Film Overview"Hierro" is a mystical, psychological drama mystery film directed by Gabe Ibáñez in 2009. The movie is a Spanish-French production and informs the story of a woman who embarks on a search for her missing boy on the isolated island of El Hierro, in the Canary Islands. The script credits go to Javier Gullón. The performances of Elena Anaya, acting as Maria, and the kid Hugo Arbues, as her child Diego, stick out.
Plot SummaryThe plot starts with Maria vacationing with her five-year-old kid Diego on a ferryboat to El Hierro Island. In a stunning turn of events, Diego goes missing during the ferry trip under strange situations. After an extensive search by her and the ship team, Diego is assumed to have actually fallen, or thrown off the boat, and subsequently drowned, though his body is never ever found.
Six months after the event, Maria is requested to recognize a body that the police discovered on the island, hoping that it may be her missing boy. However, upon seeing the body, it ends up being clear that it is not Diego. Regardless, Maria decides to remain on the island and continues searching for Diego.
Maria's Investigation and Psychological StateMaria notifications a young boy who strongly resembles Diego. She becomes consumed with the kid and even breaks into the child's home when the parents are away, confirming to herself that he is, indeed, Diego. However, Maria's failure to distinguish truth from her desires, dreams, and hallucinations make it unclear whether this boy is undoubtedly her child Diego or simply a result of her extreme desperation and anxiety.
Atmosphere and Setting"Hierro" leverages its eerie atmospheric backdrop to ramp up suspense. The island of Hierro with its slowly grinding, routine life and stunning, large volcanic landscapes lends a separated and potentially frightening aura to the film. Sparse dialogues and a focus on body language and ecological noises develop an uncomfortable stress that consistently echoes Maria's state of despair and loss, likewise her growing psychological instability.
ResolutionAs the movie advances, it ends up being increasingly unclear if the boy is Diego and whether Maria's understandings can be trusted due to her psychological state. The climax leaves the viewer questioning if Diego was ever on the island, or if Maria herself endangered the young boy she believes to be Diego. Maria's understanding of reality and what genuinely happened stay ambiguous to the end.
Critical Reception"Hierro" received a mixed action upon its release. Critics applauded the movie's atmospheric portrayal and Anaya's extreme performance, developing a tense and haunting thriller. Nevertheless, some expressed discontentment with the film's resolution, critiquing its propensity to roam into the territory of ambiguity and surrealism. Despite the varied viewpoint, "Hierro" was acknowledged for its cinematography, effectively utilizing the unique Canary Island settings to appropriately underpin a troubling mental drama.
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