Roma: A Critique of Cuaron's Counter-Third Cinema Aesthetics and Regressive Gender Politics

The author\u0027s intention is to illustrate that Roma is fundamentally opposed to the principles of Third Cinema, as it does not aim to liberate the oppressed from the effects of colonialism and capitalism. Instead, the film promotes the preservation of the existing social order and opposes populist movements that challenge the power of the elite.\n\nCuaron, the director of the film, is known for his focus on identity politics, particularly the struggles faced by women. This is a noteworthy achievement in his films. Additionally, Cuaron\u0027s directing style often incorporates narrative and ideological ambiguity, which aligns with the privileged traits of World Cinema. Furthermore, he is highly regarded for his visual style.\n\nAccording to the author, Roma follows in the footsteps of Cuaron\u0027s previous films by highlighting the challenges faced by women, adopting a counterepic approach, and displaying a preference for visually striking scenes. The author\u0027s objective is to demonstrate how these aspects of Cuaron\u0027s film serve to obscure the issue of class, which is central to Third Cinema.\n\nIn terms of production and distribution, Cuaron can be seen as both a director of World Cinema who brings attention to Third World histories, and a Hollywood director who imposes its products on the Third World. The author presents Netflix, an American media service provider that has faced criticism from renowned directors and media figures, as evidence of Cuaron\u0027s artistic independence and his concern for disadvantaged audiences.\n\nThe characters and story of Roma exhibit parallelisms, as demonstrated in the synopsis. Sofia, the main character, states that women are always alone, implying that women, as viewed by Cuaron, are closely tied to nature and are less affected by cultural changes than changes in the natural world, such as pregnancies, births, and caring for elderly relatives. The idea that solidarity among women is more important than class unity can be seen as feminist, although there are socialist feminists who attempt to merge these two positions. Many reviews of Roma interpret Cuaron as a feminist director.\n\nHowever, the author argues that Roma cannot be classified as feminist because it lacks the core idea of liberation that is central to the feminist movement. Cuaron does not provide his female characters with a pathway to political empowerment and suggests that any attempt to do so is misguided. The author criticizes Roma for subscribing to the "facile discourse of global sisterhood," which silences the interventions of Black and third-world women within early Anglo-American feminist theory. Rather than being a post-Third-Worldist feminist work, Roma is based on a patriarchal ideal of womanhood.\n\nIn terms of visual and aural style, Roma combines elements of stylization and authenticity, as well as epic and counterepic techniques. The film\u0027s black and white cinematography conveys an "arthouse" aesthetic. The author argues that dirt, garbage, and detritus are important tropes in Third Cinema, as they serve as resources for the artistic expression of (post)colonial subjects and as tools of resistance against the aesthetic standards of colonialists and the local bourgeoisie.\n\nThe use of long shots in Roma has been widely discussed. Some consider the employment of long takes as a measure of a filmmaker\u0027s artistry, but the author believes that it overwhelms viewers with too much information in a single shot and proves to be distracting. It is important to note that the film\u0027s virtuosity and emphasis on visual beauty have been criticized by proponents of Third and imperfect cinema. They argue that these stylistic choices convey the values of the colonizers and the upper classes and divert attention from the political messages that the films seek to convey.