AMNESIA
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.9
Shown at the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema Running Length: 1:30 MPAA Classification: Not Rated (Mature themes, violence)
Cast: Pedro Vincuna, Julio Jung, Marcela Osorio, Nelson Villagra, Myriam Palacios, Jose Martin Director: Gonzalo Justiniano Producers: Carlo Bettin and Luis Justiniano Screenplay: Gustavo Frias and Gonzalo Justiniano Cinematography: Hans Burmann Music: Miguel Miranda and Jose Miguel Tobar Distribution unknown In Spanish with subtitles
AMNESIA tries to be a provocative condemnation of war and violence. Instead, it ends up as an awkward, unevenly-scripted morality play. Very little of this film is new or original (in fact, a similar story was tackled with considerably greater power and finesse in a small Romanian film called AN UNFORGETTABLE SUMMER), and its presentation, which includes offbeat acting styles and choppy pacing, is distracting.
The story centers on Private Ramirez, an ineffectual soldier serving in the Chilean army during the 1960s, following the ouster of Salvador Allende by the military (with help from the CIA). When Zuniga, Ramirez's brutal commanding officer, orders the execution of several prisoners of war, the private balks. From that point on, Zuniga treats Ramirez with ill-concealed contempt and eventually compels him to participate in a double murder by placing a gun to his head. During his time fighting under Zuniga, Ramirez manages one small victory by allowing a prisoner named Carrasco to escape.
Twenty years later, on the streets of Valparaiso, Ramirez meets Zuniga for the first time since they served together. While the commander is delighted to see a familiar face, Ramirez's first thoughts are of vengeance against the man who broke his mind by forcing him to engage in atrocities. He contacts Carrasco, and together the two concoct a scheme of revenge.
Zuniga's excuse for his actions is that he was just following orders, that "somebody has to clean up the world!" It's a defense as old as war, and one claimed by almost every Nazi back in the 40s -- the loyal soldier cannot question the commands of his leaders. War makes monsters of men, but what happens when peace returns? Can barbarity be ignored if it was committed by the victors in the name of winning?
What occasionally undermines AMNESIA is not the message, but the manner in which it is delivered. The core story is interesting enough, but there are several lengthy tangents and detours that interrupt the main plot flow. The conclusion, with its all-too-obvious sermonizing, lacks punch. Ultimately, this film's perspective is its strength -- it looks at a complex issue from a cultural viewpoint unfamiliar to many North Americans. However, in terms of impact, films like PLATOON, which survey similar territory, leave afterimages far more difficult to expunge.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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