La Bestia / The Beast

La Bestia, also known as The Beast, is a 2010 documentary film directed by Pedro Ultreras, an accomplished and Art Critics Award-winning Mexican filmmaker and reporter. The film is named after the infamous freight train that carries hundreds, if not thousands, of Central American migrants across Mexico's unforgiving landscapes towards the U.S. border. This perilous journey packed with danger, hardship, and uncertainty serves as the central plot for Ultreras' unfiltered portrayal of the immigrant experience.

The Beast spotlights the many struggles faced by these souls desperate for a better life, bravely relinquishing everything they know, and placing their faith in a lethal machine, a freights train known colloquially as 'La Bestia' or 'The Beast.' This iron horse is not designed for passengers, and yet, it carries endless hopefuls over its treacherous route. These passengers, many of whom are undocumented immigrants from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, cling to the tops and sides of the train, staking their lives on the promise of economic opportunity and a brighter future in the United States.

Ultreras masterfully intertwines documentary realism with poignant storytelling to capture the human spirit's resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. The courage of these immigrants, their determination, and unwavering hope of a better life is brilliantly brought to light as the film takes you up-close to their harrowing journey. The film is shot, rather untraditionally, from a first-person perspective, holding up a mirror to society while arming the audience with a raw and unadulterated view of the hardships these migrants endure.

One of the movie's most striking features is its deliberate non-inclusion of a conventional narrator. Instead, The Beast lets the journey and the immigrants themselves tell their own stories. You hear directly from the men, women, and even children who risk their lives on the brutal freight train, their narratives painting a stark picture of the fatalistic resolve that drives them. To further add to the film's unique cinematic aesthetic, Ultreras employs local folk music, which, much like the narrative, is both heartrending and inspiring, reinforcing the film's central themes but also providing brief moments of melodic respite amidst the grim realities portrayed.

The Beast does not shy away from showcasing the harsh realities these migrants face – hunger, delinquency, corruption, fatal accidents, the grim specter of human trafficking – all risks that lurk at every turn of their travels. Ultreras' camera captures the grimy, rusty details of the journey and the landscapes around as well as the strained but determined faces of the migrants, making the film a haunting reflection of a reality we often turn a blind eye towards.

Despite its stark portrayal of the harsh journey, the documentary never loses sight of its subjects' shared humanity. Throughout the hardships and the heartaches, you catch glimpsical glimpses of community among strangers, small acts of kindness, defiance against despair, and unyielding hope, and it is these moments that Ultreras captures so brilliantly that will stay with the viewer long after the credits roll.

While La Bestia revolves around the potent theme of immigration and serves as an eye-opener to the gritty realities of immigration, it is more than just a tale of survival. It is a testament of human endurance, resilience, and hope against all odds, offering a rare window into a journey that is chilling and heartrending, yet surprisingly full of joy and warmth.

In conclusion, The Beast, under Ultreras' skilled direction, does not merely depict a treacherous journey; it opens the audience's eyes to the raw and poignant realities of the immigrant experience. A powerful and compelling film, it compels viewers to step out of their comfort zones and confront the harrowing truth of their fellow humans' lives, going beyond mere statistics or headline news. With its true-ground footage and powerful storytelling, La Bestia is an undeniable work of cinematic bravery and empathetic storytelling. It is a movie that will stay with you, provoke thought, incite discussion and, hopefully, inspire change.