The history of Argentina in the 70s and 80s was one of a constant state of civil war, often under military rule. Democracy was restored in 1983 and two years later, the Trial of the Juntas was conducted with several of the top military commanders being the defendants. Santiago Mitre's ARGENTINA, 1985 centers on the Prosecutor Julio Strassera (Ricardo Darin), who was hand-picked by the judiciary to run the case.
Strassera is depicted as having integrity despite having been in office during the previous regime. A family man, who, while reluctant, is bound by duty - and supported by his wife and children. It isn't easy for Strassera to assemble a prosecution team since so many in the government are considered compromised. A deputy prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo (Peter Lanzani; solid) is eventually assigned to work alongside him.
From their initial meeting, the Strassera-Ocampo relationship is like a buddy picture stereotype with the pair constantly at odds with one another. Ocampo's own family is connected to the military. Ocampo, knowing how complicit many prosecutors are, comes up with the idea to hire young legal minds to form the rest of the prosecution team.
Mitre, working with co-writer Mariano Llinas, has fashioned his movie as a fairly traditional courtroom drama. The lines are clearly drawn with the the goliaths being the fearsome military officers and their corrupt defense attorneys versus the crusading Davids: Strassera, Ocampo and their inexperienced staff. While some of the incidents have no doubt been fictionalized, it is never forgotten how evil the actions of the Juntas was. Tens of thousands of civilians were tortured, killed or simply "disappeared" - never to be seen again. Trial testimony from the transcripts are dramatized, sometimes in grueling detail.
ARGENTINA, 1985 is, as incongruous as it may seem, an entertaining film; But there is a verisimilitude with actual photos and videos of the trial never taking the movie too far off course. And, Darin's performance always keeps things in focus of what is at stake. Darin is truly excellent. To Mitre's credit, he doesn't end with the Prosecutors toasting champagne or having a celebration, but with Strassera burning the midnight oil, hard at work on the next phase of justice.
Strassera is depicted as having integrity despite having been in office during the previous regime. A family man, who, while reluctant, is bound by duty - and supported by his wife and children. It isn't easy for Strassera to assemble a prosecution team since so many in the government are considered compromised. A deputy prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo (Peter Lanzani; solid) is eventually assigned to work alongside him.
From their initial meeting, the Strassera-Ocampo relationship is like a buddy picture stereotype with the pair constantly at odds with one another. Ocampo's own family is connected to the military. Ocampo, knowing how complicit many prosecutors are, comes up with the idea to hire young legal minds to form the rest of the prosecution team.
Mitre, working with co-writer Mariano Llinas, has fashioned his movie as a fairly traditional courtroom drama. The lines are clearly drawn with the the goliaths being the fearsome military officers and their corrupt defense attorneys versus the crusading Davids: Strassera, Ocampo and their inexperienced staff. While some of the incidents have no doubt been fictionalized, it is never forgotten how evil the actions of the Juntas was. Tens of thousands of civilians were tortured, killed or simply "disappeared" - never to be seen again. Trial testimony from the transcripts are dramatized, sometimes in grueling detail.
ARGENTINA, 1985 is, as incongruous as it may seem, an entertaining film; But there is a verisimilitude with actual photos and videos of the trial never taking the movie too far off course. And, Darin's performance always keeps things in focus of what is at stake. Darin is truly excellent. To Mitre's credit, he doesn't end with the Prosecutors toasting champagne or having a celebration, but with Strassera burning the midnight oil, hard at work on the next phase of justice.