Machuca: A Memorable Film review
Bikas Mishra reviews award winning Chilean film Machuca
How many times you've felt like crying after watching a movie? How often you've felt that what you just saw on screen could have been you? And how often you've left the theatre in such a contemplative mood as if you'll change the course of history?
If you really look for that elusive feeling called satisfaction after watching a film, here's a rare treat from Chilean director Andrés Wood. His Machuca, is a political drama that touches your heart for its passion and humanism. Such a heartwarming piece of cinema that surprisingly deals with subjects as dry as politics, social divide, civil war and coup d'etat.
Film is set in 1973 Chile, when the country was going through widespread social unrest, an English school priest carries out a unique experiment to bridge the social divide. He admits neighborhood deprived kids to his school. Though, it doesn't change the course of inevitable history but it touches the lives of three kids-Gonzalo, Machuca and Silvana.
Gonzalo a bourgeois kid and Machuca, a poor and oft-referred to as "lowlife" develop a special bond. A relationship that's full of compassion despite their being aware of the huge differences between them. Gonzalo, who's not at peace with himself as his mother whom he loves a lot is having an extra marital affair, spends a lot of time with his new friend. He also experiences his first sexual awakening with neighborhood girl Silvana, a vivacious girl doomed for a tragic end.
While the friendship blossoms Chile is going through unprecedented social unrest. Communist president Salvador Allende's regime is upturned by military coup. As little Gonzalo sees history unfolding all around, tremors of social upheaval is felt in his personal life as well. The school he goes to becomes almost a mirror of a whole nation craving for change and father McEnroe reflects the conscience of Chile, who leaves the school after the coup when a Sargent takes over as the new principal with pronouncement "this place is no more sacred, lord doesn't live here anymore". When school kids bid him good bye defying the military officials, you're gripped by an overwhelming feeling.
The beauty of the film doesn't lie in the fact that it chronicles history rather it makes you feel it. You as a viewer live through it for about one and a half hours and play multiple roles: the bourgeois who wants to comfortably go away to Rome, the rich kid who sells red flags with his friend, the mad drunkard father of the "lowlife" boy who pronounces that your rich "friend" will desert you to clean toilets all your life or the vivacious young silvana who spits her hatred for the privileged on their car windscreens and teaches young boys to kiss with passion.
A film that touches you, shocks you, breaks you in tears, takes you down those dusty lanes of childhood memory and a film that helps you grow up as a human being.
Machuca (2004)
Country: Chile, Language: Spanish
Director: Andrés Wood
Won Audience award for best feature film at Philadelphia Film Festival (2005) and 7 other awards.
[rating:4]
This film will be broadcast in India on UTV World Movies Channel on SUNDAY March 2, at 11:00 PM
