polverinointernacional

I was a little surprised when this title appeared on television. In this country, after a long dictatorship filled with swastikas, concentration camps, mass assassination, and other atrocities, one not only analyzes things like the Third Reich or the life of Hitler in search of what happened here but also one is astonished to know what is the actual atmosphere after a movie like this is shown. That is why I consider that it is very problematical to play in a script that shows what dirty politics can end up in, and not show the complicated economical events, or simply say that there was a great depression or inflation and that explains the appearance of a demagogue or dictator, not to speak of the international context. Nevertheless the movie is entertaining although it mixes many historical events. The acting is very good but limited to the situations that are trying to justify different realities by means of philological outcomes. The music is very good, but at times one feels that we are looking at a film like Harry Potter. On the other hand the camera work is excellent, and so is the scenery and dressings.

This extraordinary film was, of course prohibited during the years that Argentina was ruled by the military dictatorship. Only one man, dared to show it in the middle of mass genocide. This teacher, Manlio Pereira, was the director of the only private film school during the late ´70s. Obviously the school received strange invasions of military spies, but Pereira not only continued to show this masterpiece, but also made a great ceremony out of it, speaking loudly and profoundly of what nazism meant, what were it terribly effects, and why Argentina has falled again in the taste for this awfull criminal behaviour. It is a shame that not always such outstanding names like these are remembered for this little great things.

The man who helped Mario Soffici make his long waited dream come true was called Neron Kesselman. This charming fellow was the head of the studios make up department for fifteen years. He began in the olden days helping to paint the bodies of the actors who played as indians in the "gaucho" films. He always with a gentle smile that they used to use orange powder on the bodies in order to obtain tanned skin in the black and white photography. He would do the work with two gigantic hand puffs. In the case of Mr. Soffici´s make up he began by skinning his head. In other words Soffici worked all throughout the production with his head balled. On the days he had to act as the serious doctor he would put a wig on him. On the other hand when he had to become the monster, Neron glued hair all over his head and face. In those days there weren´t many materials to use so he used to place wire in the actor´s mouth and painted parts of the teeth and lips with melted car tires. Without any place for doubt, this work and this film is one of the most succesfull and daring of the argentine film. Neron continued his days in the trade. He managed the argentine side of the Hollywood production called "Taras Bulba" with Yul Brynner which was filmed in Argentina. He was the head of the make up dept in Channel 7, one of the biggest television studios in latin america, and ended off his days giving classes to the young students of the now called special effects department. An honorable life for this artist who thought we would live up to be a sculptor.