Biutiful; Vulnerable Populations; SALT; Duhart

By Olympia Duhart When I went to see the movie Biutiful, I was especially looking forward to experiencing (at least on film) parts of Barcelona, Spain. My friend Diego, from Barcelona, promised me that once I saw the film I would be eager to visit his stunning city. He has never been more wrong. Biutiful, the intense and sometimes disturbing film by Alejandro González Inárritu, is many things. But an advertisement for Barcelona tourism is not one of them. The film is relentless in its visceral exposure of a naked and desperate city that is plagued with modern-day ills.  In 148 minutes, Biutiful challenges us to consider mental illness, health care failures, racism, homophobia, police brutality, the exploitation of undocumented workers and poverty. Although set abroad in one of the most beautiful European cities, it could be set in almost any city in the world.  The story would almost be undisturbed, for instance, if it were filmed in my own home town – Miami. The conflicts that propel the story, frustrate the protagonist and overwhelm the audience are all too common. Uxbal, the 21st century construction of The Bible’s Job portrayed by Javier Bardem, is struggling to balance a life amidst utter chaos. He also is trying very hard to protect his family and though he falters, he never abandons his quest to restore his damaged moral compass. He is a complicated and troubled man who is trying to make some money in the seedy underground business world and navigate several personal trials. His special connection to the after-life is entirely overshadowed by the turmoil of his grueling life here on earth. He has to worry about the police, a mentally ill wife, a dishonest brother, a serious illness and generally surviving life in the ghetto. Bardem has said of his role that it was “the heaviest movie I’ve done in my life and one of the heaviest I will ever do.” It’s easy to see why.Biutiful refuses to glamorize the difficulties inherent in each of the obstacles blocking Uxbal’s path to redemption. It presents a host of maladies with raw and tragic realities. For example, mental illness is difficult to diagnose, impossible to manage without professional help and likely to disrupt even the most precious love. It is made more dangerous among poor people who cannot afford treatment. Though mental health disorders are now pervasive throughout the United States, many sufferers do not receive treatment. Sometimes cultural bias restrains mentally ill people from accessing the mental health care they need. The results wreck entire families. Uxbal’s trials with his mentally ill wife demonstrate these truths.