Heroes, Villains and Women: Representations of Latin America in The Voyage by Fernando Solanas

Abstract

This article provides a close study of Solanas’s most ambitious film, The Voyage (El viaje). It examines the director’s attempts to create a model of Latin American cinema in opposition to Hollywood aesthetics. The paper discusses the extent to which Solanas is successful in this project, and examines the ways in which he has been faithful to his political views. In addition, the paper challenges the film’s representations of women, arguing that in this respect The Voyage fails in its attempts at radical filmmaking; the hero’s quest is seen in patriarchal terms and the female characters are marginalized.