Prison in the Andes

Felipe Carmona's Penal Cordillera explores South America's struggle with its violent history. The film seems to waver in its genre, attempting to tell the story of the Chile's old guard that still exerts control over the younger generation. It blends satire with elements of thriller and political drama, resulting in a screenplay that, while uneven, remains engaging, with various threads leading into the bleakness of the surrounding hills.

Set in a luxurious compound nestled in the Andes, the film introduces us to its "prisoners." Referring to it as a prison is almost absurd. Five inmates, all high-ranking officials from General Augusto Pinochet's military regime that instilled fear in Chile during the 1970s and '80s, enjoy their final days in this tranquil environment, where every desire is just a call away. The young guards assigned to them are treated more like servants, free to indulge in their hobbies. However, when one of the inmates gives a rare television interview, his arrogant remarks about their past crimes spark public outrage. The Chilean government feels compelled to act, gradually stripping away their privileges. As discussions arise about relocating them from their comfortable mountain retreat, the old men's arrogance and thirst for power resurface, leading to a fierce resistance.

Despite its tonal inconsistencies, Penal Cordillera manages to captivate on a scene-by-scene basis. The suspenseful moments are genuinely thrilling, while the comedic scenes offer an unexpected, if not outright hilarious, charm. The cast delivers memorable performances, even if their characters are less impactful. The film excels in technical aspects, from production design to cinematography.

Highly recommended.

When right-wing Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was ousted from office in 1990, five of his henchmen (fanatical military officers charged with doing the autocrat's dirty work) were sentenced to incarceration for terms totaling hundreds of years at a special "prison" at the base of the Andes Mountains. The facility was far more comfortable than a typical penitentiary, where the now-aged egomaniacal inmates enjoyed comparatively more freedom and privileges than what typical prisoners experienced and where the guards were more like domestic servants than corrections officers. While the residents often complained about their accommodations - far less lavish than what they were accustomed to - they had it relatively easy given what they had done and were now being "punished" for. In fact, in many respects, they still called the shots, despite the presence of supposed state authorities overseeing their "confinement." Director Felipe Carmona chronicles the unconventional circumstances of the inmates and staff in this fact-based account of their waning days "behind bars," circa 2013. However, their story is anything but easy to follow, featuring a narrative that's all over the map with little coherency connecting the various segments and story threads. Conflicting cinematic styles (including some that are almost surreal in nature and others that are downright silly, such as a sequence shot in the style of an old-time black-and-white silent movie), along with themes that seldom feel fully fleshed out, seriously bog down the overall flow of the story, leaving viewers more confused than enlightened by the time the credits roll. Admittedly, as a picture made for Chilean audiences, there likely are a number of nuanced elements whose significance becomes lost in translation, but, even setting that consideration aside, "Prison in the Andes" simply is not well assembled as a cogent cinematic offering. I've seen more than my share of Chilean movies over the years, including a variety of releases related to the Pinochet regime during its heyday and in the aftermath of its fall from power, but this muddled release definitely isn't one of them.