Day 20: Bajo La Sal (Under the Salt) (2008)

Bajo La Sal (Under the Salt) (2008)

Starring: Humberto Zurita, Plutarco Haza, Richardo Polanco, Moises Arizmendi, Blanca Guerra, Damayanti Quintanar

Category: , Favorite, new classic, foreign 

Plot Tags: murder mystery, supernatural

Original release: October 2008 (Mexico)

Format viewed: DVD - own collection

Directed by: Mario Munoz

Written by: Angel Pulido, Mario Munoz

Distributed by: Peliculas Imaginarias, Warner Bros. Mexico

This film is another reason why I wanted to go forward and attempt this horror movie project for October. I originally saw this back a few years ago and got my hands on a copy and have watched it a few times since. There are times where the story itself or the twist and turns and reveals of the mysteries and all that don't have to be super crafty. Sometimes the story can be standard and straight forward and still do a simply remarkable job of working without being completely unseen before or be way clever. That is the case with Bajo La Sal, as it is (from a plot standpoint) your standard serial killer mystery, procedural type story. These are great because they put you on the edge of your seat, give you scenes to sweat out and try to determine who the killer is etc and have it wrapped by the end. This is a good thing - what you see is what you get. However, the difference between a color-by-numbers type films of area and a film like Bajo La Sal is the execution. This film looks remarkable, feels original, is so well acted and is interesting to the final frame without going for the huge twist gimmicks. 

The story centers around a small Mexican town that exists by and large because of a large salt mine on the outskirts. The mine is enormous and quite impressive to look at from the opening sequences and throughout the film. A body is discovered during the mining process one morning and, because of other murders in the area, is linked and an outside detective is brought in to sort it out. At the same time, the story also focuses on a teenage boy and his father who run the local mortuary. The boy's mother has recently died and the relationship between the boy and his father is one of distance, misunderstanding and sadness over the mother's loss. The boy is a huge horror movie fan and constructs reenactments of scenes from horror movies in stop motion in his room and films them. These 'films' are just breathtaking in their execution and style but, at least to me, not done in a way that would make you doubt that he made them. Not unlike the kid films in Super 8, these are crude to a point and do not force you to suspend disbelief that he makes them. Because of his demeanor and interests, the focus at one point of the story is on him as a suspect. 

As the story progresses, the detective (played amazingly well by Humberto Zurita) starts to unravel a mystery surrounding the local Catholic school, a tragedy there and connections between the victims of the murders and the school and towns past. The  detective and the boy never 'team up' though to solve the thing together and this was something I admired greatly. So often in murder mystery stories there are unlikely teamings of characters that stretch the laws of logic. This story never does that and it makes the whole thing play more real. Similarly, the detective and the boy both have shortcomings that play into the story but never dive head long into that whole 'seeking redemption' or 'underdog makes good' kind of baloney that often happens. Again, this was a choice that I thought really set the story apart from so many others in that it made our main characters sympathetic but sympathetic because they are well written, smart characters and not because of a a+b=c type setup done 1000 times before. 

I cannot say enough about how beautifully this film is made - from the set locations to the filming style and all the rest - it is often like a moving painting versus a film. The relationship between the boy and his father is played to such a sharp point that big long speeches aren't needed to convey the sadness and disconnect that exists there. Similarly, events in the detective's past are brought into the story but not in a cliche' way at all - they are a part of who he is. While the film does have its disturbing imagery and a couple of jolting moments, it is overall more easy to access for the average viewer not crazily into scary movies. It was one of my favorite movies the year I saw it and is most certainly a favorite upon repeat viewings since. Very worth seeing.