Jorge Franco's Rosario Tijeras

Sex, drugs, crime, and love - - that's what is involved in the 3 way relationship between Rosario, Enrique and Antonio in Franco's novel.

Although the novel's character's and events may be fictional, what was astonishing to find out that the sort of events that happen in the novel-- shoot outs in clubs, drug exchange -- would have been entirely plausible in the setting the novel was written. The Medellín Cartel and the setting in Colombia in the time frame [although never explicitly said] of late 80's, early 90s sadly, make this story possible.

It was sort of refreshing, however, to have an unconventional female lead in the story, or at least through Antonio's eyes. Rosario was everything to him, consumed by infatuation and love, but she was clearly damaged as a result of her surroundings. Since she was young, had experienced hurt and violence-- so it was not surprising to see how she unravels throughout the course of the novel, namely in the sporadic killing of men. She does possess a sort of power through her sexuality, which is evident by the way men are captivated by her [Emilio, Antonio etc]. Since the second time she was raped and later killed her rapist, Rosario used her feminine sexuality to get what she wanted (revenge or otherwise) seeing as how it was the only thing in her unstable world she had any control over. Her modus operandi of killing her victims with a kiss beforehand symbolizes the double edged sword, or the fine line between affection [whether genuine or otherwise] and death.

The relationships between the three main characters is a tangled web of emotions. Although Rosario is in a relationship with Emilio, and may love him, in her own way, it seems she is more in love with her relationship with Antonio they have together-- she is able to trust him in a way she cannot trust her own boyfriend. The novel seems to question the intention of love and the implications that being in a relationship require (although Emilio is her so called boyfriend, Rosario indulges in relationships with other men, possibly drug lords? && Emilio never shows up to the hospital after Rosario is shot, something someone should do if they care for another person)

It will be curious to see how the adaptation stays true to Antonio's account of events and depiction of Rosario and whether the Emilio/Rosario relationship will be expanded instead.

Piñeyro's Money to Burn

Upon looking up this film in the cinematic waters that is imdb.com, the page for this movie has a link claiming it is among one of the "50 Best Gay Films" and that, it may very well be.

Ricardo Piglia's book, however, is not really able to boast that it is one of the best gay books ever written.

In the book, The Kid and Gaucho's [or Nene and Ángel, as they are known in the film] relationship is not really a prominent part of the novel but rather a fraction in the overall plot of the novel. The fact that The Kid and Gaucho were intimate on some level does not overshadow the real task at hand, the robbery. In the film, it seems as though in order to keep the relationship intact, Nene and Ángel are looking for this job to salvage whatever is left of their love affair. Nene begins in an affair with Giselle out of boredom and to in a way spite Ángel, even though Ángel has been hurting the whole movie trying to prove himself. The Kid turns to Giselle in the novel because he sees her as a type of refuge from the restlessness of having to wait around in Montevideo.

In the novel, there is more sense of history also, having the author give context of both criminal's life in prison, etc. As was discussed in class, the burning of the money seems to lose its symbolism against society in the film, becoming a symbol of rebellion--the two lovers against the world [Bonnie and Clyde? haha].

Yet, it wouldn't be right to say the film devalues the more political aspects of the novel; it is more an expansion of a smaller aspect of the novel's story. As Dudley Andrews states, "it is assumed that the task of adaptation is the reproduction in cinema of something essential about an original text" and while this may be assumed, it is not always true. What should also be taken into account is that everyone's artistic vision or take on things are not made the same; Piñeyro seems more inspired [rather than wanting to adapt] by the structure of Piglia's novel as the frame for a tortured love story.