Good films sometimes come together in pairs or small waves. In that sense Machuca makes a fine companion to the Mexican film Voces Inocentes, also released in 2004. Both films are set during tumultuous times in Latin America. Both expose us to the reality of those events through the intriguing new perspective of the eyes of children. Machuca is a much more subtle and subdued film than its Mexican companion almost throughout, yet still manages to maintain our interest with some marvelous scenes capturing youthful innocence and its gradual but certain loss.
Manuela Martelli provided a standout performer as Gonzalo and Peter's young female friend. There seems to be a cinematic movement to show more and more teen actors in romantic situations, and this film doesn't shy away from pushing the age limit down a few years. While all the performances in Machuca are good, they seemed to me just a tad short of the level achieved in Voces Inocentes. And despite being a part Spanish film, the editing and other production values seemed just a touch less than the world-class level achieved by its Mexican companion. But I hesitate to say anything negative about this subtle and touching film. Machuca is definitely worth watching and it is probably the best Chilean film to date.
Finally, a word on the politics: I was raised in US colleges to believe that Allende was some kind of martyr crucified by the CIA. While the US certainly helped kill him, his rule did anything but make Chile a workers' paradise. While external forces certainly didn't help him, there is no question that his policies created financial and economic hardship above all for the working people of his country who couldn't escape them. If Marxism really worked, we would all be speaking Russian now. That said, the choices faced by Chileans during the calamity of the 20th century were between Allende's brand of fanatical isolationism, or Pinochet's brand of hate- fueled mercantilist cronyism. Neither group had the moral high ground and neither group had a solution to Chile's woes, and the result was a loss for virtually everyone involved. I think Machuca captured that idea very well.
Manuela Martelli provided a standout performer as Gonzalo and Peter's young female friend. There seems to be a cinematic movement to show more and more teen actors in romantic situations, and this film doesn't shy away from pushing the age limit down a few years. While all the performances in Machuca are good, they seemed to me just a tad short of the level achieved in Voces Inocentes. And despite being a part Spanish film, the editing and other production values seemed just a touch less than the world-class level achieved by its Mexican companion. But I hesitate to say anything negative about this subtle and touching film. Machuca is definitely worth watching and it is probably the best Chilean film to date.
Finally, a word on the politics: I was raised in US colleges to believe that Allende was some kind of martyr crucified by the CIA. While the US certainly helped kill him, his rule did anything but make Chile a workers' paradise. While external forces certainly didn't help him, there is no question that his policies created financial and economic hardship above all for the working people of his country who couldn't escape them. If Marxism really worked, we would all be speaking Russian now. That said, the choices faced by Chileans during the calamity of the 20th century were between Allende's brand of fanatical isolationism, or Pinochet's brand of hate- fueled mercantilist cronyism. Neither group had the moral high ground and neither group had a solution to Chile's woes, and the result was a loss for virtually everyone involved. I think Machuca captured that idea very well.