Like the arc of the moral universe, "Argentina, 1985" is long, but it bends towards justice. By effectively dramatizing the country's historic Juicio de las Juntas, the first instance in the history of a civilian justice system condemning a military dictatorship, Santiago Miter's sweeping, lengthy, and candid judicial saga may draw from the same nightmarish period. of the story that has informed much of Argentine cinema's most essential and disturbing works, from 1985's Oscar-winning "La historia oficial" to last year's "Azor," but eschews any subtle art-and-essay style for a sensibility narrative as solidly populist as any work by Sorkin or Spielberg.
So it's no surprise that Amazon Studios has tackled a movie that's clearly aiming to be both a national hit and an international crossover hit, buoyed by Ricardo Darin's dependable star power, his trademark softness tempered by a walrus mustache, and boxy frames. from the 1980s as Julio Strassera, the stubborn prosecutor who took on this accused case and against all odds. Though a warmly received Venice competition premiere will set it on the right track, "Argentina, 1985" is, appropriately enough, a popular movie about mob justice, balancing harrowing historical catharsis with hints of humorous domestic comedy, and set to draw crowds with enthusiastic word of mouth.
Director: Santiago Mitre
Writers: Mariano Llinás, Santiago Mitre
Stars: Norman Briski, Claudio Da Passano, Ricardo Darín
For Mitre, he himself was a kindergartener when the real-life events of "Argentina, 1985" unfolded, the latter representing a breakthrough on his 2017 Cannes-selected political thriller "The Summit," while retaining the intelligence of the conventional genre of that film and, of course, the fearsome services of Darín, but elevating the style a bit. Javier Juliá's velvety, deep-toned lens, Micaela Saiegh's worn period production design, and Andrés Pepe Estrada's edgy editing lend cinematic breadth and scope to a story that might otherwise favor a television format: this is, after all, an ordeal in which 833 witnesses testified over the course of five months, so even at 140 minutes, Miter and Mariano Llinás' script can't help but feel cunningly condensed.
The film opens with a somewhat overcrowded procession of title cards outlining the historical context for any international viewer unfamiliar with the history of Argentina's Dirty War, in which a right-wing military junta seized power between 1976 and 1983, killing and kidnapping some 30,000 civilians perceived as opponents. In a restored democracy that still finds its place, the film depicts the defeated military still exerting undue influence on top officials, as well as certain factions of the public still misled: When nine of the dictatorship's commanders are impeached of war crimes, they insist on being tried in a military court which, unsurprisingly, goes easy on them.
However, when the trial is handed over to civil jurisdiction, brave prosecutor Strassera senses a once-in-a-generation opportunity to seek redress, though even in this reborn Argentina, the system is against him, with new President Alfonsín apparently reluctant. to support a conviction. Realizing that the country's legal old guard isn't fit for purpose (in a cleverly scripted scene, he quickly divides up a list of potential collaborators between dead, fascist, and super-fascist), and instead confronts the young, politically passionate co-advisor Luis Moreno. Ocampo (a winning Peter Lanzari) and a team of law graduates wet behind the ears to collect investigations, evidence and witnesses.
Courtroom scenes alternate between rhetorical bragging and chilling testimony ripped more or less straight from the record, with glimpses of footage seemingly spliced in between the drama. In the film's most poignant scene, a young woman reflects on her experience of being forced to give birth tied and blindfolded while being held captive by her board. That “Argentina, 1985” managed to alternate between such emotionally raw material and more intense, tension-driven subplots—as Strassera and her family resist death threats and cars explode in public squares—without seeming callous or dramatically opportunistic is a credit to Mitre, whose understanding of his story is high-profile and emotionally immediate, but never simplistic.
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