Sacred Mask

This is a story about a Latin American family living in the U.S who have a proud tradition of Luchadores which has been passed down from father to son. Luchadores are male wrestlers who have their origins in Mexico. A major part of the wrestling performance involves their costumes which are often brightly coloured and link in with the characters stage name. Some will wear full head masks which is where the title for this film comes from.

Max Castellanos’s plays Jesse who loses his father tragically at a young age. This haunts him still to this day. Jesse wants to continue the tradition of Luchadores but wants to do this on his own terms and be his own man and not copy his father. This leads to mysterious events involving the people he loves.

This is a film made on a low budget and at times this affects some of the audio and visual effects. The storyline and the action sequences in the ring hold the film together. I am not a wrestling fan but could appreciate the skill used in the wrestling scenes and the moves are choreographed well and the actors show great skill and athleticism when pulling off some highly skilled moves. Wrestling fans will no doubt appreciate these scenes even more. The director is able to make these scenes look authentic and the use of the crowd really helps to build the atmosphere. The close camera work is effectively used and makes the audience feel like they are amongst the blood, sweat and pain inside the ring.

Outside of the ring the performances are wooden and lack enthusiasm. There are many scenes that require the actors to show emotion and deal with tragedy and unfortunately they struggle to convey this, which is a shame. The actors at times seem to be just reading the lines rather than understanding and conveying their meaning. This is particularly the case for Max Castellanos, Paige Steakley and Trey Guinn. There are a number of dramatic events throughout the film and they often fall flat because of the actors delivery. Anthony Batista does add energy as the villain of the piece and is truly menacing at times, which helps to bring this film back to life. I can’t help but feel that the main roles of Jesse and Suzette are miscast as they appear much older than their characters. Their relationship hints at something more romantic but this is not truly developed and there is a lack of chemistry between them.

The use of music works really well with a mixture of Latin American Hip Hop and Heavy Metal Rock. Music from Ricky Versetti adds the Latin flavour to many of the scenes and sets the pace. The heavy rock from Mdstocksound works well during the wrestling action which are the best scenes of the film. The tempo of the music adds to the wrestling sequences and complements the moves in the ring.

The writer has provided the audience with a good story and one that could have really worked on a bigger budget and with better performances in the lead roles. The combination of wrestling, family and mysticism is very interesting and appear to be written by someone with knowledge of the subject. Other parts of the script are lacking in reality though, particularly the scenes involving Max Castellanos and Trey Guinn. There are also many scenes where there is a mix of Spanish and English language used which may have had an impact on performances. The use of Spanish as the predominant language may have helped the actors deliver the lines with greater emotion.

The director David F Mendez uses what he has at his disposal to the best of his ability which is not easy on a low budget. It is clear that the main direction was focused on the wrestling scenes and this left other scenes wanting and less engaging. The camera work in the ring was well chosen with good use of close up camera work. The theatre of the ring was well portrayed and showed a good knowledge of the sport. A bigger budget and better casting may have improved the final result of the film.

Overall the film is boosted by the wrestling scenes and if you are a fan of wrestling you will enjoy this aspect of the film. Even if you are not a fan there is enough for the audience to appreciate. The film is worth watching for the wrestling scenes alone and for the most part this is an enjoyable watch even if it doesn’t quite hit the mark.