Machuca (2004)

Director:

Andrés Wood

Writers:

Eliseo Altunaga (writer)
Roberto Brodsky (writer)

Release Date:

11 June 2004 (Spain)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

Two boys observe a political coup in their native Chile.

Plot Keywords:

Chile | Augusto Pinochet | Pinochet | Socialist | Political

Awards:

9 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Tamara Acosta	...	Juana
Alfredo Ahumada	...	Mozo
Daniel Alcino	...	Sargento Ejército (as Daniel Alcaino)
Jack Arama	...	Apoderado
David Arancibia	...	David Ahumada
Cristóbal Aravena	...	Christián Quiróz
Luis Bascuñán	...	Lisandro Toro
Julio Briceno	...	Sacerdote 2 (as Julio Briceño)
Mauricio Bustos	...	Kiosquero
Francisca Concha	...	Madre Robles
Tiago Correa	...	Pablo
Luis Dubó	...	Ismael Machuca
Vladimir Dubo	...	José Alquelme
Samuel Echeverria	...	Samuel Montes
Lucas Edwards	...	Lucas Honorato

Also Known As:

Mon ami Machuca (France)

Runtime:

USA:121 min

Country:

Chile | Spain | UK | France

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Sweden:15 (TV rating) | Brazil:12 | Chile:TE | Germany:12 | Ireland:15A | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Switzerland:16 (canton of St. Gallen) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Santiago, Chile

Trivia:

As stated by the director in several interviews, the movie was shot only on Sundays, due to its small budget.

Movie Connections:

References The Lone Ranger (1956)

One of the Greatest Movie Ever

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.