Review of the Plague

I watched this film because it was based on an Albert Camus novel of the same name. Camus is of interest to me because I'm currently learning about neo-colonialism and studying creative writing. Camus was a rival of Jean Paul Sartre. He was also a major voice of Algerians during the Franco- Algerian war.

The film is an Art House film. It starred some B list actors; William Hurt, Jean Marc Barr, and Robert Duvall. It told a linear story. It used camera angles that were standard. There were no major technical surprises in this film. I thought the best part about the film was the performances of the actors and the story. It takes place in a South American city infected with the plague

Each person is thought to be or is infected with the plague. It is only after some time that the plague is contained that things are returning to normal. The saddest part of the film is when the choir boy dies of the plague. I was saddened that he was killed. The film sets it up by having him sing very nicely, and then tragically he dies.

The film was interesting. It reminded me of Terry Gilliam's Brazil for some reason. Perhaps it was the big neo-classical building in the film. Every time anyone went to the Doctor's it was a neo-classical structure. Or, perhaps, it was the wrangling through bureaucracy that occurred every time some got the plague.

The ending was abrupt. I didn't see it coming that Jean Marc Barr's character would get shot down by the driver who had angst against non- Latinos for some reason which remains vague to me. This was quite an ending, yet it still remains vague as to why he went on a psychotic shooting spree.