Machuca
Screening: 13 May 2006
Chile/Soain/UK/France 2004
Directed by Andrés Wood
Leading players ~ Matías Quer, Ariel Mateluna, Manuela Martelli, Ernesto Malbran.
121 minutes (subtitles)
Synopsis
It's 1973 and Chile is undergoing a major upheaval pitting the Marxist presidency of Salvador Allende against the country's military and economic elite. This touching drama uses that conflict as a backdrop to a story about two boys - one a child of privilege, the other of poverty - who become friends at a school run by a Marxist-oriented priest.The boys' friendship is a classic case of opposites attracting. Gonzalo (played unforgettably by Matías Quer) is drawn to street-wise Pedro and to the way he survives with so little. Pedro (Ariel Mateluna) is taken by the wealth of Gonzalo's home and by his new friend's access to so many books, so much nice clothing and even an expensive bike (that becomes an important symbol).
The boys' relationship gets more intense as the country's political temperature rises and the lives of their parents become more polarized by what is essentially a civil war. The bullying and violence that Wood portrays is in contrast with the coming-of-age moments that Pedro and Gonzalo enjoy while Allende is in power.
Unusual for a film that is so strong on character, Machuca has an excellent visual sense that helps give its numerous demonstrations and action set pieces real veracity. And the fine soundtrack, by Miguel Miranda and José Miguel Tobar, makes sure things stay lively.
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Film Facts
9/11/73 was the date that a CIA-supported military junta ended the Marxist rule of Salvador Allende and installed right-wing dictator Augusto Pinochet, whose 17-year reign included the executions of 2,000 political dissidents and the disappearance of another 1,200.NYU-trained director Andrés Wood was an 8-year-old in Santiago when Pinochet orchestrated his deadly coup.
The film is dedicated to the real-life priest who was the basis for the film's religious figure.
Made for just $1.7 million Machuca was Chile's official entry for the 2004 Foreign-Language Oscar.
