A PLACE IN THE WORLD
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (0 to 10): 7.7
Date Released: varies (9/94) Running Length: 2:04 Rated: No MPAA Rating (mature themes, language)
Starring: Gaston Batyi, Federico Luppi, Celia Roth, Jose Sacristan, Leonor Benedetto Director: Adolfo Aristarain Producer: Adolfo Aristarain Screenplay: Adolfo Aristarain and Alberto Lecchi Cinematography: Richard De Angelis Music: Emilio Kauderer Released by First Look Pictures In Spanish with subtitles
Too often, it's the thoughtful films that slip through the cracks unnoticed. And A PLACE IN THE WORLD is nothing if not thoughtful. Living in the years following the death of Argentinian President Juan Peron, the characters in this film argue about religious ideologies, political views, and human rights. Against this intellectually rich backdrop, we are treated to another well-crafted coming of age story. The protagonist is twelve-year old Ernesto Dominici (Gaston Batyi), and the plot is reminiscent of George Stevens' classic Western SHANE.
Ernesto's parents Mario (Federico Luppi) and Ana (Celia Roth) are ex-Peron supporters who have recently returned to Argentina following a decade of exile. Instead of moving to Buenos Aires or another city, they have chosen to settle out on the frontier. Using their knowledge and skills, the pair have formed a cooperative among the locals that allows them to fight against the wealthiest - and most unscrupulous - landowner. In addition, an educational system has been established, and Ana, a doctor, provides free medical care.
Into this struggling-but-hearty community comes Hans Mayer Plaza (Jose Sacristan), a Spanish geologist with a German name. Following an initial period of mistrust, Hans becomes a close friend of both Mario and Ana, and something of a mentor to their only child.
Numerous wonderful vignettes mark A PLACE IN THE WORLD as a special film. With a style far from Hollywood's overexaggeration, Adolfo Aristarain's film knits several independent stories into a whole. With a tone more suggestive of real life than melodrama, he examines love affairs, clashes of wills, and intimidation tactics. Ernesto's journey from child to man is not an easy one.
One of the most touching of these individual tales involves Ernesto's romance with an illiterate girl that he's teaching to read and write. Her father is against her education, so the two must meet in secret, which leads to some interesting speculation by others about their occasionally-odd choices of meeting places.
The film's title comes from a statement made by Mario, who believes that every man and woman has a special place in the world that, once they find it, they will be unable to leave. Ernesto questions how he will recognize his place when the time comes. There is, of course, no answer to his query, although the film centers on showing the ties that bind Mario to his poverty-stricken settlement.
The acting is uniformly strong, with all the principal and secondary performers delivering believable portrayals. Celia Roth is especially worthy of mention for the emotion she projects through her eyes. She and Federico Luppi are perfectly matched.
A PLACE IN THE WORLD offers a frank, somewhat unusual view of the relationships that form families and communities. Although the film has a lot more meat to chew on than that, the issues presented by A PLACE IN THE WORLD would not generate the same degree of interest without the characters who argue about and live them. It's hard to deny the effectiveness of this marriage between personalities and ideology where neither eclipses the other.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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