a way, you might say that they stand for apathy from a generation that had enough of politics as usual, but this doesn't add up when we think of change that did occur at the same time. If we'd have to go just by the band, I'd give the film one star. Because the makers did try to balance their message by interviewing critics of the band, it's two stars, out of five...
A last thought: in my earlier blog on the film Tropicália, I described how music can give a voice to people who are suppressed. Big difference: the musicians from Tropicália speak out for change, participate in demonstrations, and use their music as a form of going against the political current, even with fear for their own lives. If you are interested in the phenomenon of political change and music in Latin America, please watch Tropicalia, and not this Gimme the Power.
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