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{{Short description|2004 film}}
{{for|the surname|Machuca (surname)}}
{{for|the surname|Machuca (surname)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = Machuca
| name = Machuca
| image = Machuca film poster.jpg
| image = Machuca film poster.jpg
| alt = 250px
| alt =
| caption = Chilean theatrical release poster
| caption = Chilean theatrical release poster
| director = [[Andrés Wood]]
| director = [[Andrés Wood]]
| producer = [[Andrés Wood]]<br/>[[Mamoun Hassan]]<br/>[[Gerado Herrero]]
| writer = [[Roberto Brodsky]]<br/>[[Mamoun Hassan]]<br/>Andrés Wood<br/>Eliseo Altunaga (consultant)
| writer = [[Roberto Brodsky]]<br/>[[Mamoun Hassan]]<br/>[[Andrés Wood]]<br/>[[Eliseo Altunaga (consultant)]]
| producer = Andrés Wood<br/>Mamoun Hassan<br/>[[Gerardo Herrero]]
| starring = [[Matías Quer]]<br/>[[Ariel Mateluna]]<br/>[[Manuela Martelli]]
| starring = {{ubl|Matías Quer|[[Ariel Mateluna]]|[[Manuela Martelli]]|[[Aline Küppenheim]]|[[Federico Luppi]]}}
| music = Miguel Miranda<br/>José Miguel Tobar
| cinematography = Miguel Ioann Littin Menz
| cinematography = Miguel Ioann Littin Menz
| editing = Fernando Pardo<br/>Soledad Salfate
| editing = Fernando Pardo<br/>Soledad Salfate
| studio =
| music = Miguel Miranda<br/>José Miguel Tobar
| studio = {{ubl|Andrés Wood Producciones|Tornasol Films|Chile Films|Mamoun Hassan|Paraíso}}
| distributor = Menemsha Entertainment
| distributor = Menemsha Entertainment
| released = {{Film date|2004|8|5|Chile|df=yes}}
| released = {{Film date|2004|05|21|[[2004 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes]]|2004|06|11|Spain|2004|8|5|Chile|df=yes}}
| runtime = 121 minutes
| runtime = 121 minutes
| country =Chile
| country = {{ubl|Chile|Spain|United Kingdom|France}}
| language = Spanish
| language = Spanish
| budget =
| budget =
| gross = [[United States dollar|$]]3,187,700 (worldwide)<ref name="mojo">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=machuca.htm |title=Machuca (2005) |publisher=Box Office Mojo |date=10 February 2005 |accessdate=17 August 2017}}</ref>
| gross = [[United States dollar|$]]3,187,700 (worldwide)<ref name="mojo">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=machuca.htm |title=Machuca (2005) |publisher=Box Office Mojo |date=10 February 2005 |accessdate=17 August 2017}}</ref>
}}
}}
'''''Machuca''''' is a 2004 internationally co-produced [[Coming-of-age story|coming-of-age]] [[Drama (film and television)|drama]] film co-written and directed by [[Andrés Wood]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Machuca|url=https://www.fotogramas.es/peliculas-criticas/a9627/machuca/|website=[[Fotogramas]]|date=29 May 2008|first=Nuria|last=Vidal}}</ref> It stars Matías Quer, [[Ariel Mateluna]], [[Manuela Martelli]], and [[Aline Küppenheim]] alongside [[Federico Luppi]].


'''''Machuca''''' is a 2004 [[Chile]]an film written and directed by [[Andrés Wood]]. Set in 1973 [[Santiago de Chile|Santiago]] during [[Salvador Allende]]'s socialist government until shortly after General [[Augusto Pinochet]]'s military [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|coup in 1973]], the film tells the story of two pupils: Gonzalo Infante comes from a rich family with a European background, while Pedro Machuca comes from an indigenous background and lives in very poor conditions. They meet at an elite, English-language Catholic school, where the director, Father McEnroe, is developing a social integration project.
Set in [[Santiago]] during the months leading up to the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup d'état]] led by General [[Augusto Pinochet]] – which overthrew [[Salvador Allende]]'s socialist government – the film tells the story of two boys who attend an elite Catholic school: Gonzalo Infante – who belongs to a wealthy family with a European background – and Pedro Machuca – who is poor and comes from an indigenous background.


The film is inspired by and dedicated to Father Gerardo Whelan, [[Congregation of Holy Cross|C.S.C.]] who from 1969 to 1973 was the director of [[Saint George's College, Santiago|Saint George's College]], the private school depicted in the film, which the director himself attended as a boy. ''Machuca'' was filmed in July 2003 and produced on a moderate budget of US$1,700,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/reviews/392/39288.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321170548/http://www.imdb.com/reviews/392/39288.html |archive-date=21 March 2015 |title=Review for Machuca (2004)|website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref> It is a joint Chilean-Spanish-British-French international co-production with support from Ibermedia.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/729/72923937024.pdf|page=301|title=Programa Ibermedia: ¿cine transnacional iberoamericano o relaciones públicas para España|location=San José|publisher=[[University of Costa Rica|Universidad de Costa Rica]]|first=Tamara L.|last=Falicov|journal=Reflexiones|volume=91|issue=1|issn=1021-1209|year=2012}}</ref> Production companies included Andrés Wood Producciones, Tornasol Films, Mamoun Hassan, Paraíso, and Chile Films.<ref name="goodridge" />
The film is dedicated to Father Gerardo Whelan, [[Congregation of Holy Cross|C.S.C.]] who from 1969 to 1973 was the director of Colegio Saint George ([[Saint George's College, Santiago|Saint George's College]]), the private school in Santiago that the film's director attended as a boy.


The movie was filmed in July 2003 and produced on a moderate budget of 1,700,000 USD,<ref>https://www.imdb.com/reviews/392/39288.html</ref> which came from an international cooperation between Chile and Spain. ''Machuca'' performed well in theaters in Chile, but did not have notable box office success outside of Latin America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&id=machuca.htm|title=Machuca (2005) - International Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo|website=www.boxofficemojo.com}}</ref>
The film premiered in the [[Directors' Fortnight]] parallel section of the [[2004 Cannes Film Festival|57th Cannes Film Festival]] in May 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/entretencion/cine/festivales-de-cine/machuca-recibio-una-mencion-especial-en-el-festival-de-cine-de-cannes/2004-05-21/181021.html|website=[[Radio Cooperativa|cooperativa.cl]]|title="Machuca" recibió una mención especial en el Festival de Cine de Cannes|date=21 May 2004}}</ref> It was well received in theaters in Chile and a few other countries, but did not have notable box office success outside of Latin America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&id=machuca.htm|title=Machuca (2005) - International Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo|website=boxofficemojo.com}}</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==
The story is told from the viewpoint of Gonzalo Infante, a 12-year-old upper-class boy, and it is set in a turbulent time in Chile. The working class was demanding social justice and significant changes to the country's socioeconomic structure after electing a socialist president. In this context, the wealthy classes became afraid of the socialist movement, and some of its most prominent members conspired against the government of Salvador Allende.
The film is shown from the perspective of Gonzalo Infante, an 11 year upper middle-class Chilean boy, during a time period in which the lower classes demand more rights and fundamental change and have won the recent democratic election. Many from the middle and upper class, including members of Gonzalo's own family, grow fearful of the [[Socialist Party of Chile|socialist movement]] and plot against the country's elected president, [[Salvador Allende]]. Gonzalo's father, while sympathetic to the poor and not part of the right-wing movement, wants to leave the country for Italy, where he frequently travels for work at the UN [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]]. Gonzalo's mother, Maria Luisa Infante, is having an affair with a wealthy older [[Argentines|Argentinian]], Roberto Ochagavia, who gives Gonzalo gifts to keep him quiet. Gonzalo is sometimes bullied by his sister's boyfriend, who is a violent anti-Allende right-winger who uses [[nunchaku]]s to intimidate people. The family often buys products from the black market, due to rationing and shortages.


While Gonzalo's father is sympathetic to the less fortunate and not part of the right-wing movement, he wants to take his family to Italy, where he often travels for his work at the [[Food and Agriculture Organization|UN FAO]]. Gonzalo's mother, on the other hand, is resigned to the state of affairs and is having an affair with a wealthy and much older Argentinean.
Gonzalo attends a private school where the strong-willed school principal, Father McEnroe, is developing a [[social integration]] project, which is seen by some parents as left leaning rather than a work of the Christian faith. When five poor students are admitted to Gonzalo's class, Gonzalo becomes friends with Pedro Machuca, one of the new students, after he refuses to participate in bullying by other pupils. Gonzalo accompanies Pedro and his neighbor Silvana as they sell flags and cigarettes at demonstrations: first nationalistic flags at a demonstration of right-wing nationalists, then flags of the red brigades at a leftist rally in support of the government. Silvana calls Gonzalo a snob and strawberry-face, but eventually befriends him and they even exchange first kisses.


Gonzalo attends a private school where the determined school principal, Father McEnroe, has initiated a [[social integration]] project. However, some of the parents consider it a "leftist venture" instead of a Christian, charitable effort. When five disadvantaged students are admitted to Gonzalo's class, he befriends Pedro because he sympathizes with him after some wealthy classmates bully him.
⚫
Pedro Machuca visits Gonzalo's home and is impressed at Gonzalo having a separate room with toys and a closet full of clothing, but also witnesses the tensions and cruelty latent in Gonzalo's family. When Gonzalo visits the shantytown dwelling of Pedro, he is appalled at the conditions. The friendship of the two mirrors the friendship between the [[Lone Ranger]] and the Indian Tonto in Gonzalo's favorite comic-book series. Gonzalo knows that he is acting against expectations, mentioning that his favorite comic is unbelievable because "Indians and white men do not team up."


Gonzalo joins Pedro and his neighbor Silvana in selling flags and cigarettes during street demonstrations. They first sell nationalist flags at a right-wing protest and later socialist flags at a leftist rally supporting the government. Silvana initially calls Gonzalo a snob and "strawberry-face," but eventually, they develop affection for each other and even share a kiss.
As political unrest in Chile grows, the boys' friendship begins to be tested. Pedro's drunk father taunts him, telling him that, while Gonzalo and his friends will grow up wealthy, he will be stuck in the lower class cleaning toilets. The wealthy parents of the students at St. Patrick's school are divided on the issue of the new poor students. While some, such as Sr. Infante, support Father McEnroe's policies, many, including Sra. Infante, think that the classes should be segregated. The school farm run by the students is a failure and jeopardizes the financial basis for the inclusion of poorer students. At an [[Anti-communism|anti-Communist]] political rally, Gonzalo's mother sticks up for Silvana when Silvana is threatened by the group that Gonzalo's mother is with—until Silvana spits on their car in retaliation and calls Gonzalo’s mother a whore. As the class tensions increase, the friends get into a fight and are driven apart.


⚫
Pedro visits Gonzalo's home and is amazed by the fact that Gonzalo has a room to himself, filled with toys and a closet full of clothes. However, he also witnesses the tension and cruelty that exists within Gonzalo's family. When Gonzalo visits Pedro's shantytown dwelling, he is horrified by the extremely poor living conditions. Their friendship mirrors that of the [[Lone Ranger]] and Native American [[Tonto]] from Gonzalo's favorite comic book series. Gonzalo realizes that their friendship is against all odds when Silvana discovers them reading an issue of the magazine and comments on the implausibility of a white person being friends with an Indian.
Gonzalo's family witnesses the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|military coup of 1973]] led by [[Augusto Pinochet]], in which [[Salvador Allende]] commits suicide and [[Augusto Pinochet]] takes over. After Father McEnroe is removed from the now militarized school, he attends the mass performed by a new priest, consumes the [[sacramental bread]] to save it from [[Host desecration|desecration]] and declares the ground to be desecrated. Machuca leads the other students in honoring the priest and is expelled. Gonzalo tries to visit the shantytown where Pedro and Silvana live but arrives to find it being destroyed by the soldiers. He then witnesses a soldier murdering Silvana. Himself being dragged into the conflict, Gonzalo convinces a soldier that he is not from the shantytown due to his nice clothing and fair complexion, and is forced to abandon his friend. He returns to his family's new home, which is now even more opulent thanks to his mother's lover and the new redistribution of wealth under the new government. He remains distraught over the events he has witnessed as he remembers his friends as he stares down at the ruins of their homes. The [[Military dictatorship of Chile (1973–90)|17 years of Chilean dictatorship]], in which 250,000 Chileans were detained, have begun.

As the political unrest in Chile escalates, the boys' friendship is put to the test. Pedro's alcoholic father ridicules him, telling him that while his supposed friend will grow up to be wealthy, he will be stuck in the lower class, likely cleaning toilets for the rich. The affluent parents of the students at St. Patrick's school have differing views on Father McEnroe's project. While some support the new policies, including Gonzalo's father, many others, including Gonzalo's mother, believe that for the good of the country, social classes should not be mixed.

The school's vegetable garden, which the students take care of, turns out to be a failure, jeopardizing the funding for Father McEnroe's project. During an [[Anti-communism|anti-Communist]] protest, Gonzalo's mother takes Silvana's merchandise when the latter is being threatened by other protesters. Silvana retaliates by spitting on Gonzalo's mother's car windshield and calling her a whore. This increases tension between Gonzalo and Pedro, leading to a fight and the end of their friendship.

Following the coup, Father McEnroe is removed from the school by the military and is not even allowed to perform mass at the chapel. When he attends the first mass performed by a new priest, he receives communion but does not swallow the sacramental bread to preserve it from desecration and declares the place profane. Pedro leads the other students in honoring the priest, resulting in his expulsion from the school.

Gonzalo visits the shantytown where Pedro and Silvana live, but upon arrival, he witnesses soldiers raiding the area and a tragic incident unfolds, resulting in Silvana being shot and killed. Gonzalo finds himself dragged into the chaos and struggles to convince a soldier that he does not belong there until he shows them his nice clothing and fair complexion. Eventually, the soldier lets him go, warning him never to return.

Heartbroken over the events he witnessed and the loss of his friend, Gonzalo returns to his family's new home. Their wealth has increased thanks to his mother's lover and the new government's [[redistribution of wealth]]. However, Gonzalo is left devastated, recalling the last time he saw Pedro staring at the ruins of their homes.


==Cast==
==Cast==
[[Image:Ceremonia de Clausura (4790755070).jpg|[[Andrés Wood]], [[Aline Kuppenheim]], [[Manuela Martelli]] and Matías Quer at the [[Viña del Mar International Film Festival]] 2004|thumb|right]]
[[Image:Ceremonia de Clausura (4790755070).jpg|[[Andrés Wood]], [[Aline Kuppenheim]], [[Manuela Martelli]] and Matías Quer at the [[Viña del Mar International Film Festival]] 2004|thumb|right]]
{{Cast listing|
* [[Matías Quer]] as Gonzalo Infante
* [[Matías Quer]] as Gonzalo Infante
* [[Ariel Mateluna]] as Pedro Machuca
* [[Ariel Mateluna]] as Pedro Machuca
Line 47: Line 60:
* [[Ernesto Malbran]] as Father McEnroe
* [[Ernesto Malbran]] as Father McEnroe
* [[Aline Küppenheim]] as María Luisa Infante, Gonzalo's mother
* [[Aline Küppenheim]] as María Luisa Infante, Gonzalo's mother
* [[Francisco Reyes Morandé|Francisco Reyes]] as Patricio Infante
* [[Francisco Reyes Morandé|Francisco Reyes]] as Patricio Infante, Gonzalo's father
* [[Federico Luppi]] as Roberto Ochagavía, María Luisa Infante's affair
* [[Federico Luppi]] as Roberto Ochagavía, María Luisa Infante's affair
* [[Luis Dubó]] as Ismael Machuca, father of Pedro
* [[Luis Dubó]] as Ismael Machuca, Pedro's father
* [[Tamara Acosta]] as Juana María, mother of Pedro
* [[Tamara Acosta]] as Juana María, Pedro's mother
* [[Alejandro Trejo]] as Guillermo "Willy", father of Silvana
* [[Alejandro Trejo]] as Guillermo "Willy", Silvana's father
* [[Andrea García-Huidobro]] as Isabel Infante, Gonzalo's sister
* [[Andrea García-Huidobro]] as Isabel Infante, Gonzalo's sister
* [[Tiago Correa]] as Pablo, Isabel's boyfriend
* [[Tiago Correa]] as Pablo, Isabel's boyfriend
Line 62: Line 75:
* [[Francisca Imboden]] as María Ignacia
* [[Francisca Imboden]] as María Ignacia
* [[Carolina Sotomayor]] as Josefina
* [[Carolina Sotomayor]] as Josefina
}}

== Reception ==
[[Ann Hornaday]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' deemed the film to be "that rare film that merges the personal and political without sacrificing restraint or intellectual honesty".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2005/11/18/machuca-coming-of-age-amid-the-chaos/eb66488f-7820-41e1-9d84-a88dec543269/|author-link=Ann Hornaday|first=Ann|last=Hornaday|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=18 November 2005|title='Machuca': Coming of Age Amid the Chaos}}</ref>

Mike Goodridge of ''[[ScreenDaily]]'' described the film as a "small, artfully crafted movie", otherwise deeming it to be an "unsettling piece" which [unlike other films with similar themes] "doesn't fall into easy traps of sentimentalism".<ref name="goodridge">{{Cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/machuca/4021111.article|first=Mike|last=Goodridge|date=29 November 2014|title=Machuca|website=[[ScreenDaily]]}}</ref>


== Accolades ==
==Awards and nominations==
{{Awards table|5}}
⚫
This film was nominated for the [[Ariel Award in 2005]] in the category ''Best Iberoamerican Film''. It won Most Popular International Film at the 2004 [[Vancouver International Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite press release |title = 23rd Vancouver International Film Festival Breaks Records |url = http://www.viff.org/viff04/e_media/releases04/FinalRelease.pdf |publisher = [[Vancouver International Film Festival]] |date = 13 October 2004 |accessdate = 28 June 2013 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080227165037/http://www.viff.org/viff04/e_media/releases04/FinalRelease.pdf |archivedate = 27 February 2008 }}</ref>
|-
⚫
| align = "center" | 2004 || [[Vancouver International Film Festival]] || colspan = "2" | Most Popular International Film || {{won}} || align = "center" | <ref>{{cite press release |title = 23rd Vancouver International Film Festival Breaks Records |url = http://www.viff.org/viff04/e_media/releases04/FinalRelease.pdf |publisher = [[Vancouver International Film Festival]] |date = 13 October 2004 |accessdate = 28 June 2013 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080227165037/http://www.viff.org/viff04/e_media/releases04/FinalRelease.pdf |archivedate = 27 February 2008 }}</ref>
|-
| align = "center" | 2004 || [[Film Fest Gent]] || colspan = "2" | Georges Delerue Award for Best Soundtrack/Sound Design || {{won}} ||
|-
| rowspan = "2" align = "center" | 2005 || {{Sort|Goya 19|[[19th Goya Awards]]}} || colspan = "2" | [[Goya Award for Best Ibero-American Film|Best Spanish-Language Foreign Film]] || {{nom}} || align = "center" | <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.premiosgoya.com/pelicula/machuca|website=[[Goya Awards|premiosgoya.com]]|publisher=[[Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España]]|title=Machuca|access-date=29 November 2022}}</ref>
|-
| {{Sort|Ariel 47|[[47th Ariel Awards]]}} || colspan = "2" | [[Ariel Award for Best Ibero-American Film|Best Ibero-American Film]] || {{nom}} || align = "center" | <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/entretencion/cine/cine-chileno/machuca-competira-por-ser-la-mejor-pelicula-iberoamericana/2005-03-02/122444.html|website=[[Radio Cooperativa|cooperativa.cl]]|title="Machuca" competirá por ser la Mejor Película Iberoamericana|date=2 March 2005}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eluniverso.com/2005/03/31/0001/260/E1CF177797B74F36B569EBB3E7E89AD0.html/|website=[[El Universo]]|date=31 March 2005|title=El Ariel a lo mejor del cine mexicano}}</ref>
|}


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Cinema of Chile]]
* [[Cinema of Chile]]
* [[List of Spanish films of 2004]]


==References==
==References==
Line 75: Line 104:
* {{IMDb title|id=0378284|title=Machuca}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0378284|title=Machuca}}
* [http://www.woodproducciones.com/en/film/machuca/index.html Machuca in Wood Producciones]
* [http://www.woodproducciones.com/en/film/machuca/index.html Machuca in Wood Producciones]
* [https://articles.latimes.com/2005/apr/29/entertainment/et-machuca29 Kenneth Turan 2005. Youthful innocence sacrificed on the altar of politics]
* [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-apr-29-et-machuca29-story.html Kenneth Turan 2005. Youthful innocence sacrificed on the altar of politics]
* [http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2005/machuca.php Machuca in the Philadelphia Film Festival]
* [http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2005/machuca.php Machuca in the Philadelphia Film Festival]
* [http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2005/11/22/US-5/?s=Machuca "Chilean movie recalls U.S. priest's presence amid turbulence of coup"] 22 November 2005, www.georgiabulletin.org
* [https://archive.today/20130414232012/http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2005/11/22/US-5/?s=Machuca "Chilean movie recalls U.S. priest's presence amid turbulence of coup"] 22 November 2005, www.georgiabulletin.org


{{Chilean submission for Academy Awards}}
{{Chilean submission for Academy Awards}}
{{Chilean submission for Goya Awards}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:2004 films]]
[[Category:2004 films]]
[[Category:Chilean films]]
[[Category:2000s Spanish-language films]]
[[Category:2000s drama films]]
[[Category:Films about the Chilean military dictatorship]]
⚫
[[Category:Spanish-language films]]
⚫
[[Category:Films about Latin American military dictatorships]]
[[Category:Films directed by Andrés Wood]]
[[Category:Films directed by Andrés Wood]]
[[Category:Chilean drama films]]
[[Category:Chilean coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:2000s coming-of-age films]]
[[Category:Chilean historical films]]
[[Category:Spanish coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:British coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:French coming-of-age drama films]]
⚫
[[Category:2000s Spanish films]]
[[Category:2000s British films]]
[[Category:2000s French films]]
[[Category:2000s Chilean films]]
[[Category:2000s coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:Films set in Chile]]
[[Category:Films set in Chile]]
[[Category:Films set in 1973]]
[[Category:Films set in 1973]]
[[Category:Georges Delerue Award winners]]
[[Category:Georges Delerue Award winners]]
[[Category:2004 drama films]]
⚫
[[Category:Films about coups d'état]]
[[Category:Tornasol Films films]]

Latest revision as of 01:51, 7 November 2024

For the surname, see Machuca (surname).

Machuca
Chilean theatrical release poster
Directed byAndrés Wood
Written byRoberto Brodsky
Mamoun Hassan
Andrés Wood
Eliseo Altunaga (consultant)
Produced byAndrés Wood
Mamoun Hassan
Gerardo Herrero
Starring
CinematographyMiguel Ioann Littin Menz
Edited byFernando Pardo
Soledad Salfate
Music byMiguel Miranda
José Miguel Tobar
Production
companies
  • Andrés Wood Producciones
  • Tornasol Films
  • Chile Films
  • Mamoun Hassan
  • Paraíso
Distributed byMenemsha Entertainment
Release dates
  • 21 May 2004 (2004-05-21) (Cannes)
  • 11 June 2004 (2004-06-11) (Spain)
  • 5 August 2004 (2004-08-05) (Chile)
Running time
121 minutes
Countries
  • Chile
  • Spain
  • United Kingdom
  • France
LanguageSpanish
Box office$3,187,700 (worldwide)[1]

Machuca is a 2004 internationally co-produced coming-of-age drama film co-written and directed by Andrés Wood.[2] It stars Matías Quer, Ariel Mateluna, Manuela Martelli, and Aline Küppenheim alongside Federico Luppi.

Set in Santiago during the months leading up to the 1973 coup d'état led by General Augusto Pinochet – which overthrew Salvador Allende's socialist government – the film tells the story of two boys who attend an elite Catholic school: Gonzalo Infante – who belongs to a wealthy family with a European background – and Pedro Machuca – who is poor and comes from an indigenous background.

The film is inspired by and dedicated to Father Gerardo Whelan, C.S.C. who from 1969 to 1973 was the director of Saint George's College, the private school depicted in the film, which the director himself attended as a boy. Machuca was filmed in July 2003 and produced on a moderate budget of US$1,700,000.[3] It is a joint Chilean-Spanish-British-French international co-production with support from Ibermedia.[4] Production companies included Andrés Wood Producciones, Tornasol Films, Mamoun Hassan, Paraíso, and Chile Films.[5]

The film premiered in the Directors' Fortnight parallel section of the 57th Cannes Film Festival in May 2004.[6] It was well received in theaters in Chile and a few other countries, but did not have notable box office success outside of Latin America.[7]

Plot

[edit]

The story is told from the viewpoint of Gonzalo Infante, a 12-year-old upper-class boy, and it is set in a turbulent time in Chile. The working class was demanding social justice and significant changes to the country's socioeconomic structure after electing a socialist president. In this context, the wealthy classes became afraid of the socialist movement, and some of its most prominent members conspired against the government of Salvador Allende.

While Gonzalo's father is sympathetic to the less fortunate and not part of the right-wing movement, he wants to take his family to Italy, where he often travels for his work at the UN FAO. Gonzalo's mother, on the other hand, is resigned to the state of affairs and is having an affair with a wealthy and much older Argentinean.

Gonzalo attends a private school where the determined school principal, Father McEnroe, has initiated a social integration project. However, some of the parents consider it a "leftist venture" instead of a Christian, charitable effort. When five disadvantaged students are admitted to Gonzalo's class, he befriends Pedro because he sympathizes with him after some wealthy classmates bully him.

Gonzalo joins Pedro and his neighbor Silvana in selling flags and cigarettes during street demonstrations. They first sell nationalist flags at a right-wing protest and later socialist flags at a leftist rally supporting the government. Silvana initially calls Gonzalo a snob and "strawberry-face," but eventually, they develop affection for each other and even share a kiss.

Pedro visits Gonzalo's home and is amazed by the fact that Gonzalo has a room to himself, filled with toys and a closet full of clothes. However, he also witnesses the tension and cruelty that exists within Gonzalo's family. When Gonzalo visits Pedro's shantytown dwelling, he is horrified by the extremely poor living conditions. Their friendship mirrors that of the Lone Ranger and Native American Tonto from Gonzalo's favorite comic book series. Gonzalo realizes that their friendship is against all odds when Silvana discovers them reading an issue of the magazine and comments on the implausibility of a white person being friends with an Indian.

As the political unrest in Chile escalates, the boys' friendship is put to the test. Pedro's alcoholic father ridicules him, telling him that while his supposed friend will grow up to be wealthy, he will be stuck in the lower class, likely cleaning toilets for the rich. The affluent parents of the students at St. Patrick's school have differing views on Father McEnroe's project. While some support the new policies, including Gonzalo's father, many others, including Gonzalo's mother, believe that for the good of the country, social classes should not be mixed.

The school's vegetable garden, which the students take care of, turns out to be a failure, jeopardizing the funding for Father McEnroe's project. During an anti-Communist protest, Gonzalo's mother takes Silvana's merchandise when the latter is being threatened by other protesters. Silvana retaliates by spitting on Gonzalo's mother's car windshield and calling her a whore. This increases tension between Gonzalo and Pedro, leading to a fight and the end of their friendship.

Following the coup, Father McEnroe is removed from the school by the military and is not even allowed to perform mass at the chapel. When he attends the first mass performed by a new priest, he receives communion but does not swallow the sacramental bread to preserve it from desecration and declares the place profane. Pedro leads the other students in honoring the priest, resulting in his expulsion from the school.

Gonzalo visits the shantytown where Pedro and Silvana live, but upon arrival, he witnesses soldiers raiding the area and a tragic incident unfolds, resulting in Silvana being shot and killed. Gonzalo finds himself dragged into the chaos and struggles to convince a soldier that he does not belong there until he shows them his nice clothing and fair complexion. Eventually, the soldier lets him go, warning him never to return.

Heartbroken over the events he witnessed and the loss of his friend, Gonzalo returns to his family's new home. Their wealth has increased thanks to his mother's lover and the new government's redistribution of wealth. However, Gonzalo is left devastated, recalling the last time he saw Pedro staring at the ruins of their homes.

Cast

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Andrés Wood, Aline Kuppenheim, Manuela Martelli and Matías Quer at the Viña del Mar International Film Festival 2004

Reception

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Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post deemed the film to be "that rare film that merges the personal and political without sacrificing restraint or intellectual honesty".[8]

Mike Goodridge of ScreenDaily described the film as a "small, artfully crafted movie", otherwise deeming it to be an "unsettling piece" which [unlike other films with similar themes] "doesn't fall into easy traps of sentimentalism".[5]

Accolades

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Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2004 Vancouver International Film Festival Most Popular International Film Won [9]
2004 Film Fest Gent Georges Delerue Award for Best Soundtrack/Sound Design Won
2005 19th Goya Awards Best Spanish-Language Foreign Film Nominated [10]
47th Ariel Awards Best Ibero-American Film Nominated [11][12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Machuca (2005)". Box Office Mojo. 10 February 2005. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  2. ^ Vidal, Nuria (29 May 2008). "Machuca". Fotogramas.
  3. ^ "Review for Machuca (2004)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015.
  4. ^ Falicov, Tamara L. (2012). "Programa Ibermedia: ¿cine transnacional iberoamericano o relaciones públicas para España" (PDF). Reflexiones. 91 (1). San José: Universidad de Costa Rica: 301. ISSN 1021-1209.
  5. ^ a b Goodridge, Mike (29 November 2014). "Machuca". ScreenDaily.
  6. ^ ""Machuca" recibió una mención especial en el Festival de Cine de Cannes". cooperativa.cl. 21 May 2004.
  7. ^ "Machuca (2005) - International Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo". boxofficemojo.com.
  8. ^ Hornaday, Ann (18 November 2005). "'Machuca': Coming of Age Amid the Chaos". The Washington Post.
  9. ^ "23rd Vancouver International Film Festival Breaks Records" (PDF) (Press release). Vancouver International Film Festival. 13 October 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2008. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  10. ^ "Machuca". premiosgoya.com. Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  11. ^ ""Machuca" competirá por ser la Mejor Película Iberoamericana". cooperativa.cl. 2 March 2005.
  12. ^ "El Ariel a lo mejor del cine mexicano". El Universo. 31 March 2005.
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