‘THE Violin” opens with a jolt: Bound peasants are brutalized by army troops that are in search of rebels. But after this scene, the black-and-white dazzler from Mexican writer-director Francisco Vargas settles into the sweet, beautifully crafted story of an old man and his violin.
The violin belongs to a farmer named Plutarco, who joins his son and grandson as traveling musicians. The fact that the old man has only one hand doesn’t stop him from producing beautiful music; he ties the violin’s bow to his stump.
But Plutarco has a secret life: He uses his fields to hide ammunition for the guerrillas who are fighting an oppressive government. When troops bar him from his land, Plutarco strikes up a friendship with the army commander (Dagoberto Gama) in hopes of charming his way back onto his farm and retrieving the desperately needed ammo. This soldier may be brutal, but he appreciates Plutarco’s soothing music.
Don Angel Tavira, an octogenarian making his screen debut, gives a memorable performance as the grizzled Plutarco (he won a best-actor prize at 2006 Cannes). He is a lifelong musician, despite losing a hand in an accident when he was 13. Tavira’s acting is the high point of this suspenseful yet beautiful movie, which – for a while at least – proves that music can soothe the savage breast.
vam@nypost.com
THE VIOLIN
How sweet the sound.
In Spanish, with English subtitles. Running time: 98 minutes. Not rated (violence, profanity). At Film Forum, Houston Street, west of Sixth Avenue.