Juan and his family leave the big city and settle in an area outside of Mexico. There, they experience the two remote worlds of pleasure and pain. Whether these two worlds are complementary or mutually exclusive remains a question to be answered. Carlos Reygadas’s new film, like his previous works, depicts a world ruled by the senses and the majesty of primitive nature. The opening sequence also serves as the prologue, and the brillant mise-en-scene never loses its force till the end. The scene set in the public baths leaves a strong impression while serving as an axis that guides the narrative: sensuality and pleasure. The camera playfully carries its bold vision on this mysterious human affair, where the question of good and evil and of human guilt is combined with the very real problems of the world outside. And more than anything else, the beginning and the end scenes are filled with transcendence and originality that is befitting of the master filmmaker Reygadas, who has gained a strong foothold in the global film scene. (RHEE, Soue-won)