La fiesta del Chivo

The problem with this film is that you have a director ,producer from other countries and actors speaking castilian they don't get the feeling of the era of Trujillo's's dictatorship,and can't make it work, I Lived that ERA, the fear of Trujillo's SIM (Intelligence Service) was tremendous and one thing that distinguish that Era was that those that served the regime were very protective of any anti-Trujillo's's ideas and served as an extension of his government to protect their own lives and that of their families, fear of him and his goons (Johnny Abe), although at the time of this movie things were changing was enormous, you never get that feeling during this movie, to me this film is just one of thousands,that were lived in the country in his 30 years.

I am a Dominican, and it's always good to see movies that are about facts from my country. I was waiting for this movie, everybody knows the book it's already a classic, Trujillo's era it's one of the bloodiest of all the dictators-ships that Latin America has suffer. Well, this movie is based on the book of the same name, but it's very difficult to top the book's magic in a two hours film. It's not a bad movie, but it's not what should have been. Nice cinematography in some scenes but the director fails in portray to us the strongest side of the characters. I give the movie a 6 out of 10, cause anyways, it's a good approach to the book, and the people that doesn't know about this story, i recommend this movie as the best out there about Trujillo and his "nasty" regime.

As a Dominican, I can say the movie cannot be considered as the movie about the Trujillo government, but about the story of how some things were in those years, specially how difficult was for some women specially that were attracted by Trujillo, and how Urania's life changed after going to help his father reputation while going to the supposed "party" with Trujillo, that became into the Goat's party as the movie is named. I haven't read the book yet, but I like the movie and I recommend it movie. For people interested in knowing about Trujillo's era, also you can see "In the times of the butterflies", it is also more realistic about Trujillo's times.

"La Fiesta del Chivo" is a startling look at the long-running dictatorship of Leonidas Trujillo (1930-1961)in Republica Dominicana, seen through the eyes of one of his youngest victims. The delightful Isabella Rosselini plays Uranita, the long lost child that wanders back home thirty years after fleeing. In a series of flashbacks we see the country where she spent her early days, the dangers and horrors of a tyranny she couldn't possibly understand and the haunting reasons why she fled. Tomas Milian convincingly plays the lewd dictator with all his whims, coarseness and vanity. Paul Freeman is at his best playing Uranita's widowed father, Agustín Cabral, lifelong aide to the strongman and a staunch prop of the regime. A street scene depicts a lighted "ad" placed outdoors which reads "Dios y Trujillo", ominously summing up all the terror of a Third World tyranny.

For Dominicans who lived Trujillo's oppressive tyranny, the film, as well as the novel, depicts thoroughly the essence of the regime's cruelty and the human degradation of the period. It is a MUST for Dominicans younger generations. Aside of these historical items, I consider the film well achieved, a thriller in the best sense of the expression, well acted,mainly by supporting cast. I understand thou, that because of the nature of the theme, it could no be not well understood by audiences outside Latin America, especially by moviegoers that prefer another kind of trendy violence, sex and special effects film-making. I am sorry to disagree with voters that give this picture such a low 5 punctuation