Rosario Tijeras

Rosario Tijeras is, hands-down, one of the best movies about Colombia kicking around today. The namesake of the movie is Rosario Tijeras ("Rosario Scissors"), a femme fatale that worked for the drug kingpins of Medellín during the late 80's. The movie is a rather faithful representation of the many aspects of life in Colombia, its irony and ultimate tragedy. Rosario, however, is a character whose work as an assassin and prostitute for the drug cartels enables her to move seamlessly between the many planes of life in the country, and following her enables the audience to get a very interesting glimpse at a full cross-section of Colombian society; from the magnificent houses of its rich elite to the Dickensian slums around its cities, Rosario knows them all, and none get the best of her.

I could write quite a bit about the main character, Rosario; or about her two suitors, the confident although vain Emilio and shy and noble Antonio. One would assume that Antonio's role is to play sidekick to Emilio's rumptuous adventures with Medellín's hottest women, but the movie shows how, in the end, it is Antonio's reliable, affectionate and noble nature which wins the day and gives Rosario what no-one in her life had ever given her - love with no strings attached, a love that has no conditions and which expects very little or nothing in return.

Watch this movie. Watch it for the character development, for the plot. Watch it for the historical context, to see the many aspects of life in a foreign country as told by its own inhabitants. But above all, watch it to see how the story of Rosario, Antonio and Emilio's ultimately impossible love unfurls. Which is no surprise - after all, as Rosario herself puts it, "amar es más difícil que matar" ("to love is more difficult than to kill"). Highly recommended, Rosario Tijeras.


Rating: 5/5 Chigüiros.