"The Night of San Juan" (original title "La Coraje del Pueblo" which translates as "The Courage of the People") combines documentary with re-enactments in such an honest and brutal way that for a couple of moments you forget about the fictional recreation of violent events that took place in Bolivia in 1967, and end up believing that all you're seeing was filmed as a dark reality was unfolding.
Jorge Sanjines follows the tin miners strike of 1967, and the military attack on the peasants that were demanding their salaries, proper working conditions and decent living conditions since the little food available in the small markets and what the government was providing wasn't enough to sustain large poor families.
The men with the guns and the machinery carried out a brutal massacre where hundreds were killed and thrown in a large ditch. It's very impactant scene that surpasses any twisted violence from Hollywood flicks of that period and beyond. Also present in the film are similar previous attacks on strikes, with similar modus operandi of generals in command and their arms attacking unarmed crowds; torture of prisioners; attacks on pacific demonstrations and invasion of people's homes late at night.
It's a fine, depressive and reflective film that allows viewers to get to know a little about the social/economical/political crisis in Bolivia and how common people struggled against injustices and worked hard for a more fair society, against the exploitation of bosses and big companies. A few of the real survivors present their accounts on the tragic night, which had happened a few weeks earlier - the director heard about the facts and steadfastly made the movie. It's a powerful account on the greedness of big mining companies and their lobby with politics, and a fascinating view on the power of the people, fearless fighters defending their lives and their families up until the last moment,
with a few lucky ones and blessed ones that survived to tell their story.
Despite its urgency and needed outcry is not a highly effective picture as there are some obstacles that get in the way, like the awfully dark cinematography; a certain confusion while presenting the title night attack and it's hard to follow characters and exact situations. It gets somewhat tiring when it starts to repeat the community festivities ,which happened before the Army invasion . And the mix of genres and styles sometimes doesn't help the film's quality, it gets in the way. Still a commendable work, a rarity to be searched, seen and studied. 6/10.
