The Story of a Lost Love

A Review of the Film Green, White and Blood

Genre filmmaking is exceptionally difficult today, especially in the world of short films where there is little time to introduce characters, build situations, or reach a climax. Green, White and Blood signals its devotion to the Western genre from its very first scene, intelligently using visual cues that the audience immediately associates with the genre. After establishing the setting, the film immediately introduces its character. Director Alexis Galindo understands that in short films, time is gold; losing a moment means losing the audience. Consequently, the setting and character are introduced concisely and methodically.

Because the situation is inherently strange—a young man in formal attire in the middle of a desert—the director knows how to build suspense. Before delving into the young man's identity, the title sequence appears with music. This skillful placement of the credits heightens the suspense, drawing the viewer in. After the credits, Galindo answers the audience's questions: the young man is set to duel another man. Creative filmmakers understand the "supply and demand" game with the audience—creating an expectation and then fulfilling it. For instance, before the duel, a woman tells one of the parties, Don Tiburcio, "Take back your honor," instantly fueling the audience's curiosity about what transpired between the two men.

The performances are highly acceptable. Though the actors may not be professionals, the director clearly spent enough time rehearsing with them to ensure they inhabit their roles without unnecessary exaggeration. In an outdoor setting where the location's utility is diminished, performances become more prominent; the actors must fill the void of missing objects with their presence. Coordinating minimal reactions for maximum impact in such a setting is a difficult task that Galindo has managed well.

One of the film's "winning cards" is the reason behind the duel. This reason doesn't just explain the story's importance—it completely transforms the meaning of the duel itself. While duels are typically meant to result in one person's victory and another's death, what happens if the duel is forced by societal expectations, and the participants are unhappy with their actions?. The film addresses this delicate theme with a treatment perfectly suited to its gravity. Galindo uses all available narrative tools to reach this "spectacular surprise," such as changing locations to explain a point or shifting the point of view when a change in narrator is needed.

Green, White and Blood is a serious critique of the environment's impact on human relationships. We see characters forced to face each other in a duel against their inner will, simply because they are in a space where societal norms dictate their actions. The filmmaker uses the location to reflect a soulless, violent society that has no room for beliefs outside its traditional framework. By showing the opinions of others regarding the relationship between the Don and the young man, the film demonstrates that the relationship is doomed because society is not yet ready for it.

The setting is crucial here. Such a duel is only believable in a non-modern society, and the reason for the duel is directly tied to that societal fabric. Adopting Western motifs allows the filmmaker to elevate the story's believability. Had this occurred a century later, societal pressure might have been less, and a duel might have been avoided. The focus remains on how people become victims of their environment and circumstances. Don't's tears by the cactus and the young man's final nods are signs of their victimhood. Interestingly, the traditional nature of this society is gender-neutral; every member seems to stand against the two duelists.

Green, White and Blood is a thoughtful and delicate film with an engaging treatment and a smooth rhythm. It uses minimal dialogue and great conciseness to move the story forward. The loss of love in a harsh, ruthless environment is the film's deepest theme, yet the filmmaker reaches it through indirect means. Galindo treats the story of this duel as a chronicle of loss and sacrifice, where characters are driven to their own "slaughterhouse" against their will, standing as opponents without ever being enemies.