Features – International UK Premiere
Pablo Larrain/Chile, Germany/Mexico/2010/98 mins/TBC/Spanish with English Subtitles
Showing @ Filmhouse, Tue 21st June, 22:00, Wed 22nd June, 20:10
Love, fascination and betrayal from the basis of Pablo Larrain’s Post Mortem, a new drama that provides an authoritative snapshot of tumultuous Chile in the 1970s, as the governing Communist Allende regime was overthrown.
Set in Chile in 1973, Post Mortem follows Victor (Marcelo Alonso), a shy morgue employee who falls for his neighbour and burlesque dancer Nancy (Antonia Zegers). But as the Allende regime is overthrown by the military, both Victor and Nancy find themselves at the mercy of a new government that will tear them apart.
Whilst it begins as a tale of infatuation, obsession and loneliness, against the backdrop of a strong and unrelenting military coup, the thing that’s really striking about Post Mortem is its sudden change of pace, characterisation and story. As the army crack down and the socialist movement grows stronger, this previously slow film does a complete u-turn and takes a number of twists that lead to its cruel and unforgettable conclusion. Stripped of power and respect, the characters are pushed to extreme measures by the circumstances that surround them, and it’s this sense of frustration, hopelessness and anger that transforms Post Mortem into an original Chilean thriller. However, the first half of the film is unbelievably slow, containing inconceivably long scenes where not much happens, and confusing shots and images that have nothing to do with the story. While this may seem like an odd directorial decision, it’s actually a very clever ruse that makes the events of the film’s second half all the more appalling. Thought-provoking, bleak and dark, Post Mortem is a devastating comment on the minds of those caught in a war.