Machuca (2004)

The last 30 years of Chilean history is a tale full of pain, sorrow, misunderstanding, intolerance, twisted economic interests and searching of ideals. In a way, this movie describes how this "story of pain" began and was developing until a horrible finale.

It's not a movie about a dictatorship by a junta, or Allende or Pinochet, or a coup whatsoever.

It's about hate. An invisible enemy that was destroying an entire country, produced mostly by foreign economic interests. All seen through the eyes of two 11 years old kids, who become friends, in spite of their opposite social status.

When I was a child (5 years old or so) I thought that was not proper to be talking about certain things. That every country had one president "elected for life" and that all communist people were terrorists, ordered by a superior chief to destroy peace, etcetera. Obviously, if you were born in a fascist world, things may appear a little mixed up when you start growing up and begin to understand that a lot of people who "protect you" are just thieves of power who think square and don't understand basic concepts such as human rights or tolerance.

So I felt a little bit of healthy envy when I saw the main characters of this film, because despite all of the political and social chaos that surround them, they know the world as it was. They were born in democracy, but they didn't took it for granted, perhaps they didn't even care. They lived their innocence, they discovered the power of friendship until everything was destroyed.

That point of the film is unbearable.

Machuca is a very good motion picture. Not in an epic way, but in a very humble insight of what happened in a little country that lost its innocence, becoming a divided nation.

Andrés Wood, the director, was a child in 1973. A tagline of the movie says "dedicated to the children of yesterday". So the film is the vision of part of the filmmaker's own life. I think a very accurate one.

9/10

Fmovies: Machuca is a recipient of the Unidad Popular program of President Allende. Allende had nationalized industry and agriculture, and embarked on a massive literacy program for Chile. We are made aware of problems, however, Gonzalo's sister's boyfriend is scary, and later we see him in a fascist demonstration. There is no meat, no vegetables, no milk in the stores. Chileans will recognize the hand of the CIA in collusion with the Chilean oligarchy, and the counterfeit money that was introduced into the country by the US to create inflation and scarcity and bring down the regime. The coup happens, and the army takes over the schools. The priest who was the principal and the liberal teachers disappear, reminiscent of "Au revoir les enfants." It is useful to compare these events with those 30 years later in Venezuela. Hugo Chávez was 17 when Allende took power, and was very much involved in following the Unidad Popular and their program. He lived through the coups in Chile and Argentina, and learned a thing or two. Many on the left criticized Allende for not calling out the army, a mistake Chávez was not to repeat. Although he had no need to declare war against the coup, Chávez had worked for 30 years with his men as lieutenant colonel, and gained the undying devotion of soldiers and population alike. When the CIA-engineered coup happened there, Venezuelans were ready, and the coup failed. One could say that without Allende there would be no Chávez.

I believe that this is one of the best Chilean films ever made. The director chose excellent actors, and his idea for his movie was very creative. I don't normally feel emotional after watching movies, but at the end, when the director played the song "Mira Niñita" from Los Jaivas, I almost cried.

The movie gave a very well balanced view of each side of social class. Giving one a better understanding of why things happened how they happened.

I have to say, most movies with kids actor are major garbage in my opinion, but Machuca was a great film, with a great plot.

Machuca fmovies. I must start with saying that this is probably one of the best movies of the year if not of all times. It s set in the "revolution" days in Chille when the Facists came to power. The story is about a rich boy who studies in a rich school when the principle decides to bring in poor students for free. Of course, the rich kids and their parents doesn't like it but it's not like the poor kids can't stand out for themselves... The rich kid is making friends with a poor kid (Machuca) and they enjoy life together while everything falls apart around them. And there is a very powerful end which I won't reveal, but you'll see it coming if you know history.

The first thing that I've noticed is the cinematography. You know how American movies are always aiming for a perfect clean picture. Well, I don't like that style, and that is why I liked the cinematography in Machuca so much. The picture is a little dark and looks to be old. It gives the movie that is set in the 70's a real 70's feeling. It's very nice, even if the story gets a little boring for a second (nah, the movie was great at every time) the picture still makes it nice to watch.

The second thing that I've noticed is that while the movie is played mainly by kids they actually hold the movie very well. It's a very convincing acting, almost flawless. But the rest of the cast is very good too, the mother, the principle, I enjoyed the acting of all of them. Also to complete a great picture there is a great soundtrack. And when I say great I mean GREAT! The music is so vivid and placed well. It will take a while to get it out of my head. Oh, and another thing. I'm still only learning to appreciate a good editing (it's not a trivial thing at all) but this movie seems to get it all right. Every scene is on place and ends when needed, there are no useless scenes and there is no feeling that something is missing. I think that it's perfect editing (in the sense that they can't edit that movie any better).

So all in all, very very recommended! It's available on DVD for now but it should be released in a month or so in the theaters but it will be a very limited release.

This movie tells a tale on the eve of the darkest hour in Chileann history, where two boys of different social background become friends.

This is a very powerful film, especially for Chileanns and many Latin Americans that suffer the prejudice of classicism (the racism of Latin America) and their ideals being beaten away from them.

You will notice many resentments and insults on this message board as the film gets more exposure due to the fact that some people still live in the past.

I hope this film brings everybody together and shows that no matter what race, religion, sexual orientation or social class, children do not discriminate, everybody feels the same emotions.

Hate is learned by the actions of role models.

I live in Chile, where the movie happens. I have also followed Andres Wood in his career as a Director and I must say that this is his most mature, rounded and strong piece of work.

The Movie is centered in the social phenomena that happened in the last days before the Coup in 1973. Now the movie is incredibly accurate from the Costume Design, the Cars's License Plates, the expressions, the product brands and graffitis, to the social polarization, violence and killings. As remarkable as the Production is the honesty of the director, who could have easily fall into contaminating his movie with political propaganda, instead he kept delightfully accurate.

Even though for those who knows the history, the devastating feeling is all around, the movie centers in the social experiment led by a priest who was the principal of a high class school, who takes into the school some poor mestizo children.

Machuca is one of this children's who begins a friendship with a white rich children.

The story itself works as a metaphor for the innocence of the people in that time. innocence that was lost over and over.