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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Earlier this month, I was allowed the opportunity to watch a film directed by the late Héctor Babenco. My Hindu Friend is the filmmaker’s final film and features American actor Willem Dafoe as its protagonist. He plays Diego Fairman, a former film director who undergoes treatment for cancer. In the process, he meets and befriends a young Hindu boy.
For the most part, the film is easy to understand in terms of theme and narrative structure. Fairman looks back on his life with a fear of death and thinks about all the choices he’s made since leaving home to pursue his career. His family and friends are deeply affected, and some are nearly pushed away.
The cinematography and camera work is practical, to say the least, and there isn’t anything too bad about them. The acting is acceptable, however the most peculiar element is the film’s portrayal of its many characters. Women are either sexualized or hospitable to men, and Fairman tries to initiate intercourse with almost all of them. It seems the men are the sex that takes over matters.
Death itself in the form of a businessman visits the protagonist here and there, showing that life is just a commodity to be traded between mortals and immortal beings. The protagonist is told that ”you won’t die because death doesn’t exist.” The titular “Hindu friend” of Fairman shows up halfway through the film, and there is so much that happens before and after this event. Even then, he is only present in very few scenes. He doesn’t get a name. What’s important for this aspect of the film is Fairman’s relationship with the boy. The boy represents youth and purity, but by being in the hospital, Fairman learns that there is nothing to be afraid of, which he, in turn, gains a positive outlook on living. We are in this life together, so we should do everything we can while it lasts.
Overall, My Hindu Friend isn’t something you would see with family or if you were to go on a date. This is more of a film that you would go see at a festival full of casual mature moviegoers. With more development of the boy, it would make more sense for the film to be titled what it is. The cinematography is good and the acting isn’t so bad, and perhaps we could see more of how Fairman’s career has affected him. The lesson here is to be grateful for the little things in life because you just might miss out on all the good that passes your way.
6/10
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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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