The Argentine Netflix film *The Giant Falls* is nothing more than an extension of a trope that seems to have exploded across all our media over the last year or so. Yes, it’s true: the figure of the absent father has been a recurring theme in cinema since its inception—because it’s easy, and it’s not far removed from reality, right? Nah, just kidding; but seriously, it seems to be the path that filmmakers worldwide choose to fulfill their fantasies of creating what they consider "good emotional cinema." Male vulnerability doesn't simply arise from placing a man in a difficult-to-handle situation.
This is precisely where most of these stories falter: they always remain on the surface and never truly delve into the intricacies of what it means—exactly—to be broken. In *The Giant Falls*, Boris’s world is turned upside down when his absent father returns after a 28-year absence. Boris is now over thirty, and—for obvious reasons—he wants nothing to do with his progenitor. With touches of comedy provided by a quirky character named Bebe, the film aspires to make us laugh—and then immediately cry—over the course of an hour and forty minutes; however, the only thing it actually achieves is to spark a certain empathy in the viewer toward both protagonists. But I’m not here to review this film—nor the vast assortment of failed father-son relationships parading across our screens—so let’s cut straight to the film’s conclusion.
Director: Marcos Carnevale
Writer: Marcos Carnevale
Stars: Inés Estévez, Johanna Francella, Silvia Kutika
The movie opens by showing us Boris’s occupation: he is a tour guide who escorts visitors through a stunning set of waterfalls in Iguazú. Shortly thereafter, he crosses paths with an elderly man who appears intent on speaking with him, but Boris ignores him. He spends the following days trying to dodge the man, until the old man eventually signs up for his guided tour. As it turns out, the man is his father, Julián, who walked out 28 years ago and was never heard from again. Julián already had an established family of his own before meeting Boris’s mother, Leticia. Curiously—and despite everything that transpired—Leticia has forgiven Julián; a fact which, however, by no means implies that Boris is obligated to do the same. In any case, Julián was a pilot, so he only ever visited; moreover, he had an entire family waiting for him back in Buenos Aires. His relationship with Leticia spanned eight long years—a period during which Boris was also born. However, shortly thereafter, Julián realized that he needed to return to "real life."
Throughout the film, Julián insists that Leticia was the love of his life and that he never loved his wife, Adriana, in quite the same way. Thus, in essence, he betrayed them both by choosing to return to his family, when the only thing he truly desired was to stay with Leticia. I simply cannot fathom why he acts as if he were doing either of them a favor. Honestly, he is an incredibly selfish man, and there wasn't a single moment in the film when I felt the slightest inclination to side with him. Right up to the very end, he remains true to that attitude, doing exactly whatever he pleases.
For obvious reasons, Julián hasn't returned solely to reunite with the son he fathered so long ago. In reality, he is there to ask him for something utterly preposterous. I find it inconceivable that any son could agree to such a thing; for that reason, the film's premise as a whole struck me—frankly—as somewhat lackluster. That said—I won't lie—visually, it is a beautiful work; the waterfalls, in particular, are stunning. In any case, Julián has been diagnosed with cancer; that is the reason why, after so many years of absence, he has finally decided to reappear.
Roughly halfway through the film, Boris finally summons the courage to interact with his father. Up until that moment, he had been avoiding him, but—after receiving encouragement from his mother and Bebe—he decides to give him a chance. Things do not go well at all; the moment they interact, Boris lands a punch on his father that sends him straight to the ground, right in front of the hotel. Julián is rushed to the hospital with several broken ribs—yikes! It seems the resentment this young man harbors runs very deep.
Boris labels both of his parents selfish—and he isn't wrong in the slightest. Julián chose to keep returning to Leticia for eight years simply because he felt like it; for her part, Leticia decided to have Boris because she wanted to hold onto a memento of that whirlwind romance. Yet, neither of them ever stopped to consider the consequences all of this would have for Boris. No one ever stops to think about his feelings—not even today. Julián claims that Leticia was the love of his life, yet he has no regrets about leaving her behind; why? Because he never had to take responsibility for either her or their son.
In the denouement of *The Giant Falls*, as Leticia sings the lyrics to "The Sound of Silence," we see Boris taking Julian to the falls to administer Bebe’s "deadly concoction." His aim is to soften the end—something Julian desperately desires. Boris agrees to let his father die in solitude, feeling that he shouldn't have to go to prison for doing so, yet simultaneously wishing to help him. As the song concludes, it is implied that Julian has fallen into the falls, meeting his death—at last liberated from the burden of pain. Boris drives back to his mother and watches her finish the song with tears in her eyes; she already knows that the love of her life has departed forever. Although we do not witness the exact moment of death, we already know what has occurred. And so, yes: Julian has found peace.
Finally, Boris drives to his workplace to watch the sunrise; upon reaching the falls, he sees a father with his son perched on his shoulders—an image that evokes that very same happy memory of his own father. This is what he used to call "the Giant." I suppose that, in a way, Boris found his own dream while perched atop his father's shoulders, back in his youth. Although he still resides in the same town, he now reveals true beauty to people through his guided tours, becoming—in a sense—his own version of the "giant" for them.
The falls themselves take on a special significance in the film, serving as a turning point for both father and son. Julian had joined Boris’s guided tour in the hope that it would help him reconnect with his son. It may have worked to some extent, but in its own way, it also served as a kind of awakening for him. For Boris, the falls represent that which instills in him hope and peace. Earlier in the film, Boris and his father had discussed what might await them in the "afterlife."
Boris believes that nothing truly ends; He calls it "immateriality," but, in essence, it boils down to the concept that our souls are energy that endures eternally. Toward the end of the film, when Boris spots one of those "giants," he likely senses his father's energy once again—something that brings a broad smile to his face. The film's ending is not sad; in fact, it turns out to be quite happy. Both Boris and Julian attain what they yearned for. Boris had the opportunity to rekindle his relationship with his father—from whom he was estranged—and Julian found the death he desired. I suppose the moral of the story is to be forgiving and to hold onto hope.
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