Cinco días sin Nora (2008)
The humor in the film Cinco días sin Nora (Nora´s Will) by Mexican film director Mariana Chenillo is dry and subtle, but very witty. It a good film through which to explore the themes of religion, death, the importance of family, and interpersonal relationships. Read the film synopsis and view the trailer here.
As if on cue, the first words that my students used to describe the the film included "extraña". Weird. They were uncomfortable with the way in which death was presented. They thought it was odd that Nora's cadaver was kept in the apartment for five days. They were bothered by Nora's two young granddaughters playing in the empty coffin. I couldn't have asked for a better reaction from which to explore the treatment of death in Mexican and non-Mexican cultures, which was exactly what I had planned to do in my advanced level course on literature and film by women.
Religion is also a major theme in the film. Cinco días sin Nora presents us with characters who are deeply committed to their religious (or anti-religious) values, and invites us to explore what role religion plays in society and in our personal lives. Mexico, of course, is predominately catholic. Although official census statistics show a widening mix of religious and non-religious beliefs in the county, 82.7% of the population still self-identifies as catholic. 4.7% of the population identifies as Jewish, and 0.006% of the population identifies as non-religious. All three of these perspectives are show in Cinco días sin Nora, as Nora's family and close friends, including her ex-husband (atheist), son (Jewish), and housekeeper (Catholic) each have very differing views on both how Nora's body should be prepared for burial, and where she should be buried. As Nora's death was a suicide, there are added complications that are also viewed through a religious lens.
(On a side note, Ilan Stavan's explains the presence of Jewish culture in Mexico very well in his book Singer's Typewriter and Mine: Reflections on Jewish Culture (University of Nebraska Press, 2012). The book is quite interesting if you are interested in the subject.)
This film also lends itself well to the study of camera angles (plano largo / largo ancho, plano medio, primer plano). The opening sequence is shot almost entirely in primer plano, and the closing sequence contrasts nicely, focusing on similar elements, but using a variety of shots. Both the opening and closing sequence focus on the dining room table, and watching them consecutively in class gives students the opportunity to explore the symbolism of the table, and to reflect on the various interpersonal power struggles seen throughout the movie.
Here is how I used the film in my advanced film class:
Previewing:
- review census data on religion in Mexico
- comprehension and analysis questions on the film's narrative structure, portrayal of religion, character development, etc.
- in-class review of homework questions
- study of camera angles
- in-class viewing of opening and closing sequences
- in-class writing assignment on the portrayal of religion in the movie
- students read a fragment of the essay “Todos Santos, Día de Muertos”by Octavio Paz (included in his El laberinto de la soledad) for homework and answer questions, exploring perceptions of death in Mexican and U.S. cultures.
