Crimes and passion

Of all the occupational hazards faced by lowly film correspondents (factoring in irate Phantom Menace fans, very audible popcorn munchers, that disturbing looking gent who giggled through the rape scene in Irreversible), easily the most formidable is the jealous female. Case for the prosecution? How about the time a top mate, and otherwise rational human being, chucked a shoe at my head upon hearing that I was off to interview Johnny Depp? Or the week of murderous looks from various interested parties that preceded a meeting with Antonio Bandeiras?

Unfortunately, this daft phenomena has hit chilling new heights. The week leading up to a recent meeting with Mexican heart-throb Gael Garcia Bernal brought levels of intimidation that would put Northern paramilitaries to shame, and reduced even my sister to venomous hisses by way of communication.

It’s not all that surprising. Performances in such crossover hits as Y Tu Mama Tambien and Amores Perros have brought the lad oodles of publicity and earned him pole position in Espanol’s Most Beautiful People surveys. No wonder that Steve Martin claimed he would give anything to look like the 24-year old when introducing him onstage at the 2003 Academy Awards (Except diet and exercise – another great Oscar gag. Classic).

Having worked as an actor in his native country since he was twelve, though, Bernal has no interest in such superficial forms of celebrity. “I don’t take roles because I want sex symbol status” he tells me, “I choose roles that I like and stories that I feel need to be told. I don’t care what they are going to make me look like or where they are going to take me.”

Hence his starring role in the controversial, Oscar nominated El Crime Del Padre Amaro. Already the most successful Mexican film ever at the domestic box-office, this update of Eca de Queiros – a Portugeuse novel from 1875 – sees Amaro (Bernal), a young priest, arrive in the small, rural town of Los Reynes to finish his religious training.

Though idealistic, the power which his position in the church affords him soon corrupts the priest beyond recognition. Notions of chastity and charity are quickly out the window, but Father Amaro’s not alone, by any means. His mentor Father Benito is fucking the maid and accepting donations from a drug lord, while the one priest who cares about his flock, Father Natalio, is promptly defrocked for sheltering guerrillas in his isolated parish.

Naturally, this hard-hitting and engaging film has provoked plenty by way of response, particularly in Mexico, where the Council of Bishops has described it as “a wake-up call”, while other members of the church have denounced Padre Amaro from their pulpits. Bernal gave me the full breakdown, when I caught up with him.

TB: The film has generated a lot of headlines in Mexico. How has the reaction been generally?

GGB: Most of the reaction has been very positive, only a few people came out against it.. Most of the protests that happened around the film, were against those who were trying to prohibit it.

TB: Would it be the case that those on the side of prohibition hadn’t bothered to see the film?

GGB:Yes. That always happens. It was a bit obscene – having to defend a film when the people protesting hadn’t seen it. It was good that the film could create such interest, but there was no point discussing it with them. It was just a stupid confrontation.

TB: Who were these people. Any specific interest groups?

GGB:Oh, the ones you would expect. Some members of the church. They call themselves representatives of society, but they’re are definitely not democratically elected. It’s funny, because in Mexico we think of ourselves as a puritan country, but we’re not. No more than the United States, which is puritan structurally, but the people aren’t all necessarily puritan. In Mexico or Brazil though, the countries are Catholic, but the populations enjoy the most sexual freedom in the world. But the intelligent thing for puritan types would be to support the film, or stay quiet, but they didn’t. Only some were supportive.

TB: Some within the church?

GGB:Yes. There are good people there with a vocation to help people and to do good. They supported the film. Like Vicente Lenero, who wrote the film, is a very strong Catholic.

TB: And would you consider yourself Catholic?

GGB:Well, yes. I’m culturally Catholic, but I’m spiritually agnostic.

TB: Do you see your character as inherently evil, or just an example of how power corrupts?

GGB:I think both things are absolutely true of him. The film deals with a lot of what drives him. For example, it deals with his ambition, but I think the biggest force that drives him is his fear of God. That fear ironically doesn’t allow him to be good.

TB: A better known character that you’ve played is Che Guevara. You’ve depicted the great man twice, in the miniseries Fidel, and the forthcoming Motorcycle Diaries. Was it intimidating playing such an iconic figure?

GGB:Yes. Definitely. But you know, the more I’ve learned about him, the more I realise how young he was. I mean, he was just a kid. It’s amazing, but people don’t realise that.

TB: The film we know you best for is Y Tu Mama Tambien, in which you had to perform a love scene with a friend of yours, Diego Luna, as a ‘heterosexual guy having a homosexual experience’. Was that difficult to do?

GGB:It was difficult, but once you take your clothes off, you have nothing to lose. It’s a common tragedy that after two guys kiss like that, that they can’t react intelligently to what has happened, but the ambience on that set was very intimate, so that made things easier.

TB: You were one of only three people to break the ‘don’t mention the war’ rule at the Oscars...

GGB:Yes. Well, war is war. It is terrible. It cannot be ignored. Feelings in Mexico were very against it. Politics and ambition is no excuse for such violence. Like the characters in the church in Padre Amaro – people like President Bush use God on their side to do things. They protect themselves with God. He is their shield and their weapon. I hope when people see the movie, that they make the analogy.