Film Review: Music, Technique, and Transnationality: The Rodríguez Brothers and Luis José Moglia Barth

• Date: 01 May 2020
• Published date: 01 May 2020
• Author: Silvana Flores
• DOI: 10.1177/0094582X19878802
• Subject Matter: Film Reviews

https://doi.org/10.1177/0094582X19878802

LATIN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES, Issue 232, Vol. 47 No. 3, May 2020, 244–252

DOI: 10.1177/0094582X19878802

© 2019 Latin American Perspectives

244

Film Review

Music, Technique, and Transnationality

The Rodríguez Brothers and Luis José Moglia Barth

by

Silvana Flores

Antonio Moreno Santa, Mexico, 1931.

Luis José Moglia Barth ¡Tango! Argentina, 1933.

The Rodríguez brothers in Mexico and Luis José Moglia Barth in Argentina experi-

mented with technical innovations relative to the development of their respective

national cinemas and the representation of Latin American national identities through

film. Case studies of the foundational films Santa (Antonio Moreno, 1931) and ¡Tango!

(Luis José Moglia Barth, 1933) reveal transnational links at the industrial and textual

levels pointing to both techno-cultural dependence on and autonomy from Hollywood.

There was also a strong connection between the experiences of these Latin American

filmmakers and the city of Los Angeles, whether during the time they spent there or

through the cinematic influence the city exerted beyond the United States. During this

period the city also functioned as the epicenter of opportunity for apprenticeship and

experimentation in aesthetic creativity.

Considering these two cases, however, requires unpacking the concept of transna-

tionality as it is applied to cinema. While the early sound cinemas of Argentina and

Mexico mobilized a set of connections and influences from Hollywood through the

circulation of talent, the conventions of musical film, and aspirations to international

appeal, they did so in distinct ways that influenced subsequent national productions.

In the case of Mexico, the shape of national cinema was greatly influenced by that

nation’s proximity to Hollywood and the ability of talent to travel between Mexico

City and Los Angeles. Despite their common ground, one could therefore argue that

the differences between these national cinemas hinged in part on their different rela-

tionships with Hollywood.

A NEW AUDIBLE CINEMA

The advent of new equipment that allowed the addition of sound to the filmstrip had

a widespread impact on cinema. From the first attempts at synchronization using

recorded discs to the optical recording of sound (which allowed the integration of

sound and images), cinema was transformed by the incorporation of new narratives,

conventions, and aesthetics. The revolution that took place in Latin American cinema

as a result of these technological changes increased competition in the Latin American

market. It also led to experimentation with film language, imbued by sound with yet

another element that brought cinema closer to resembling everyday life.

Silvana Flores is an art historian specializing in Latin American cinemas and a research assistant

at Argentina’s National Council for Scientific and Technical Research.

878802LAPXXX10.1177/0094582X19878802Latin American PerspectivesFlores / Film Review

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