The World of Movies: The Strategy of the Snail
Written by Rachael Crawley
The World of Movies is a series that explores global cinema, drawing on films from many countries, industries and eras. This week, we talk about housing and inequality in Colombia.
The Strategy of the Snail.
May contain spoilers.
The Strategy of the Snail (Sergio Cabrera, 1993) is one of Colombia’s best-known films. It was a great success on its release and was that year’s selection for the Oscar for Best International Film (though sadly, it did not secure a nomination). It’s easy to see why the movie had such appeal – its clever concept and adroit filmmaking draw viewers in quite easily. At the same time, the statements it gives us go far deeper than a simple crowd-pleaser.
Reporter José Antonio Samper Pupo (Carlos Vives) arrives in a Bogotá neighbourhood to a scene of chaos. Most of its residents are being evicted. A resident being interviewed, Gustavo Calle Isaza (Luis Fernando Munera), explains that, though injustice is primarily at fault here, many evictions can be prevented with the right strategy. He cites the Casa Uribe story, which the reporter has not heard of. The rest of the film is a flashback to these events.
A group of city employees show up to evict the people of Casa Uribe, but the residents will not leave, despite multiple threats. A clash with the police ends in tragedy. While mourning, the residents reassess their legal position. Dr. Romero (Frank Ramírez) and Don Jacinto (Fausto Cabrera) are in charge of the operation, though their opinions tend to differ. Meanwhile, developers plan new properties to replace Casa Uribe – which they underestimate at their own peril.
The Strategy of the Snail.
To avoid serious spoilers, I will not go into the cleverness of the plan, though that is definitely accurate. Romero, a lawyer in training, continues to distract and thwart the city with every means possible. Jacinto concerns himself with the mechanics – literally. They are backed up by the rest of the community. Along the way, fate throws them a few curveballs that help (or hinder) the plan. In the end, what started as saving the building evolves into something much larger.
Though the cast is great across the board, Fausto Cabrera stands out. He plays the eccentric and brilliant Jacinto with an easy charisma. Ramírez, for his part, is a steadier presence, anchoring the film around his character’s meticulous work.
This brings me to another point - the movie is audacious, but oddly procedural. I admire how the script can get very detailed with legal proceedings, while still maintaining a compelling story. Part of this is the intrigue of Romero and Jacinto’s plans, but more importantly, the movie never loses focuses on the people in the building. Even if only in short moments, we get many glimpses into daily life at Casa Uribe, ranging from funny to poignant (or a bit of both).
Do not think, though, that this is simply an uplifting tale of triumph. A lot of its social commentary is quite dark, and there is a gritty edge underneath the residents’ activities. While the story is fiction, and we see a lot of genuine good feeling among the characters, there is also a very acute societal pain being acknowledged. More than that, the characters are often in real danger. Sergio Cabrera does not ignore the larger problems behind this single story.
Balancing many different tones, this is a daring piece. With its themes of inequality, and its humour juxtaposed with utter seriousness, The Strategy of the Snail made me think of Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite – though the two movies are very different in style and tone, I do think that Parasite’s fans might appreciate this one. This movie looks at enormous problems while maintaining a personal connection to the characters. Best of all, it remains highly entertaining throughout.
Rachael Crawley holds a Master's Degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, and has worked with film in Canada and in Europe. She adores language and cinema, and how these subjects interact with each other.