La langosta azul, a Carribbean Neorrealist Film
Keywords:
Colombian cinema, Neorealism, Álvaro Cepeda Samudio, Gabriel García Márquez, Cold War, espionage, science fictionAbstract
This article proposes a new interpretation of La langosta azul (1954), thereby challenging its classification as a Surrealist work. Through a semiotic analysis of the short film and its historical context, the text argues that the film is more appropriately situated within a Neorealist aesthetic, while also incorporating elements of Caribbean culture—such as humor, farce, rituality, and carnival—as well as a science fiction dimension linked to the nuclear imaginary of the Cold War. The study examines the film’s narrative structure, spatial construction, and use of non-professional actors and natural locations to establish its affinity with Italian Neorealism, particularly Ladri di biciclette (De Sica, 1948). It also analyzes the parallels between the two narratives in terms of the loss of an object, the unsuccessful search, and the final gesture of solidarity. Moreover, the article situates the film within the geopolitical context of the 1950s, interpreting the mutated lobster as a science fiction artifact associated with nuclear radiation and international espionage. Ultimately, it concludes that the film constitutes a form of “Caribbean Neorealism” that invites a reconsideration of its place in Colombian cultural history.
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