Fast Film Reviews

Do you love politics, history, and courtroom dramas? Argentina, 1985 is a perfect blending of the three.

The title is an accurate description of the time and place. The country has recovered its democracy after seven years of a military dictatorship called the National Reorganization Process. The current President has ordered the former commanders to be put on trial for their crimes of torture and abuse against the people. However, the accused want to be tried by a military court, but they fail to press charges. So the lawsuit moves to the civilian judiciary, where they can be tried. The responsibility for building the case against them falls on its only federal prosecutor, Julio Strassera (Ricardo Darín).

Argentina 1985 is a David and Goliath story The Trial of the Juntas concerns holding those accountable for the bloodiest dictatorship in the history of Argentina. This details the Argentine justice system. It would be a challenging endeavor. The military has all the advantages of a team of experienced lawyers. Julio Strassera is at a distinct disadvantage with limited resources and a group of lawyers that are young and inexperienced.

The first half is about assembling the team and the death threats they receive for trying this case. He’s assigned a deputy prosecutor named Luis Moreno Ocampo (Peter Lanzani ), a professor whose family has ties to the military. Strassera is skeptical but ultimately accepts Ocampo’s help. The second part is the judicial hearing, where we learn about the atrocities the de facto government committed while in control. The proceedings are broadcast, so the citizens are watching this too, and it’s turning the tide of public opinion.

The saga is a chronicle of a historical event where people were brought to justice, regardless of how powerful and protected. The legal developments of one country may seem narrow in scope. Still, we can take what happened in Argentina and apply those lessons to any regime that might overstep its authority. I appreciated the presentation of an atrocity of which I knew very little. It’s a compelling portrait, and it even manages to respectfully inject humor here and there despite the serious subject matter. Argentina, 1985 is nominated for Best International Feature at the upcoming Oscars this Sunday, March 12. Currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

02-28-23

This entry was posted on March 8, 2023 at 8:36 am and is filed under Biography, Crime, Drama with tags 2022. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.