Dir. Julián Hernández. Mexico, 2009. 192 min.
It’s impossible to approach a review of Raging Sun, Raging Sky in the same way you might a more conventional gay movie – it has virtually no dialogue and little narrative structure. The film is more akin to an ambitious work of art in a gallery that leaves you to form your own interpretation, which may or may not fit with the director’s original intention.
Raging Sun, Raging Sky is the final part in Julian Hernandez’s loose trilogy of gay films referencing the firmament (the others being Broken Sky and A Thousand Clouds of Peace). The four elements (earth, water, air and fire) are also heavily used symbolically and metaphorically throughout the film, especially water here representing the purity of love.
At the beginning of the film a young woman travels through the city trying to make a genuine connection with someone, anyone, but her pure heart is drowned out by the troubled voices around her. Increasingly desperate she is rescued by young, handsome Ryo (played by Guillermo Villegas), a kindred spirit and a sucker for love. The two yearning souls laugh and cry with relief and Ryo takes Meche back to his place where they make love.
Their passion is not for keeps, however, and Meche (her faith restored) promises Ryo he will find his “mighty companion”. This turns out to be an ex lover, Kieri, who has lost himself into cruising for sex and the instant, physical gratification of a casual encounter. That’s not to say director Hernandez is here passing judgement or looking down on sex for pleasure; in fact he shoots the long cruising sequences with a lush, dream-like quality – cottaging never looked this good!
A third central character is introduced: Tari (Javier Oliván) is a fiery and impetuous stalker who also has eyes for young Ryo and either represents Kieri’s lustful side or the lovelessness of cruising in general. It’s an unhappy ménage à trois in any case and the increasingly jealous Tari kidnaps Ryo and forces Kieri on a sacrificial path to reclaim his lover as the film moves into purely mythical territory, Kieri being helped on his quest by a sun goddess called El corazón del cielo (The Heart of the Sky).
The film really is beautiful both visually and in its timeless romanticism, representing Ryo and Kieri as two perfect soul-mates who only need to open their eyes and have faith to find true love. Without dialogue (or clothes for the actors!) director Hernandez relies on his camera to tell much of the story and to create drama – a gay rape scene is made all the more disturbing by the use of striking horror film techniques.
The actors also work hard to bring warmth, tension, conflict and character to the screen with only movement and expression to work with. They do a great job, particularly the devilish Tari who’s at turns menacing and sympathetic.
Yes the film is often pretentious and unjustifiably long, but watching Raging Sun, Raging Sky requires you to change down a couple of gears, sit back and let your senses be ravaged; you’ll certainly be glad you did and this homoerotic fantasy is an impressive final chapter in Julian Hernandez’s trilogy.
(Raging Sun, Raging Sky is released 12 July 2010 on DVD in UK)
