Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Matías Quer | ... | Gonzalo Infante |
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Ariel Mateluna | ... | Pedro Machuca |
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Manuela Martelli | ... | Silvana |
Aline Küppenheim | ... | María Luisa Infante (as Aline Kuppenheim) | |
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Ernesto Malbran | ... | Father McEnroe |
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Tamara Acosta | ... | Juana |
Francisco Reyes | ... | Patricio Infante | |
Alejandro Trejo | ... | Willy | |
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Maria Olga Matte | ... | Miss Gilda |
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Gabriela Medina | ... | Lucy |
Luis Dubó | ... | Ismael Machuca | |
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Andrea García-Huidobro | ... | Isabel |
Tiago Correa | ... | Pablo | |
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Pablo Krögh | ... | Colonel Sotomayor |
Federico Luppi | ... | Roberto Ochagavía |
Santiago, capital of Chile during the Marxist government of elected, highly controversial president Salvador Allende. Father McEnroe supports his leftist views by introducing a program at the prestigious "collegio" (Catholic prep school) St. Patrick to allow free admission of some proletarian kids. One of them is Pedro Machuca, slum-raised son of the cleaning lady in Gonzalo Infante's liberal-bourgeois home. Yet the new classmates become buddies, paradoxically protesting together as Gonzalo gets adopted by Pedro's slum family and gang. But the adults spoil that too, not in the least when general Pinochet's coup ousts Allende, and supporters such as McEnroe. Written by KGF Vissers
Although i was not old enough to live through these events, its repercussions are still felt today. Its interesting to see this movie in the theater and hear older people in the audience booing and cheering at the different scenes and historical characters in the movie, meaning that it accurately depicts the events. The movie is excellent in the way it portrays the everyday life experienced back in those days. The movie is apolitical in the way the main characters are children, so the focus is everyday life more than taking an actual view. The great special effects used, increase the realism and makes the movie so much better, and you don't even notice they are being used.
I recommend this movie 100% both to Chileans, and foreigners that want a glimpse on the life of the upper/middle classes in Chile back in 1973.