Battle in Heaven (Batalla en el cielo) (2005)
Average Rating: 5.3/10
Reviews Counted: 55
Fresh: 24 | Rotten: 31
Though it tries to be provocative, Battle in Heaven is lethargic and mind-numbing.
Average Rating: 5.1/10
Critic Reviews: 18
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 11
Though it tries to be provocative, Battle in Heaven is lethargic and mind-numbing.
liked it
Average Rating: 2.7/5
User Ratings: 88,881
Movie Info
In Battle in Heaven (AKA Batalla en el Cielo), director Carlos Reygadas' searing look at the inherent hypocrisies of Mexico's social structure, Marcos Hernandez is Marcos, an overweight, poverty-stricken chauffeur who longs for a better life for his wife and young son. Desperate, the couple kidnaps an infant child for ransom. When the baby dies in their custody, this simple crime that Marcos hoped would brighten his family's future instead adds a crushing burden to his conscience and will bring
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (60) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (24) | Rotten (31) | DVD (8)
Since premiering at Cannes the movie has become notorious for its shocking, emphatically unerotic sex scenes, though it's equally notable for its striking visual conceits and small moments of intense feeling.
Top CriticInsufferably arty, polemic and winkingly provocative.
A spectacular failure, despite further evidence of the director's keen eye and bold cinematic ideas.
Art with a capital A. Don't be afraid. OK, be a little afraid.
If you dare to see it, prepare for a challenge.
Reygadas' gift for imagery is undeniable, but for most viewers, Battle in Heaven will offer not enlightenment but frustration.
No amount of thoughtful dissection can make up for the unpleasant, uncomfortable and unnecessary experience of actually sitting through the thing.
rich in allegorical theme and symbolic imagery, transforming the most banal of materials into miraculous epiphanies... but all too aimlessly hypnotic to get a firm grip on the viewer's attention.
The outcome often amounts to an impressive slideshow instead of a fluid, substantial piece of work that involves and challenges us.
Reygadas proves that rare filmmaker interested in tackling both the personal and the political through expressly confrontational means.
Reygadas' direction seems to wander from time to time, as when Marcos walks around in the hills for long minutes without a purpose, but he always brings it back home. He's a perplexing, but voraciously talented filmmaker to watch.
Reygadas' artful but ponderous camerawork succeeds only in turning the intimately exploitative ... into something emotionally distant and stupefyingly dull.
he film's pallid emotional tone, which is in sync with the constancy of the dull gray sky overhead, can make it a hard story to embrace.
There is a stillness to the film that is initially fascinating, but it wears thin quickly.
The only battle I had was deciding whether to watch the whole movie or get out while the getting was good. Unfortunately, I opted to stay to see if it got better... it didn't.
There's more to this controversial and aesthetically cold film than just its explicit sex scenes. Honest.
Some audiences will find it an endurance test and Reygadas doesn't make it easy with his confrontational imagery, but he provokes emotions not often explored on screen.
The cast are all non-actors, and boy, does it show.
...not to say that "Battle in Heaven" is a bad film, just a rehash of earlier ideas
Audience Reviews for Battle in Heaven (Batalla en el cielo)
Super Reviewer
Anyway, Reygadas can't trick me with his smoke curtains, the man wanted to film fat people screwing. If you need more proof of the type of cinematic wanker this guy is, he's selling himself like a sort of Tarkovsky meets Breson. Seriously, nobody in his right mind will say they "enjoyed" this unless they're just trying to impress some pseudo-intelectual hot chick at some bar.
Super Reviewer
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for Battle in Heaven (Batalla en el cielo) yet.
What's Hot On RT
Pictures from a zombie nation
Woody Allen in San Francisco
See the Desolation of Smaug trailer!
Where does This Is the End rank?
Latest News on Battle in Heaven (Batalla en el cielo)
April 2, 2013:
Five Favorite Films with Harmony KorineFilmmaker, provocateur, degenerate, genius: Harmony Korine is the writer of Kids and Ken Park, and...
February 16, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Eight Below" Is Above The RestA pack of sled dogs brave the cold ("Eight Below"). A detective works on a case with...
January 23, 2006:
SUNDANCE: "Battle in Heaven" ReviewVisually arresting but dramatically inert, ?Battle in Heaven? is the very definition of a difficult...
Fresh Links
Featured
Movie: ID: 19049983 Title: Battle in Heaven (Batalla en el cielo) Release Date: 2006-02-17 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 6 Status: 1
The Looks of Johnny Depp
To celebrate the star's birthday, BuzzSugar looks at the many faces of Johnny Depp.
10 Egregious Product Placements
Rolling Stone wonders if The Internship goes too far... then provides 10 examples of movies that did.
Horror Movie Mistakes
Moviefone offers up 8 of the most obvious glaring errors in popular fright flicks.
10 Bad Movies That Look Great
Sometimes even terrible movies can be beautiful; here are 10 of them, from HitFix.
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Featured on RT
- Video Interviews with Cast & Crew of Monsters University 0
- Digital Multiplex: 21 & Over, Quartet, and More 1
- RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Jack the Giant Slayer and Quartet 23
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Man of Steel Sets June Record 101
- Weekly Ketchup: Man of Steel Sequel In the Works 198
- Five Favorite Films with Joss Whedon 128
- Bonus Footage of the Cast & Crew of Man of Steel 1
Top Headlines
Foreign Titles
- Battle in Heaven (DE)
- Battle in Heaven (UK)
