“Roma” Script Analysis: Cultural Memory and The Circle of Life

Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma has been heralded as one of the best films of 2018 and a masterpiece from an already-acclaimed auteur. While much of the praise has gone towards the external elements of the film – the cinematography, the set design, the acting – I was struck by how complex and ingenious the film is at its core: the screenplay. Today I’ll be going in-depth and attempting to glean meaning from the film from its many interwoven themes.

The best way I’ve found to analyze Roma is by breaking it down into its components and seeing what we can learn from the different themes and how they play off of each other. Let’s get started!

“Roma” Film Review & Analysis

**UPDATE: For more analysis of Roma, check out my Script Analysis post where I dissect the screenplay to determine the hidden themes and messages of the film!

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Roma (2018) is the latest from Alfonso Cuaron, one of my favorite working directors. It stars Yalitza Aparicio as Cleo, a housekeeper for a middle-class family in 1970’s Mexico. The film has drawn serious accolades thus far and is a frontrunner for Best Picture already, despite not dropping officially on Netflix until next Friday. What is all the buzz about? *SPOILERS AHEAD!*