Deseo

A Mexican Mosaic of Desire and Intimacy

Antonio Zavala Kugler’s 2013 Mexican erotic drama ”Deseo” is based on Arthur Schnitzler’s 1897 play “Reigen” (also known as “La Ronde”). It explores the themes of desire through intertwining romantic lives like its source material. It depicts how desire is a universal characteristic, irrespective of the individual’s background.

Plot Overview

The film is set in a contemporary Mexican city and revolves around the budding romance or sex in each of the eight stories that are interlinked. The flow of the film is in a circular manner, whereby the second character of a vignette morphs into the lead character of the subsequent vignette. Eventually, there is a continuous loop of seduction, betrayal, intimacy, and yearning.

Fearless of taboo and moral lines, the film brings to fore the broken nature of human relationships. In relation to sharing affection, lust, love, grieving, seeking, and being a wealthy woman, rebellious teenager, and even a lonely sailor is what brings these seemingly disparate tales together. It’s how different people from varying walks of life can dream of a richer, complex world filled with possibilities.

Main Cast and Characters

• Christian Bach as La Señora: grounded, elegant woman, but underneath her appeal is the unbearable feeling of loneliness.
• Ari Borovoy as El Muchacho: An adolescent who acts as a bridge across social divides and generational gaps.
• Edith González as La Actriz: A performer who plays a role both on stage and in love, skillfully merging the figure and the character.
• Paola Núñez as La Jovencita: Young and bold, she epitomizes liberated and youthful sexual expression.
• Paulina Gaitán as La Adolescente: Relatively naïve, but with a desire to know, her story is about the naivete and the confusion of adult sexual yearnings.
• Gerardo Taracena as El Marinero: A free man who brings with him short-term relationships with long lasting effects.
• Leonor Varela as La Muchacha: A tender and strong woman led by great courage and strong feelings towards life.
• Lila Downs as La Cantante: She enriches the drama with poetic and ethnic music, which serves as an echo to the souls of the characters and her voice.

Themes and Style

• Deseo is deeply erotic but not intending to create shock or outraged for purposes of examining the human relations. Encounters examine:
• The mingling of social classes and age group through an interaction involving sexual attraction.
• Dominant-submissive roles within a love or sexual relationship.
• Intimate relationships which are mostly beautiful but momentary.

In its erotic storytelling, the movie weaves together sensual music, sophisticated cinematography, and rich visuals. While portraying the nudity and sexual scenes, Deseo steers clear of explicitness by focusing on the emotional depth and character development.

Reception

After its release, Deseo captured the attention of the public due to its superficial approach to eroticism as well as their subversive narrative. Critics lauded the film’s attempt to fuse a European classic into a Latin American context, appreciating the region’s cultural boldness. Some were willing to commend the film’s cultural adaptation, while others resorted to arguing about whether or not the character arcs were shallow.

With the aid of an ensemble cast of major latin american stars, the film transformed what could have been a simplistic erotic piece into a sensual drama probing the human condition.

Final Thoughts

Three classic elements of Deseo: desire, lack of boundaries and identity turn it into a reflection of desire as a medium of seeking meaning, comfort, rebellion, and escapism. Each of the stories represents a mind of their own, yet together they form an emotional mosaic.

For viewers who liked The Dreamers, Eyes Wide Shut or 9 Songs, Deseo will provide a new Latin take on the universal desire for love and passion intertwined with obsession, lust, and longing.