In his Under The Same Sun review, Chris Harrison says the film’s messaging about colonialism, racism, and exploitation are still relevant today.
If 1819 HIspaniola feels familiar to you while watching Under the Same Sun, that’s no mistake. The film’s messaging about colonialism, racism, and exploitation feel especially relevant today.
The film follows a beleaguered Spanish colonizer named Lázaro, who is accompanied by Mei, a woman from China, as he looks to carry out a mission given to him by his late father. The two are in Hispaniola at a time of political upheaval, dodging French patrols, as they look to set up silk production on the Spanish half of the island.
Lázaro (David Castillo) is a coward, a small man living in his father’s shadow, thirsty for approval and praise, but scared of acting upon his desires. Castillo’s performance has texture, playing him as equally vile and sad, as he shrinks away from the consequences of his actions.
His jealousy is on full display in scenes with Baptiste (Jean Jean), a deserter from the Haitian army who has genuine competence and guile, and even with Mei (Valentina Shen Wu), without whom his dreams of riches cannot come true. His bigotry (he wonders how a Black man can possibly have taken over his home) is in conflict with his cowardice (he’s too scared to ask if he can sleep in his own bed), forcing him to hate in secrecy, for fear of being caught.
Shen Wu is impressive in her first-ever film credit (and delivers lines in both Spanish and Mandarin), giving emotional depth to the very blunt Mei, who sees little use in reflecting on her past as her traveling companions share stories. Jean Jean is also great as Baptiste, and some of the standout scenes in the film feature the two of them playing off of each other, exchanging subtle glances as their connection grows.
While not everything here works – an early fight scene fell flat and lacked tension – Under the Same Sun gets its message across clearly, particularly when Lázaro and Mei deal with an archbishop more concerned with commerce and subjugation than salvation.
The cinematography is stunning, and director Ulises Porra brings the island to life. Many of the shots feel like living oil paintings, impeccably lit and full of visual detail. The silk production scenes in particular are lovingly shot, and authentic to boot – the filmmakers partnered with a botanical garden and brought in a team of worm handlers and silk making experts.
Under the Same Sun is beautifully filmed and features strong performances from its central cast. It has a lot to say about the state of the world – Porra referred to the colonial Caribbean as a “prequel” to today – and it gets its message across with subtlety and nuance, which makes it all the more resonant.
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