In the 1970’s and early 1980’s, Argentina was ruled by a military dictatorship. The citizens hated it and there were some revolutionaries trying to overthrow the government. In response, the dictators kidnapped, tortured, raped, and murdered not only the occasional revolutionaries they caught, but also thousands of ordinary citizens who were just trying to live their life. After the government was overthrown and a democracy installed, the new government decided to bring some of the military leaders responsible for these heinous acts to trial.
The task of convicting these men was given to Julio Cesar Strassera (played by Ricardo Darin), who was not pleased with the assignment. The odds of conviction were small, since these leaders still had friends in high places. Although everybody knew that these men had done these horrible things, proving it wasn’t going to be easy. Strassera wasn’t given sufficient time to prepare the case, and experienced attorneys didn’t want to be part of the team. Eventually, one colleague – Luis Moreno Ocampo (played by Peter Lanzani) – and some young and very inexperienced lawyers formed the team that would eventually convict these evil men.
Strassera was a humble man who initially didn’t consider himself worthy of the mission, although he was going to try his best. He was a family man, with a wife, a daughter, and a son. The film shows his family life, which humanizes Strattera and makes him someone we care about. Strattera was very courageous, since he and his family faced frequent death threats.
The heart of the film is the testimonies of the victims, who tell horrific stories about the torture and sometimes unbelievably inhuman treatment they received. They were still lucky to survive, since many did not. Near the end of the film, Strattera makes his impassioned closing argument, which is probably very close to what he actually said at the trial.
The film is an interesting historical drama worthy of an AA nomination. At 2 hours & 20 minutes, I thought it was about 20 minutes too long, but, otherwise, I thought it was terrific. If you like political dramas, don’t miss this one!
In the 1970's and early 1980's, Argentina was ruled by a military dictatorship. The citizens hated it and there were some revolutionaries trying to overthrow the government. In response, the dictators kidnapped, tortured, raped, and murdered not only the occasional revolutionaries they caught, but also thousands of ordinary citizens who were just trying to live their life. After the government was overthrown and a democracy installed, the new government decided to bring some of the military leaders responsible for these heinous acts to trial. The task of convicting these men was given to Julio Cesar Strassera (played by Ricardo Darin), who was not pleased with the assignment. The odds of conviction were small, since these leaders still had friends in high places. Although everybody knew that these men had done these horrible things, proving it wasn't going to be easy. Strassera wasn't given sufficient time to prepare the case, and experienced attorneys didn't want to be part of the team. Eventually, one colleague – Luis Moreno Ocampo (played by Peter Lanzani) – and some young and very inexperienced lawyers formed the team that would eventually convict these evil men. Strassera was a humble man who initially didn't consider himself worthy of the mission, although he was going to try his best. He was a family man, with a wife, a daughter, and a son. The film shows his family life, which humanizes Strattera and makes him someone we care about. Strattera was very courageous, since he and his family faced frequent death threats. The heart of the film is the testimonies of the victims, who tell horrific stories about the torture and sometimes unbelievably inhuman treatment they received. They were still lucky to survive, since many did not. Near the end of the film, Strattera makes his impassioned closing argument, which is probably very close to what he actually said at the trial. The film is an interesting historical drama worthy of an AA nomination. At 2 hours & 20 minutes, I thought it was about 20 minutes too long, but, otherwise, I thought it was terrific. If you like political dramas, don't miss this one!
Argentina, 1985: Interesting Legal Drama (Spanish Subtitles – Amazon Prime)
Argentina, 1985: Interesting Legal Drama (Spanish Subtitles – Amazon Prime)
2023-01-31
David
80
8
Dictatorship Leaders Brought to Justice!
Received Oscar Nomination for Best International Film!
User Rating : No Ratings Yet !
8
){kind=link}
