Batalla en el cielo (2005)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Carlos Reygadas

Writer:

Carlos Reygadas (writer)

Release Date:

August 2005 (Russia)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

A working-class man named Marcos and his wife kidnap a baby for ransom money, but it goes tragically wrong when the infant dies...

Plot Keywords:

Ransom | Baby | Guilt | Older Man Younger Woman | Subway

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Marcos Hernández	...	Marcos
Anapola Mushkadiz	...	Ana
Bertha Ruiz	...	Marcos' Wife
David Bornstein	...	Jaime
Rosalinda Ramirez	...	Viky
El Abuelo	...	Chief of Police
Brenda Angulo	...	Madame
El Mago	...	Preacher
Francisco 'El Gato' Martínez	...	Gas Station Attendant
Diego Martínez Vignatti	...	Soccer Player
Alejandro Mayar	...	Police Inspector
Chavo Nava	...	Neurotic Conductor
Estela Tamariz	...	Ines
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernesto Veláquez	...	Entrevistador Cancha

Directed by
Carlos Reygadas

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Carlos Reygadas		writer

Produced by
Philippe Bober	....	producer
Susanne Marian	....	producer
Hamish McAlpine	....	executive producer
Carlos Reygadas	....	producer
Jaime Romandia	....	producer
Joseph Rouschop	....	co-producer

Original Music by
John Tavener

Cinematography by
Diego Martínez Vignatti

Film Editing by
Adoración G. Elipe
Benjamin Mirguet
Carlos Reygadas
Nicolas Schmerkin

Art Direction by
Elsa Ruiz
Daniela Schneider

Makeup Department
Guillaume Castagné	....	special makeup effects artist
Frédéric Lainé	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Leonardo de la Sierra	....	unit production manager
Gerardo Tagle	....	production manager
Gina Vallejo	....	unit manager
Patricia Volcán	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pedro Aguilera	....	assistant director
Renan Bendersky	....	second assistant director
Amat Escalante	....	assistant director
Alex Ezpeleta	....	first assistant director
Frederic Henocque	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Jorge Gareis	....	assistant art director
Guillermo	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Jaime Baksht	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sergio Diaz	....	sound designer
Sergio Diaz	....	supervising sound editor
Enrique Garcia-Torres	....	assistant sound editor
Juan Antonio Gomez	....	foley mixer
Martín Hernández	....	sound designer
Martín Hernández	....	supervising sound mixer
Gilles Laurent	....	sound
Alejandro Li-ho	....	sound recordist
Ramón Moreira	....	sound editor
Grégory Noël	....	boom operator
Alejandro Quevedo	....	sound editor
Carlos Schmukler	....	second sound editor

Visual Effects by
Juan Manuel Nogales	....	visual effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Alex Fenton	....	assistant camera
Fernanda Romandia	....	still photographer

Transportation Department
Humberto Cardenas	....	picture cars coordinator

Other crew
Luisa Blanco	....	production assistant
Nohemi Gonzalez	....	production assistant
Paola Herrera	....	location manager
Ximena Perez	....	location manager

Thanks
Juan Angel Cordova Creel	....	special thanks
Alejandro González Iñárritu	....	special thanks
Ernesto Veláquez	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Mantarraya Producciones
• Coproduction Office
• No Dream Cinema
• Tarantula (in association with)
• Essential Filmproduktion GmbH (in association with)
• Mackey Co. (in association with)
• Universidad de Guadalajara (in association with)
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) (in association with)
• arte Cinéma (in association with)
• Hubert Bals Fund (participation)
• Fonds Sud (participation)
• Essential Filmproduktion GmbH

Distributors

• AmaFilms (2006) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Atlantis Entertainment (2005) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Bac Films (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Golem Distribución (2005) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Gussi Films (2005) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• Intercinema XXI Century (2005) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Kojo Pictures (2008) (Australia) (all media)
• Look Now! (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Lucky Red (2006) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2009) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Lumière Productie (2005) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Palisades Pictures (2006) (USA) (all media)
• Palisades Tartan (2005) (USA) (all media)
• Palisades-Tartan Acquisitions (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Pelicanfilms (2007) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Primer Plano Film Group (2009) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Tartan Video USA (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Tartan (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Tour de Force (2006) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Video Film Express (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• World Cinema (Korea) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Battle in Heaven (Germany) (DVD title) (International: English title)
Bataille dans le ciel (France)
Eine Schlacht im Himmel (Germany) (TV title)

Runtime:

98 min | Brazil:126 min (director's cut) | Argentina:98 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Mexico | Belgium | France | Germany

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:18 | Norway:18 | Netherlands:16 | Italy:VM18 | Hong Kong:III | Argentina:18 | South Korea:Limited | Germany:18 | Switzerland:18 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:18 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:R21 (cut) | France:-16 | Portugal:M/18 | Australia:R | Brazil:16 (director's cut) | UK:18

Filming Locations:

México D.F., Mexico

Company:

Mantarraya Producciones

Trivia:

Writer/director Carlos Reygadas shot crowded street scenes in the middle of real crowds. Cameraman Diego Martínez Vignatti sat in a wheelchair and they just pushed him through everyone. Luckily, no one who passed by looked into the camera lens.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the scene where Ana and Marcos are making love, as the camera pans out, a crew member's reflection can be seen in the window.

Movie Connections:

References "SpongeBob SquarePants" (1999)

Redemption

There are many redeeming qualities about this movie, and I think it's better than most people are making it out to be. I really hope the idea of a struggle for redemption comes through. It did for me. If it does, then the film, in my view, succeeds in telling the story that it should. I should mention, the opening scene really pulled me in. How could it not, being graphic and striking? Some people might think it was gratuitous. I think it was integral to the story.

Element after element, plot event after event set the tone for a story that is being told. I could really appreciate the commentary about the extremes some people may go to (kidnapping) in Mexico. It's not an ordinary topic, and it's treated very well. Very creative. Including the title which I thought was very suitable for the film.

Give this a try. It's good if you're in the mood to get a slice of life of Mexico. I think it does just that in a creative and entertaining way!