'Afternoons of Solitude,' directed by Albert Serra, captivates audiences through its portrayal of bullfighter Andrés Roca Rey. The documentary captures the intense preparation and emotional landscape surrounding bullfighting, devoid of commentary or traditional narrative elements. Serra emphasizes the raw beauty and complexities of the sport without sensationalizing the violence, leading viewers to wrestle with their perceptions of bullfighting. While many may abhor the practice, the film argues for recognizing its artistic value, suggesting that abolishing bullfighting would eliminate a distinct form of beauty from the cultural fabric.
Serra's daringly restrained approach to the subject is at the very source of the film's disturbing emotional power. There are no talking-head interviews, no voice-overs, no superimposed text or title cards to situate the action.
What makes 'Afternoons of Solitude' hard to watch is its assault on assumptions: perhaps justice would be served by the abolition of bullfighting, but Serra proves that, were it to vanish, a source of radical beauty would be lost.
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