The further we go back in History, the fewer testimonies and resources there are that allow us to reconstruct it. Yes, we can gather tableware, bones and other archaeological remains, but the poetry and emotions are missing. For this reason, historical cinema usually goes back to more documented eras, be it the Viking invasions, the expansion of the Roman Empire or, mixing history and mythology, the Greek epics. However, we are sure that there will have been many movie-worthy stories thousands of years before, emotional stories with great characters like Julius Caesar or Attila the Hun, centuries before names or writing reached us.
‘Ötzi, the Iceman’ is a film that decided to contribute its bit to the film mythification of these dark times, getting as close as possible to historical fidelity. Directed by Felix Randau in 2017, this German film takes us to the Ötztal Alps, 5,300 years ago. There, he introduces us to a Neolithic clan whose leader, Kelab, is dedicated to being the guardian of a sacred sanctuary called Tineka. And this is, more or less, what History could tell us, but the story of ‘Ötzi, the ice man’ adds a twist. One day, while Kelab is away, everyone at the camp is murdered, including the protagonist’s family. Behind, alive, only a newborn baby remains. One that Kelab will have to take with him as he attempts to hunt down the murderers of his family and companions seeking revenge.
But the story that ‘Ötzi, the ice man’ tells us is not only faithful to history, concise and far from sensationalism. It is also allowed to go down more daring plot paths than one might imagine in a film that could have been presented to us as the typical revenge film, now in the snow and with protagonists dressed in fur. No, Felix Randau’s film makes us accompany this man on a revealing journey in which he places something as fundamental for the evolution of human thought as the distancing of religious thoughts. This is what we said in the review of ‘Ötzi, the man of the thread’ by Fotogramas:
Spoken in a variant of Rhaetian language, concise, direct and as simple as it is powerful, Randau’s film is this and also something more: a metaphor for fanaticism and the magical mentality that continues to nest in modern man, it tells us the tragic adventure of the first atheist in history and his no less tragic discovery of religious fallacy. A not inconsiderable message in suspiciously puritanical and irrational times of post-history.
Only 97 minutes long and well spent, ‘Ötzi, the Iceman’ is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Rafael is an expert in movies, series and video games. His thing is classic and auteur cinema, although he doesn’t miss one from Marvel or the hit of the moment on Netflix due to professional deformation. He also has a geeky side to him, as proven by his specialization in anime, k-pop, and everything related to Asian culture.
By generation, sometimes he has to write about current musical hits, from Bizarrap to Blackpink. It even has its erotic side, but limited, unfortunately, to selecting the best of erotic series and movies. But he doesn’t limit himself there, since he also likes to write about gastronomy, travel, humor and memes.
After 5 years writing for Fotogramas and Esquire, the truth is that he has already done a little bit of everything, from interviews with international stars to mobile phone presentations or tastings of oil, insects and, yes, if he’s lucky, wine.
He trained in Audiovisual Communication at the University of Murcia. She later continued at the Carlos III University of Madrid with a Master’s Degree in Research in Media. In addition to beginning a doctorate on sexual representation in arthouse cinema (which she never finished), she also studied a Master’s degree in film criticism, both at ECAM and at the Writers’ School. Before, he cut his teeth writing on the Cinealacarbonara blog, continued in media such as Amanecemetropolis, Culturamas or Magnolia Magazine, and dedicated all his efforts to Mutaciones Magazine since its foundation.
He arrived at Hearst in 2018 and managed to carve out a niche for himself in the editorial offices of Fotogramas and Esquire, with which he continues to write about everything he likes and what they send him (often coincides). His good or bad taste (depending on how you look at it) also led him to get into the world of gastronomy and video games. Come on, he likes to entertain himself.
