Iluminados Por El Fuego is a cruel and real story about a tragic war between Argentina and Great Britain, struggling for the Islas Malvinas in the South Atlantic. That was decided by Argentinean Military Government in 1982 in order to gain popularity among citizens trying to distract attention in a moment where Argentina was close to a civil war. Any strategic or tactic analysis of that tragic war will explain all the mistakes that put Argentina in disadvantage to win the war, but the movie itself shows the cruel reality that lived the 17 and 18 year old recruit soldiers, today still suffering war veterans. Iluminados Por El Fuego shows perfectly how the boys (because the were just boys) lived a war they didn't ask for, suffered a war they were not ready to face or fight, with almost no food, no weapons and no training. The movie shows how the boys of war became today's suffering veterans struggling to survive with no help, trying to live alone in a country that seems to be ignorant to the terrible reality they lived. Iluminados Por El Fuego is, 23 years after the war, the very first real important Movie about Malvinas War, a clear example of how human life can be so cheap.
18 Reviews
Malvinas war, 1982
fedesoria18 March 2006
The first real movie about Malvinas war, telling the cruel way the incompetent heads of the Argentinian army sent those boys to a war they didn't want to go. And the movie is short telling the real story, which was worst than it is depicted here. Frozen, hungry boys, fighting a war for keeping in their throne the decadent military government. Acting is of good standard. Gaston Pauls confirm his great moment, and the moods and language of the Argentinean military men is very well depicted. The war scenes are not so good, but you can feel the frozen wind in your feet when the soldiers are waiting for the enemy. No love to motherland, no hating the enemy, only waiting for an early ending, and back home to mom, girlfriend, and family. No special effects, no needing of it. You get involved with the characters, in a very special way. The storytelling is quite slow, but accordingly with the interminable waiting for the enemy, in that frozen tundra, with inadequate equipment. Iluminados por el fuego is not a documentary film for those interested in history, but a testimony of the useless suffering of those soldiers. Don't expect CGI and special effects as in "Saving Private Ryan". This is real life, and it hurts.
Playing of War with Human Lives
claudio_carvalho2 January 2009
When the journalist Esteban Leguizamón (Gastón Pauls) receives a phone call from his acquaintance Marie, he goes to the hospital and finds that his former friend of the Malvinas War Alberto Vargas (Pablo Ribba) tried to commit suicide. Marie, who was married with Vargas, tells Esteban that the veteran Vargas has never recovered from the period he served in Islas Malvinas in 1982 and was extremely depressed in the last days. Esteban realizes that more than two hundred and ninety veterans from the war against the English troops had committed suicide and he recalls the tough period he fought in Malvinas with Vargas and Juan (Cesar Albarracin), reviving the ghost from his past and opening deep wounds he had forgotten.
In 1982, the Argentinean Military Government decided to send troops to retrieve the Islas Malvinas from England that occupied the islands in 1833. However the true intention of the military junta was to divert the Argentineans and increase their popularity, raising the sense of nationality with an ancient issue. The Argentinean soldiers were sent without the necessary supplies, suitable clothing, outfits and training, being easily defeated after two months of starvation, cold and fight against the British forces. "Iluminados Por el Fuego" shows the poor conditions of the Argentinean soldiers in Malvinas and the effect of this war in the young soldiers that survived the irresponsibility and cruelty of their leaders that decided to play of war, transforming them in psychologically destroyed men. Tristán Bauer certainly had a limited budget for the battles scenes, and he successfully uses a chaotic sequence to represent how these battles probably might have been. In the end, he gives a great anti-war message and states that the Isla Malvinas belong to the Argentinean people. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Iluminados Pelo Fogo" ("Lightened by Fire")
In 1982, the Argentinean Military Government decided to send troops to retrieve the Islas Malvinas from England that occupied the islands in 1833. However the true intention of the military junta was to divert the Argentineans and increase their popularity, raising the sense of nationality with an ancient issue. The Argentinean soldiers were sent without the necessary supplies, suitable clothing, outfits and training, being easily defeated after two months of starvation, cold and fight against the British forces. "Iluminados Por el Fuego" shows the poor conditions of the Argentinean soldiers in Malvinas and the effect of this war in the young soldiers that survived the irresponsibility and cruelty of their leaders that decided to play of war, transforming them in psychologically destroyed men. Tristán Bauer certainly had a limited budget for the battles scenes, and he successfully uses a chaotic sequence to represent how these battles probably might have been. In the end, he gives a great anti-war message and states that the Isla Malvinas belong to the Argentinean people. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Iluminados Pelo Fogo" ("Lightened by Fire")
Interesting story about young men sent to fight the 1982 war in the Falkland Islands and suffering terrible war scars
ma-cortes10 February 2014
When Alberto Vargas (Pablo Riva) tried to commit suicide , this brings up his old soldier buddy called Esteban Leguizamón (Gaston Pauls) some old records . As Vargas attempted to commit suicide after suffering from years of depression brought on by his experiences in the war , as Leguizamón mentions that over 290 veterans had committed suicide after the war, and indicates that this is the same as the name number of casualties there during the war . As Esteban returns to Falklands islands where took place Guerra De las Malvinas, also known as the Falklands Conflict, Falklands Crisis and the Guerra del Atlántico Sur , Spanish for "South Atlantic War" .
It's a good film, a cool Argentina/Spain co-production recreating the shortages of a group of Argentinian soldiers in Las Malvinas , the offensive by British navy and what happened during those desperate days . Stirring images by means of flashbacks accompanied with roaring battle scenes . The making was a logistical problem as almost that of setting up a campaign and putting a film together under any circumstances was very difficult because working under pretty bad conditions. This thought-provoking film is not a total description of such an important war but it is a context in which the battle offers the concrete development , life and death , a few men who are mistreated by a sergeant , suffering pains , starving and many other things . It's well recreated by the director Tristan Bauer , but adding shoot footage . Good acting by the main actor , Gaston Pauls as an Argentinian man who brings up old memories . He was born in Buenos Aires City , Distrito Federal, Argentina and is a nice actor and producer, known for Nueve Reinas (2000), and Felicidades (2000) and this Iluminados Por el Fuego (2005) or Blessed of fire .
The motion picture was rightly based on real events , though the characters are fictitious, those are the following : Guerra de Malvinas was a ten-week war between Argentina and the United Kingdom over two British overseas territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands . There the Argentine casualties during the war totalled 649, of which 321 were killed when the General Belgrano was sunk . It began on Friday 2 April 1982 when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands in an attempt to establish the sovereignty it has long claimed over them. On 5 April, the British government dispatched a naval task force to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force before making an amphibious assault on the islands. The conflict lasted 74 days and ended with the Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982, returning the islands to British control. 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel and 3 Falkland Islanders died during the hostilities. The conflict was a major episode in the protracted historical confrontation over the territories' sovereignty. Argentina has asserted and maintains that the islands have been Argentinian territory since the 19th century and, as such, the Argentine government characterised their action as the reclamation of their own territory. The British government saw it as an invasion of territory that has been British also since the 19th century. Neither state, however, officially declared war and hostilities were almost exclusively limited to the territories under dispute and the area of the South Atlantic where they lie. The conflict has had a strong impact in both countries and has been the subject of various books, articles, films and songs. Patriotic sentiment ran high in Argentina, but the outcome prompted large protests against the ruling military government, hastening its downfall. In the United Kingdom, the Conservative Party government, bolstered by the successful outcome, was re-elected the following year. The cultural and political weight of the conflict has had less effect in Britain than in Argentina, where it remains a ready topic for discussion. Relations between the United Kingdom and Argentina were restored in 1989 following a meeting in Madrid, Spain, at which the two countries' governments issued a joint statement. No change in either country's position as regards the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands was made explicit. In 1994, Argentina's claim to the territories was added to its constitution.
It's a good film, a cool Argentina/Spain co-production recreating the shortages of a group of Argentinian soldiers in Las Malvinas , the offensive by British navy and what happened during those desperate days . Stirring images by means of flashbacks accompanied with roaring battle scenes . The making was a logistical problem as almost that of setting up a campaign and putting a film together under any circumstances was very difficult because working under pretty bad conditions. This thought-provoking film is not a total description of such an important war but it is a context in which the battle offers the concrete development , life and death , a few men who are mistreated by a sergeant , suffering pains , starving and many other things . It's well recreated by the director Tristan Bauer , but adding shoot footage . Good acting by the main actor , Gaston Pauls as an Argentinian man who brings up old memories . He was born in Buenos Aires City , Distrito Federal, Argentina and is a nice actor and producer, known for Nueve Reinas (2000), and Felicidades (2000) and this Iluminados Por el Fuego (2005) or Blessed of fire .
The motion picture was rightly based on real events , though the characters are fictitious, those are the following : Guerra de Malvinas was a ten-week war between Argentina and the United Kingdom over two British overseas territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands . There the Argentine casualties during the war totalled 649, of which 321 were killed when the General Belgrano was sunk . It began on Friday 2 April 1982 when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands in an attempt to establish the sovereignty it has long claimed over them. On 5 April, the British government dispatched a naval task force to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force before making an amphibious assault on the islands. The conflict lasted 74 days and ended with the Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982, returning the islands to British control. 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel and 3 Falkland Islanders died during the hostilities. The conflict was a major episode in the protracted historical confrontation over the territories' sovereignty. Argentina has asserted and maintains that the islands have been Argentinian territory since the 19th century and, as such, the Argentine government characterised their action as the reclamation of their own territory. The British government saw it as an invasion of territory that has been British also since the 19th century. Neither state, however, officially declared war and hostilities were almost exclusively limited to the territories under dispute and the area of the South Atlantic where they lie. The conflict has had a strong impact in both countries and has been the subject of various books, articles, films and songs. Patriotic sentiment ran high in Argentina, but the outcome prompted large protests against the ruling military government, hastening its downfall. In the United Kingdom, the Conservative Party government, bolstered by the successful outcome, was re-elected the following year. The cultural and political weight of the conflict has had less effect in Britain than in Argentina, where it remains a ready topic for discussion. Relations between the United Kingdom and Argentina were restored in 1989 following a meeting in Madrid, Spain, at which the two countries' governments issued a joint statement. No change in either country's position as regards the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands was made explicit. In 1994, Argentina's claim to the territories was added to its constitution.
Factual Correction
bollocks4326 November 2011
It would serve the reviewer better if those responsible for writing the reviews cold at least get the facts right. The Falklands war was between Great Britain and argentina. England may have contributed some troops to the cause but there where soldiers from more than just England involved. They came from all of The UK as well as Nepal,Australia and I believe even Canada. It is insulting to those involved to be referred to as English.
The incident where the Sir Galahad was bombed killed many Welsh Guards and injured many more. The final battle before the surrender was fought by the Scots guards. The Gurkas where about to launch an attack when the white flag was hoisted by the argentinians. The SAS who where there before the main landings took place have soldiers from many countries including New Zealand and Fiji.
The incident where the Sir Galahad was bombed killed many Welsh Guards and injured many more. The final battle before the surrender was fought by the Scots guards. The Gurkas where about to launch an attack when the white flag was hoisted by the argentinians. The SAS who where there before the main landings took place have soldiers from many countries including New Zealand and Fiji.
This is a sad epic movie, very emotional.
Hunky Stud1 November 2009
This epic movie is emotional and sad. Most war movies are about winners, but this one is exactly the opposite. I don't think that I have ever seen any movies made from Argentina, I hope that I can see more in the future.
Now, here are some of the problems of this movie. Some scenes seem to be too long, I lost a little interest in watching. For example, the night scene when they were running away from the British offense. There was no scenes about the British soldiers, so it seems as if they were just running away from nothing although it was quite bloody.
Scenes change from current time to the war time, it got a little confusing. Some of the scenes were too dark, i can't hardly see anything on my TV.
The condition which the soldiers have to live was horrible, if they had better equipment and food, they could have won the war. I feel sorry that Argentina lost this war. And it is probably interesting to see how each country calls that island. In China, that island is still named after the name Argentina uses.
Now, here are some of the problems of this movie. Some scenes seem to be too long, I lost a little interest in watching. For example, the night scene when they were running away from the British offense. There was no scenes about the British soldiers, so it seems as if they were just running away from nothing although it was quite bloody.
Scenes change from current time to the war time, it got a little confusing. Some of the scenes were too dark, i can't hardly see anything on my TV.
The condition which the soldiers have to live was horrible, if they had better equipment and food, they could have won the war. I feel sorry that Argentina lost this war. And it is probably interesting to see how each country calls that island. In China, that island is still named after the name Argentina uses.
Realism and heroism, without glamour
nicholas-rogers1 December 2007
Not many war films are made about the terrors of the Falkland, or Malvinas, war. Neither are war films as poignant and thought-provoking as Blessed by Fire.
War films are so regularly hybrid with other genres, whether its romance, politics, bravery, historical drama, art, or even comedy. This can make them entertaining, such as Apocalypse Now, or silly, like Pearl Harbour. Done to make more sales, make a political statement, to boast a big budget or glamorise real warfare, it's always a gamble if the war film is worth watching.
I was pleased to have come across Blessed by Fire. I hadn't heard much about it but I was interested in watching a movie about the Falklands War. It's told from the Argentine perspective and based on the memoirs of the soldier, Esteban Leguizamón, played by Gastón Pauls. Twenty years after the war, Leguizamón is contacted to visit his old comrade Alberto Vargas (Pablo Ribba) who is in a coma after attempted suicide. Through flashbacks and newsreels, Leguizamón remembers the ill-treatment by superiors, how his friends would talk of their futures, families and livelihoods, their fear of the invading British armies, and the dank conditions they were living in. It also touches on the neglect soldiers face after the war from their government bad pensions and no career options. What it does magnificently is touch on the mental horrors of war - the anger and psychological scars that war causes and without a glamorisation in sight. Another political issue it touches on at the end is the live mines and rusting ammunition left over beautiful landscapes, and how nothing has been done to get rid of them. The political slant against Maggie Thatcher and her reasons for war are thrown in there whether it's for good measure, I'm unsure. But the result of the war has tarnished political relations between Britain and Argentina for many years, and it is a sensitive issue, particularly for Argentineans.
It was a film made on a budget, so some of the acting is slightly amateur but believable. The special affects are okay, but in moments of excitement, the lighting doesn't always make it clear what is going on. However, the sets are gloomy enough to be realistic and the photography of the Falklands is fantastic.
It's a symbol of what war is really about. Not the most exciting. But realism and heroism, without glamour. I give this film 9!
War films are so regularly hybrid with other genres, whether its romance, politics, bravery, historical drama, art, or even comedy. This can make them entertaining, such as Apocalypse Now, or silly, like Pearl Harbour. Done to make more sales, make a political statement, to boast a big budget or glamorise real warfare, it's always a gamble if the war film is worth watching.
I was pleased to have come across Blessed by Fire. I hadn't heard much about it but I was interested in watching a movie about the Falklands War. It's told from the Argentine perspective and based on the memoirs of the soldier, Esteban Leguizamón, played by Gastón Pauls. Twenty years after the war, Leguizamón is contacted to visit his old comrade Alberto Vargas (Pablo Ribba) who is in a coma after attempted suicide. Through flashbacks and newsreels, Leguizamón remembers the ill-treatment by superiors, how his friends would talk of their futures, families and livelihoods, their fear of the invading British armies, and the dank conditions they were living in. It also touches on the neglect soldiers face after the war from their government bad pensions and no career options. What it does magnificently is touch on the mental horrors of war - the anger and psychological scars that war causes and without a glamorisation in sight. Another political issue it touches on at the end is the live mines and rusting ammunition left over beautiful landscapes, and how nothing has been done to get rid of them. The political slant against Maggie Thatcher and her reasons for war are thrown in there whether it's for good measure, I'm unsure. But the result of the war has tarnished political relations between Britain and Argentina for many years, and it is a sensitive issue, particularly for Argentineans.
It was a film made on a budget, so some of the acting is slightly amateur but believable. The special affects are okay, but in moments of excitement, the lighting doesn't always make it clear what is going on. However, the sets are gloomy enough to be realistic and the photography of the Falklands is fantastic.
It's a symbol of what war is really about. Not the most exciting. But realism and heroism, without glamour. I give this film 9!
Tristan Bauer : a truly great film from the director of Después de la tormenta (1990)
FilmCriticLalitRao7 August 2008
Iluminados por el fuego is one of the finest anti war films.It is based on a book by Edgardo Esteban who fought at Falklands Islands as a soldier for more than 50 days.It is a sad tale of a journalist Esteban Leguizamón (Gastón Pauls) who is informed that his colleague at war Vargas (Pablo Ribba) has attempted to commit suicide as he was disturbed due to recurrent images of war.Esteban visits his colleague at hospital.This sad visit forces him to go back to the memories of the past.Argentinian auteur Tristan Bauer acquaints viewers with one of the most stupid wars waged at Falkland Islands (Islas Malavinas) in 1982 between Argentina and United Kingdom.Falklands war was horrendous for Argentina can be explained from the fact that it was responsible for the killing of more than 400 soldiers due to suicide.It is believed that some 267 soldiers lost their lives while they were defending the false pride of Argentina.Tristan Bauer shows us the madness of a futile war.His film proves that when a soldier dies, humanity also loses with him.Tristan Bauer is highly critical of Argentinian army generals who are shown as cowards.He tells that young soldiers have no choice but are forced to die for their motherland.
Real bad movie
skull_uno21 January 2009
In short: one-dimensional characters, not good actors, more a propaganda against this particular war than a real movie. Young conscripts portrayed as innocent boys who only want to play football, NCO's and CO's portrayed as sadistic, lazy, cowards, etc. It might be right, I know, but, come on! not only every war movie but every human group has good and bad persons in it (CO's, NCO's and draftees in this case). As a political opinion it might have some kind of worth but as a war movie, and a movie in general is real bad and underestimates the audience. The director is not bad, take a look to Cortázar http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109485/
A harrowing call against oblivion
yduric21 November 2006
I just saw 'Iluminados por el fuego' at the 'Filmar en America Latina' film festival in Geneva, which takes places here every year and lasts about three weeks in November. Fist of all, I would like to say that I have read all the 3 comments posted so far and found all the three useful. What I would also like to say is that even here, people who had seen the film I talked to also felt like me that it was very strong and extremely intelligently made because, instead of depicting details of military operations, it really focused on the real drama, the drama of young conscripts who DID NOT want to go to war and were sent to a completely useless slaughter and the tragic aftermath of it. Another strong point of the film is that is also emphasizes the total lack of humanity of a bloody dictatorship, which, non content of having already killed about 30'000 people (I think this is the official number of the 'disappeared', and I heard there might have been more; anyway, anyone who might confirm or correct what I say here is welcome)could not, before leaving power, perform another final act of abominable criminal madness, which, in many respect, reminds of the criminal madness of the Nazis at the end of WW II in Germany,which also sent thousands to a useless death simply because they knew their time was over. This very war, which many people around the world tend to forget nowadays, is the final tragic demonstration of the Nazi-like nature of this military dictatorship, and it is even more disgusting to know that many of those involved in it have benefited from amnesty, instead of being sentenced to death by hanging like their models!!! This, I think, is one of the very reason why films such as 'Iluminados por el fuego' are important.
As fiction, entertaining. Unfortunately it was announced as a true story.
adlvcolt24 February 2017
When it was announced the release of this film, it was an interesting proposal from the Argentine side because little or nothing of that time except the film "Los Chicos de la Guerra" based on the book of the same name with accounts of conscripted soldiers that fought in the war. "Blessed by Fire" was intended to do the same based on the story of an Argentinian soldier. Comrades of the Author loudly said that events portrayed in this movie are not true to what actually happened. Further, they said the author never was in battle and managed to replace his guard post by another soldier named Vallejos who dies that same night in the hands of the enemy. Of The South Atlantic War there are few films but what is regrettable is that this one was made with public funds and distorts real facts , showing how cowardly those who really were not is almost an act of treason promoted with taxpayer money. On the other hand, the British have made several films that tried to reflect what happened in those years, altering some facts as shown at the governor's house in "An Ungentlemanly Act to enhance the action of the Royal Marines but never altering facts to altered them fully. Another movie "Tumbledown" based on the history of the British Lieutenant Robert Lawrence is an excellent choice if you are looking for a film based on true facts and shows the real consequences of war delivering an universal message, it is safe to say that was highly criticized in Britain precisely not to glorify war and carried out by the BBC. Conclusion on "Blessed by Fire": Film to forget. I am still waiting a film from Argentina that portraits heroes and cowards but based on real accounts.
Must read
lsanchez_dauria20 March 2006
Iluminados por el fuego shows a reality that has been forgotten for many years in Argentina. A military Government that should be over is trying to continue in power trough an unforgivable sin. The blood of the young conscripts.
It's unbelievable that the Argentinian society was blinded of the truth of what happened.
Argentina will recover the islands, i have no doubt of it, but only when the people finally understand what happened and why it happened
As a message to the world, for a war that should never happen, please, see this movie.
It's unbelievable that the Argentinian society was blinded of the truth of what happened.
Argentina will recover the islands, i have no doubt of it, but only when the people finally understand what happened and why it happened
As a message to the world, for a war that should never happen, please, see this movie.
Remarkable telling of an Argentinean's view of the Falkland's War
t-dooley-69-3869169 January 2016
In 1982 General Galtieri invaded The Falkland's islands – this was widely seen as a way of uniting the country in a common cause and deflect attention away from his dictators rule, mismanagement and the 'disappearances' that were happening domestically. Esteban Leguizamón – whose book this film is based on ('Iluminados Por El Fuego') was one of those sent to fight on the windswept islands in the South Atlantic.
The story begins some time after the end of that unnecessary war when Esteban gets word that one of his erstwhile army buddies has attempted suicide – this is Alberto Vargas and he goes to see him at the hospital where the sight of his friend makes him remember his fifty days of hell in a war he never wanted to fight. This is told in flashback and as we go through his war we also go through his friends fight to cling to a life he wanted to shuck off.
The battle scenes are done really well and you get a very real sense of how bad it was for these mostly conscripts who had to fight the British Taskforce. The Malvinas – as the Argentineans call them- are occupied by British descendants and their right to self determination has never been acknowledged by Argentina and so there is a bit of politicking here too – that some will not agree with. There are scenes that will move you and some that are gruesome and the whole film is made in a way that just reaches out to the viewer. Director Tristán Bauer has only made one film since this and so we are well overdue for another great piece of cinema – like this one – completely recommended.
The story begins some time after the end of that unnecessary war when Esteban gets word that one of his erstwhile army buddies has attempted suicide – this is Alberto Vargas and he goes to see him at the hospital where the sight of his friend makes him remember his fifty days of hell in a war he never wanted to fight. This is told in flashback and as we go through his war we also go through his friends fight to cling to a life he wanted to shuck off.
The battle scenes are done really well and you get a very real sense of how bad it was for these mostly conscripts who had to fight the British Taskforce. The Malvinas – as the Argentineans call them- are occupied by British descendants and their right to self determination has never been acknowledged by Argentina and so there is a bit of politicking here too – that some will not agree with. There are scenes that will move you and some that are gruesome and the whole film is made in a way that just reaches out to the viewer. Director Tristán Bauer has only made one film since this and so we are well overdue for another great piece of cinema – like this one – completely recommended.
An intense, fascinating look at the Falklands war, from the Argentinean soldier's POV
runamokprods15 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I fall between those critics who see this as a near masterpiece, and those who dismiss it as overly familiar and done better before.
An intense, fascinating look at the Falklands war, from the Argentinean soldier's POV, it begins with the attempted suicide of an ex-solider, which throws his war-time buddy into remembrances of the hell these men endured.
While the war may have seemed a silly little flare up about a bunch of rocks to most of the world, to the Argentinean draftees who lost their lives their limbs and their sanity in a futile, under equipped attempt to hold off a wildly more powerful British force was as real to them as Vietnam or Iraq or the coast of Normandy was to the men who suffered and died there. \
Indeed, through this film's eyes it was worse, because it was an absolutely pointless and quickly forgotten war, drummed up by the generals back home as a nationalistic exercise to take the country's mind off its faltering economy,
And then, in the ultimate ignominy, the men are sworn to silence about their defeat (and, presumably, abusive treatment by their own officers).
Any war where more of the soldiers die of suicide in the years after than on the battlefield itself is indeed worth examining.
The film succeeds in capturing the horror, confusion, and fear, although it doesn't quite get under the skins of the characters enough to make us understand on a visceral level. I was never bored, but nowhere near as deeply moved as I wish I had been.
Still, I would have rated this higher except for a stumble in the very last seconds of the film, where suddenly a burst of sentimentality and latent nationalism in the form respectively of a pop song, and a last screen graphic made me question if I had been giving the film too much credit for having an enlightened point of view.
An intense, fascinating look at the Falklands war, from the Argentinean soldier's POV, it begins with the attempted suicide of an ex-solider, which throws his war-time buddy into remembrances of the hell these men endured.
While the war may have seemed a silly little flare up about a bunch of rocks to most of the world, to the Argentinean draftees who lost their lives their limbs and their sanity in a futile, under equipped attempt to hold off a wildly more powerful British force was as real to them as Vietnam or Iraq or the coast of Normandy was to the men who suffered and died there. \
Indeed, through this film's eyes it was worse, because it was an absolutely pointless and quickly forgotten war, drummed up by the generals back home as a nationalistic exercise to take the country's mind off its faltering economy,
And then, in the ultimate ignominy, the men are sworn to silence about their defeat (and, presumably, abusive treatment by their own officers).
Any war where more of the soldiers die of suicide in the years after than on the battlefield itself is indeed worth examining.
The film succeeds in capturing the horror, confusion, and fear, although it doesn't quite get under the skins of the characters enough to make us understand on a visceral level. I was never bored, but nowhere near as deeply moved as I wish I had been.
Still, I would have rated this higher except for a stumble in the very last seconds of the film, where suddenly a burst of sentimentality and latent nationalism in the form respectively of a pop song, and a last screen graphic made me question if I had been giving the film too much credit for having an enlightened point of view.
A bit one-sided
lindamiki25 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I am really interested in the Falklands War, so it tells you something when I said that
I occasionally struggled to keep watching. The war scenes are long and hard to process, because everything is dark.
The best part for me was the way the movie showed how the conscripted soldiers really were out of place in this war. I had to serve a year as a conscript, so I understood that part. I missed that there was nothing about how the surrender went, anything about interactions with the enemy, or anything about arriving back home.
And then there is the last line, during credits. That expresses a controversial political opinion, which is totally out of character at the end of this movie. The movie was about human suffering (that of conscripted soldiers fighting a war they do not want to fight, nor do they have the training, or the equipment to fight). The movie was not about who should rule the Falklands. So, a statement about that at the end is strange.
The best part for me was the way the movie showed how the conscripted soldiers really were out of place in this war. I had to serve a year as a conscript, so I understood that part. I missed that there was nothing about how the surrender went, anything about interactions with the enemy, or anything about arriving back home.
And then there is the last line, during credits. That expresses a controversial political opinion, which is totally out of character at the end of this movie. The movie was about human suffering (that of conscripted soldiers fighting a war they do not want to fight, nor do they have the training, or the equipment to fight). The movie was not about who should rule the Falklands. So, a statement about that at the end is strange.
The finest Guerra Malvinas/Falklands War Film
carloswilliamhughes2 April 2020
We don't get many films about this conflict but this is the finest one there is.
It is about the horrors of war and the aftermaths of the survivors - the war didn't end for most of the troops who fought it after the surrender of Port Stanley/Puerto Argentino.
It is about the horrors of war and the aftermaths of the survivors - the war didn't end for most of the troops who fought it after the surrender of Port Stanley/Puerto Argentino.
Not real events
gon_sterzer4 April 2022
Falklands trauma
searchanddestroy-128 February 2023
I have purchased some films about war in the Falklands, which occured back in 1982, and most of those movies were British, so told from the winners' side, not the losers' one. So far as I know, that's the only Argentinian movie speaking of this trauma. The equivalent of what Nam war was for the USA. So, this is a rare document that deserves to be watched, and very closely. This is an awesome piece of work, realistic, gripping, depressing. In short a true masterpiece helped by some footage stuff, easy to get. I hope there will be the same about war in Ukraine and made from the Russian side, if possible without any propaganda.... Which I unfortunately doubt. But here, that's just a document, jaw dropping material, I repeat, very hard to get.
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