The Strategy of the Snail (La Estrategia del Caracol in spanish) is my wife’s favorite movie. I ask her to tell me what she likes about the movie and to give me her opinion. She agrees to write me a kind of personal review, summarizing what she remembers about this Colombian feature film on a few pieces of paper. It’s not what I wanted because I really wanted her personal opinion of the film, but oh well! I’ll just have to watch the movie since it sounds very interesting!
Premiere of «The Strategy of the Snail» (La estrategia del Caracol) – My wife’s favorite Colombian film
The film «La estrategia del caracol» premiered on October 5, 1993, at the Cartagena International Film Festival (Cartagena). Although it reached theaters in 1994, «La estrategia del Caracol» was directed by Colombian filmmaker Sergio Cabrera. This Colombian film director and screenwriter was born on April 20, 1950, in Medellín. Throughout his life, he lived in different countries, such as Spain and China, due to his family’s exile. Along with him, two actors stood out in «La estrategia del Caracol.»
On the one hand, actor Fausto Cabrera, who plays a lawyer in «The Strategy of the Snail» is of Spanish origin and was born in the Canary Islands. He later settled in Colombia, where he built his artistic career.
On the other hand, there is Humberto Dorado, a Colombian actor and screenwriter from Cali. In the film, he plays the role of the journalist who interviews «Perro» Romero and contributes to the narration of the story.
This audiovisual work is part comedy, part drama, and part fiction. In it, we see a struggle for freedom and solidarity. Let’s say it’s a metaphor for the decline of tenants, inspired by a true story. The film is based on the hardships of the poorest families in the city of Bogota (Colombia). The gap that exists between rich and poor people.
This feature film combines themes of corruption and home ownership. The well-known phenomenon of real estate harassment.
Synopsis of «The Strategy of the Snail»
A group of people live in a boarding house in the «Birdhouse House».
But what is a tenement, you may ask? Let’s say that a tenement is like a large apartment building where each room is a small world unto itself. Imagine the neighborhood in El Chavo, but with more stories, more background noise, and more people sharing the aroma of cooking. It’s a place where the walls hear everything, the hallways are highways of gossip, and coexistence is a mixture of soap opera and festival. A tenement is a place where you’ll never be bored!
The residents of «The Birdhouse House» are being forced out onto the street, even though they are opposed to leaving. Therefore, they must find and devise ways to prevent this from happening. They reject the idea of resisting by force, and Jacinto, an old Spanish anarchist in exile, proposes adopting a special strategy.
«The Strategy of the Snail» shows the power that exists among the upper echelons of Colombian society and how those at the bottom must submit to that power. The film exposes the reality of violence experienced by the lower class due to their lack of rights and the struggle for their ideals.
The film «The Strategy of the Snail» (La estrategia del Caracol) is a story that blends comedy, drama, and social commentary, teaching us that solidarity and resistance can change destinies. It is inspired by real events.
The ingenious escape of an entire house in «The Strategy of the Snail» (Warning! Contains spoilers!)
In the heart of Bogotá, in an old mansion called La Pajarera, a group of tenants live with the shadow of eviction hanging over their heads. Their home, full of stories and memories, is doomed to disappear by order of José María Holguín, a powerful landowner who wants to build a modern building in its place. The law, as is almost always the case, is on the side of the rich.
But this is not a story of resignation, but of resistance. Seeing that legal papers will not save them, the neighbors decide to devise a crazy plan: if the house must go, then it will go… but with them. Jacinto, an old Spanish anarchist with experience in construction, proposes the unthinkable: dismantling the house brick by brick and moving it to a secret location, all under the cover of night.
Led by «El Perro» Romero, a cunning man with a strong character, the tenants work patiently and in coordination. Like a snail carrying its house on its back, they slowly dismantle it and move its pieces without the authorities noticing. Meanwhile, Gustavo Calle Isaza, the lawyer who is trying to help them through legal channels, faces corrupt judges and a system designed to favor the usual suspects.
On the day of the eviction, the police arrive prepared to remove the tenants by force. But what they find leaves them speechless: La Pajarera is no longer there. Only bare walls remain, like an empty shell, silent witnesses to an incredible feat.
The coup is perfect. Not only have they thwarted injustice, but they have also left an indelible lesson: with cunning, patience, and solidarity, the weakest can stand up to power.
Years later, «El Perro» Romero tells the story to a journalist, leaving the mystery of what happened to the house and its inhabitants unresolved. Because, after all, in a city like Bogotá, legends live on in the corners, waiting to be told.
Most legendary quote from «The Strategy of the Snail» (Spoiler)
At the house known as «La Pajarera,» they place dynamite before handing it over. The police open the door and the wall collapses. On the wall, there is graffiti that reads, «Ahí tienen su hijueputa casa pintada»or in English: «There you have your fucking painted house.»
Memorable quotes from «The Strategy of the Snail»
«Ahí tienen su hijueputa casa pintada»or in English «There’s your fucking painted house»: This is the most iconic line in the film. It is the tenants’ final blow against the landlord and the police, who arrive to evict them only to discover that the house is no longer there. It is a blatant mockery of power and a symbol of resistance, making it clear that the weak can also win with intelligence.
«Las cosas hay que hacerlas con método, hermano» or in English «Things have to be done methodically, brother»: This sums up the key to the plan’s success: it’s not enough to have a good idea, you have to execute it with patience, organization, and strategy. Slowly but surely, the tenants achieve the unthinkable because each step was well planned.
«Este país se jodió» or in English «This country is screwed»: Jacinto, the old anarchist, utters this phrase with resignation, reflecting his disillusionment with the reality of Colombia. It is a criticism of the system and the way in which it is always the same people who end up paying the price, while the powerful continue to do as they please.
«La ley es para los de ruana» or in English «The law is for those in ruana»: A direct denunciation of social injustice. In Colombia, laws seem to be designed to affect the most humble, while the rich find ways to twist them in their favor. It is the voice of the people who feel that justice is never on their side.
«Uno no puede ir por la vida así, como un huevo tibio» or in English «You can’t go through life like that, like a lukewarm egg»: An invitation to make decisions with character. In life, you have to take risks, not remain halfway without deciding. This phrase represents the need to act with determination and not be swayed by indecision or fear.
Watch Trailer and Analysis of «The Strategy of the Snail»
If you would like to see more posts like this, please visit our Hispanic Colombian Blog. If you find the quotes from «The Strategy of the Snail» interesting, you can visit the following link (in Spanish). More information below: The Strategy of the Snail (La estrategia del Caracol in spanish) – 30 years of a Colombian cinema classic.