Salo Mexico Religion Analysis

The composition of the scenes in which religious figures appear, also serve as a visual technique to portray religion as powerful and include it as part of the nationalistic project. In Salón México, there is a scene that shows an image of the Virgen de Guadalupe at Mercedes’ rooms. When the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe is first shot, the camera focuses on a small flower from a low angle view; later, the camera zooms out and moves the frame from left to right. The juxtaposition of the small flower to the religious image enlarges the scale of the illustration of the Virgin and highlights her potency. Moreover, the lighting from the small candle at the bottom of the image creates a feeling of hope. Furthermore, when the camera turns to focus …show more content…
Similarly Macario’s director is also careful in the composition of scenes that include religious figures such as the Devil and God in order to demonstrate their power. When the Devil appears, the camera uses a wide angle and the Devil walks in from the upper corner of the image. Later on, the camera captures the Devil from a low angle in mid and close-up shots. Throughout the time that the Devil is present, the director uses these techniques to dramatize his character and show him as a supernatural, and superior to Macario. Therefore, this enhances the idea that religious characters are powerful beings that operate “over,” or beyond a human level. On the other hand, though Gavaldón shoots God at an eye-level angle throughout the time, God is positioned at a higher altitude than Macario. This portrays God as superior to Macario while at the same time, understanding and friendly: an emotion often associated with God in the Catholic religion. The directors’ way of portraying religious figures enhances the importance of religion and reinforcing the role of the Virgin and God as the saviours thus, contributing to the expansion of Catholicism through the film