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Customer Reviews of Broken Sky

Sweet, beautiful story, but NOT for impatient viewers
"Broken Sky" (El Cielo Dividido)(Spanish, 2006) is a story of young love between college boys. Gerardo first meets Jonas at a sports field on campus, and they are soon back at Jonas' apartment (The student accommodations seem to be much more than a dorm) having passionate sex. While the relationship heats up quickly, it begins to cool off just as fast, with Jonas turning his face away when Geraldo wants to be affectionate when they are not in bed. When it becomes clear that Jonas is obsessed with Bruno, a boy he met at a disco, Sergio moves in on Geraldo, whom he had been watching during his time with Jonas. Of course, Jonas fling with the other boy doesn't last, and he is soon pining to get back with Geraldo. <
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>There are mixed reviews on this film, for good reason. First and foremost, it is a beautifully photographed, almost lyrical story people can relate to, featuring a very attractive cast. But the filmmaker chose to make a film devoid of almost all dialogue (Most of the Spanish dialogue, subtitled in English, consists of song lyrics and a few voiceovers), supposedly because he wanted to convey the emotions between the actions and words in a relationship. In my opinion, this pushes the film over the line from "arty" to confusing as hell for the most part, since there are no dialogue references to clarify points that are unclear. I could have also done without the director's habit of spinning the camera from one scene to the next (as if all sets were in one room), the frequent "fade to light" (which unfortunately made the subtitles unreadable), and the way this relatively simple story was stretched to an attention-straining 140 minutes. Truly, this is only for the film buff with patience who can appreciate the "message" the filmmaker was trying for, rather than the average viewer who wants to be told a story. <
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>IMDB lists this film as having scored a PG-13 rating, which must be wrong; the film includes full male nudity and explicit simulated sex acts. DVD is listed as unrated, has chapter stops and no real other special features. I give the film three stars out of five. <
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I love you but I don't
bella, preciosa... this has to be one of the best movies I have ever seen that deals with the mercurial and ephymeral love that exists if only for a moment between two men... <
>The intolerable confusion that sets in when one can no longer trust his lover, when the loved one pushes the lover away, when the inescapable need of another person's body in yours is all there is... <
>when the simple need to love and be loved completely consumes....these are among the themes which are developed in this film. <
>the movie is romantic, brutally real and positive in its reality... <
>The evolution, dissolution then remembrance <
>of that exquisite moment in time and place <
>when two souls ignite together is told with practically no dialogue <
>a haunting narration and probably most especially an incredible musical score... <
>the music is so varied and so to the point that it even includes <
>"Rusalka's" song to the moon when she is about to leave her paradise for the love of an earthly man. <
>If the movie seems long it is only because it is exquisitely painful to watch <
>and each conflict and resolution is only one more in a love that continues to glow... stubbornly refusing to die. <
>I don't lke to regurgitate a plot in my reviews. <
>Rather I like to share my impressions. <
>If you are a viewer that needs to have dialogue that spells everything out <
>or action in a film where 10 things are happening at once, then this film may not be for you. <
>If on the other hand, you can appreciate and rellect on what in this film is so poetically presented, <
>then yes this movie is for you.

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A Song Without Words
'El Cielo dividido' (BROKEN SKY) is a daring, experimental film from Mexican writer/director Julián Hernández and as such it is bound to polarize audiences. Some will fault the film for self-indulgence while others will praise the bravery of a film of this topic to come from a country not exactly known for its flexible social attitudes. <
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>Julián Hernández focuses on the history of a first love and without using dialogue he tells his story simply with silent actors, minimal narrative comments which serve as program notes, music, and ravishingly beautiful photographic composition. Gerardo (Miguel Ángel Hoppe) opens the film, a solo youth wandering what appears to be the streets of Mexico City finally ending up in an open amphitheater where his eye glimpses another lone youth Jonas (Fernando Arroyo) sitting staring into space. Gerardo wanders over to him, sits beside him, gains the courage to touch his shoulder, Jonas responds glowingly - and love begins. Through the next scenes we find the couple making love both in bed and in unexpected public places including the stacks of the library of the school where they both are students -and where another pair of eyes enters: Sergio (Alejandro Rojo) watches longingly as Gerardo and Jonas kiss and display an aura of passion Sergio obviously longs for. <
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>The new couple share many experiences, all bathed in love, until they eventually go to a disco: Jonas dances with an enchanted Bruno (Ignacio Pereda) and a trace of chemistry is generated, a fact that Gerardo, watching the boys dance, senses and is disturbed. A crack is created in their bliss and that crack only widens as they each have mixed responses to what they perceive is escaping. Gerardo encounters the winsome Sergio and the two bond physically, a fact that forces Jason to reevaluate his initial feelings for Gerardo. <
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>All of this story is told without dialogue of words but with a very strong dialogue of eyes. Director Hernández seems to want to share how love is an internalized emotion, only demonstrated with physical intimacy, but fragile as a newborn in its vulnerability to wounds. Cinematographer Alejandro Cantú finds stunning settings and lighting and sensitive explorations of love making that never exceed tasteful states. His manner of showing time elapsing is to pan walls within a room that serve as flashbacks and flash-forwards as a means of carrying the story forward. Film editor Emiliano Arenales Osorio uses some very creative techniques to keep the viewer guessing as to whether we are observing fact, fantasy, present or past. And the musical score by Arturo Villela deftly maintains the minimalist stance with simple phrases by cello, harpsichord, and violin, saving the passion expression for the use of Dvorák in Rusalka's 'Song to the Moon' as ravishingly sung by Renée Fleming <
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>All of those praises being said, the major reason this film doesn't retain an audience base is its length: it is 140 minutes long, repetitive, and would have been much more powerful had it been cut to 90 minutes at best. It is far too visually stunning a piece of work to step beyond the patience of an audience happy to see the birth and blossoming and challenges of a first love between two beautiful young men. The actors are indeed a pleasure to watch, but in this case less is more. One wonders what Julián Hernández will create next. He deserves applause for this experimental film but hopefully will learn from its tendency toward self-indulgence. Grady Harp, January 07 <
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