Director Arberto Avelo's lush biopic The Liberator presents the story of Venezuelan leader Simón Bolívar (Édgar Ramírez), a pivotal figure in the history of the Americas, albeit one unknown to many Norteameicanos. At the film's outset, Bolívar is a prosperous sugarcane planter, but otherwise an atypical colonial figure, having been raised by a black slave and educated by liberal intellectuals. Following a sudden loss and a period of depressive dilettantism, he is motivated to insert himself into South America's struggle against the Spanish empire. The majority of The Liberator chronicles—selectively, by necessity—a long chain of military victories and setbacks as Bolívar first emancipates Venezuela and then turns his attention to other Spanish provinces. His ultimate dream is a multi-state union that spans the continent, but once the new political order begins to crystallize, this goal is stymied by the greed and resentment of other factions.
Avelo and St. Louis native screenwriter Timothy J. Sexton are plainly focused on creating a Latin American version of that cinematic chestnut, the Oscar-bait historical prestige epic. They succeed, in that The Liberator follows the subgenre's template with religious faithfulness—and, unfortunately, a lack of imagination. Naturally, the film features lavish production design and cinematography designed to show it off. There are, admittedly, novel pleasures here and there. Gustavo Dudamel's score takes a nod from The Mission in making liberal use of native woodwinds. Moments of downright Malickean beauty flit through the film: one lovely shot of Bolívar simply lying in a hammock is almost worth the price of admission. Overall, however, The Liberator is kept afloat primarily by the sheer magnetism of Ramírez's presence. It's not a heavyweight performance, but the actor's chiseled features and bottomless eyes serve as a humane marker amid all the period grime and battlefield chaos.
The Liberator screens Sunday, November 23, at 6:00 p.m. at the Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar. For more information, visit the Cinema St. Louis website, cinemastlouis.org.
