Los tallos amargos

THE BITTER STEMS is a 1956 Argentine Film Noir and is one of two new releases from Flicker Alley and the Film Noir Foundation that showcase two "lost" movies from 1950s Argentina. It was based on a best selling Argentine novel and is on AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER's list of the 100 Best Photographed Films of all time. The cinematographer, Ricardo Younis, was a pupil of the legendary Gregg Toland (CITIZEN KANE) while Fernando Ayala was emerging as one of Argentina's top directors. After being acclaimed on its initial release, it disappeared for many years before being discovered at a private collector's home. Restoration was done at the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

The story concerns a disillusioned journalist (Carlos Cores) who joins forces with a Hungarian immigrant (Vassili Lambrinos) to create a fake journalism correspondence school so the Hungarian can bring his family to Argentina. It all starts well with the money rolling in and 2/3 going to bring the family over but soon the journalist thinks he is being cheated after the appearance of a woman who is not a family member. It is then that he takes matters into his own hands with tragic results. In addition to solid performances and moody photography, BITTER STEMS features an early score from celebrated composer Astor Piazzola.

Thanks once again to Flicker Alley for continuing their ongoing Film Noir Series in partnership with "Noircheologist" Eddie Muller and to his Film Nor Foundation for rescuing THE BITTER STEMS from oblivion. The DVD/Blu Ray combo comes with a 23 page booklet that is loaded with photos and information. Other extras include a filmed introduction on the movie with Muller, a conversation with Argentine archivist Fernando Martin Pena, and a profile of composer Astor Piazzola. Finally there is an optional commentary from film historian Imogen Sara Smith. An absolute must have for fans of Film Noir...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

The Argentinian movie Los tallos amargos (1956) was directed by Fernando Ayala. Carlos Cores portrays a journalist who forms an unlikely alliance with a Hungarian immigrant, played by Vassili Lambrinos. They open a fraudulent journalism correspondence school. All goes well until mistrust and jealousy intrude.

The acting in the movie is outstanding, and we are treated to a film score by the great Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla.

We saw this movie at the wonderful Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester. Congratulations to the Dryden for screening this film in its original 35mm format. Los tallos amargos was considered lost until a 35mm negative was found and restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

This movie might not be for everyone, but if you love film noir, this is the movie for you.

Based on this 1956 offering I'd say the Argentines have a thorough grasp of noir, no? This dark, curdled tale of not good vs evil but rather amiable crookedness vs evil is utterly fascinating. It's not a case of whom to root for but rather which of the two antagionists do we pity less? Tough call. On the one hand you have the loud, unctuous con artist and on the other there's the tortured, psychotic worm. My sympathies ultimately came down on the side of the later, but it was a close call and was made all the closer by the skilled performances of the two lead actors, Carlos Cores and Vassili Lambrinos, who perfectly embody these twin poles of ethical and moral corruption in mid 50s Argentina, as the tyrannical Peronist era was yielding to a slightly less tyrannical succession of military strongmen, an uneasy time in a country haunted by a repressive and fascistic past and facing an uncertain future. This state of mind is subtly brought out by director Fernando Ayala and his scenarist Sergio Leonardo in such scenes as the nightmares of Gaspar as he confronts his father's Nazi past and the wonderfully ironic ending where a hopeful new generation is planting flowers from bitter stems, unknowingly atop a corpse's grave. Throw in bleak, shadowy cinematography from one of Greg Toland's more apt pupils, Ricardo Younis, and a seductive jazz/tango score by Astor Piazzola and one can see why this film is a near masterpiece. Why near? Didn't like the character of Jarvis who is, in my opinion, unbelievably credulous around an obviously nutso Gaspar. Give it an A minus.

I've always searched great but unknown films noirs from outside USA, in England of course, but also France, Italy, Scandinavia, Egypt, South America and especially Argentina.

I just discovered this Argentinian noir movie, and it's a must. A real tough brainstorming in music, cinematography, script, acting. A constant crescendo creepy atmosphere about a man possessed by nasty war II nightmares. Very intelligent use of music by Astor Piazolla , wonderful cinematography by Ricardo Younis (Gregg Tolland's student). And what an ending, never seen such a cynical one. Bravo.

An Argentinian film noir from 1956. Presented a couple of weeks ago as part of TCM's Noir Alley (& whose host Eddie Muller was one of the champions in saving the lost classic) which details a man's greed overwhelming his soul. Down Argentine way, a reporter, played by Carlos Cores, who's barely making ends meet runs into an opportunistic foreigner who works at a bar who sells him on a scheme to fleece readers of their money for a correspondence school scam but after a while the idea of having to separate the wad begins to weigh on Cores so one night he takes a hammer to his partner's head, burying him in his home's garden. As time passes & his partner's son shows up out of the blue (who also begins a romance w/his daughter), the tale takes a turn for the Hitchcockian (& even shades of Edgar Allan Poe as every time Cores looks out his window to his garden, there the dead body lies) w/great camera set-ups & cinematography (according to the notes I've read on the movie, this film's DP taught the peerless Gregg Toland back in the day) & an ending which would shame purported American noirs of the period (the Hays code demanded the bad guy get his). The title's translation is "The Bitter Stems" by the by.