State of Siege

On one hand, the history of USA interfering in smaller countries is a very known fact. On the other hand, this is what every other super power did in history. I am Greek, the Athenians did the same. The Romans. The Soviets. Everyone who became powerful, used that power on others. So even though I criticize USA's actions outside USA, I disagree with people who see the white house as the only nasty entity in our human history. But history is history and things that really happened, cannot be erased or ignored. The Americans caused a lot of pain in Latin America. Simple fact.

This movie is about the kidnapping and execution of Dan Mitrione, an American former police chief, who was roaming Latin American countries, doing nasty work for his government. He was accused by the Tupamaros group of being responsible for teaching local police and army, methods of torture, propaganda and espionage. The Tupamaros kidnapped him and executed him, even though, as in most of the similar cases around the world, a lot of things remained in the dark forever.

Gavras showed some serious balls by making this in 1972. Cold war era was not exactly a forgiving era.

The film is a political thriller of course, so it is not about beautiful scenery or extremely intelligent dialogue. It is focused on telling a real story and Gavras delivers. All the details about the nasty business of the Americans in Latin America are there. How they posed as anything but policemen, and how they trained local police on how to use bombs and torture techniques. Gavras also avoids glorifying the Tupamaros.

Yves Montand is definitely a plus. I rate this with a high score because it is a film that will make people think. Think about politics, and systems, and super powers affecting human lives.

Watch it.

this movie lacks a bit of focus , but the photography , the music , the concise dialogues make it quite an experience , maybe the only thing that does not convince me is the fact that we see a French -speaking latin-american country , anyway anyone who wishes to know about what happened in almost all south america , will find a great movie. I would like to point the fact that this movies was censored for being very radical due its left-wing tendencies .

This is a thrilling and moving film concerning a conspiracy-theory premise . It is based on actual facts and set in Uruguay in the early 1970s , upon the kidnapping carried out by the leftist terrorist Organization Tupamaros on three notorious men , and one of them : Yves Montand suspected to be involved in murder and torture in Uruguay in the 60s. In 1973 the CIA called it propaganda . See it now . From the team that made "Z" . Any resemblance to actual events or to anyone living or dead is not accidental.

Stunning third collaboration between Costa-Gavras and Yves Montand about the real-life of USAID (US Agency for International Development) employee Daniel Mitrione who is abducted by a bunch of urban guerrillas , being adapted from a true story , entirely filmed on location in South America . It contains a conspiracy-theory in similar style to subsequent Oliver Stone's JFK and similarly twisted and disturbing , whether you believe it or no . Displaying snazzy editing , adequate musical score by Mikis Theodorakis and atmospheric cinematography by Pierre-William Glenn . And shot on location in region Valparaíso, Cerro Playa Ancha, Viña Del Mar and Santiago De Chile. However , the movie sacrifices analysis and integrity in favour of an exploitative and popular polemic. Yves Montand gives a good acting , as usual . Being well accompanied by a fine support cast , such as : Renato Salvatori, O. E. Hasse , Jacques Wever , Jacques Perrin and Jean Luc Bideau .

The motion picture was compellingly directed by Constantine Costa-Gavras and it won Bafta , Golden Globes , New York Critics Awards . This veteran director who goes on shooting has filmed important , polemic and controversial movies , such as : "Z", "The Confession", "Special Section" , "Missing" , "Betrayed" , "Music Box" , "Against Oblivion" , "Mad City" , "Amen", "The Axe", among others . Rating : 7/10 , better than average .

This is not a fiction film. In fact, it reveals the way the guerrilla movement Tupamaros acted in Uruguay during the 70s. For those young people, it is necessary to remind that this left-wing movement was not a guerrilla in the mountains but an urban one, operating mainly in Montevideo. They used to kill esbirros (nasty policemen and agents) and to make justice against the existing dictatorship whenever it was required. The movement operated in a secret and compartmented way, i.e. many of the members did not know each other, thus avoiding to be eliminated by denunciation. Costa Gavras was able to draw the way Tupamaros acted in Uruguay, and also an important happening of those days, the way the CIA agent Mr. Dan Mitrione (Yves Montand) was killed. In fact this movement was disarticulated once new police agents infiltrated in the movement, and the main leaders were discovered. Mitrione was killed but this did not prevent that another CIA "pinch-hitter" for Mitrione came later to replace the dead man. The film may seem as sympathetic to Tupamaros, partially it might be, but this is rather a subtle critic to their methods than congratulation for what they did.

In the early 70's, in Uruguay, the revolutionary group Tupamaro kidnaps an American trainer of torture and the Brazilian consul, and through the interrogation of the abducted American, the big picture of Uruguay (and other Latin America countries) is reported.

"État de Siege" is a testimony of the history of Latin America in the 70's, during my childhood and adolescence. All the democratic governments elected by people were discharged through coup d'état by military dictatorships supported by the American government, the police and military forces trained in tortures by American advisors, student and union leaderships destroyed and revolutionary groups unsuccessfully fighting against the dictatorial regime. The fantastic director Costa Gravas exposes this serious wound in Latin America and this denunciation shall never be forgotten by the next generations. This movie remains amazingly real and important, sometimes recalling a documentary. Only this month this film was released on DVD in Brazil, and it is a worthwhile investment. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): 'Estado de Sítio" ("State of Siege")