El Conde

I picked this movie on a whim, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. It takes a while, but the movie certainly hits you over the head with its metaphor. That those in power, especially neoliberals like Margaret Thatcher, and dictators like Pinochet are vampires. It's certainly not subtle in its critique of power. The plot itself is silly and over the top. The film itself is also silly and over the top. But it's well written, well acted and well directed. I think if you don't know anything about this film before you go into it, it's probably better, but you've read this review, so it's probably too late, and I hope you enjoy it anyway.

I'm still not too sure what to make of Pablo Larrain's "El Conde", a movie that while artistically impressive, seemingly has a ton of historical context that's lost on anyone not familiar with the Chilean history it tries to critique and satirize. The obvious is that it portrays Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet as a centuries old vampire, and while what follows could(?) hold a lot of interpretive value to those who are of its ideal target audience, it is almost a gimmick gradually overstaying its welcome to those who aren't.

It's undoubtedly a visual masterpiece, with some of the most surreally beautiful cinematography you'll ever see, and its exploration into themes of power and corruption are amusingly perceptive. But at the end of the day, it feels like "El Conde" was intended for a particular audience who could fully appreciate the movie, and unfortunately to those of us who aren't part of it, it might come across as just another gimmick.

Beautifully shot in 99.9% B&W from a very leftist perspective about the eternal legacy of power, corruption, greed and wealth using vampirism as a metaphor. Here the church in the embodiment of a condescending nun, who though in nature should be the liberator of vampire souls, is in reality secretly in pursuit of the same forces through lust. It's really quite bizzare, surreal, expressionistic, kind of incomprehensible and black as black comedy can be. The humor can suddenly jump at you and make you laugh and it has some famous political figures in it to set its political stance. Watch it if you want to experience something mesmerizing but weird from the other dimension.

Very good movie. Probably one of the best "vampire" movies I have seen. Don't expect your normal hack and slash vampire stuff. Quite more sophisticated plot than that. You never know where the movie is headed. Thumbs up.

The black and white cinematography is excellent. The classical music score is excellent. Acting is top notch.

The plot keeps delivering new angles on a politically driven baseline. Key historical figures enter into the plot. I can be certain I didn't get all of the Chilean political references which are buried here.

The humor is very dry and subtle throughout. Just another ingredient that keeps things interesting.

Pablo Larraín in his excellent black comedy offers us here an act of commitment to the most basic desires and thoughts of the dictator, murderer, coward and thief Augusto Pinochet, at a time when the entire progressive and left-handed world is quick to consider him dead.

Larraín shows us that this Beast acted in the name of justice, which cannot be reduced to law or right and deep down he never cared at all what the rest of the people thought. It elevates greed to the highest motivation in the spirit of Pinochet. That was Pinochet's great work in Chile, in transforming us into heartless and greedy beings. Pinochet is more alive than ever. Jacques Derridá would say "the specters of Pinochet fly over Chile."

Many people in Chile not only forgive the 3,000 deaths and 200,000 tortured, in fact, they applaud him and many of them even condemn the fact that he would not have murdered more left-handed people.

But what they don't want to believe and go into denialism is all the money that this criminal stole. They would never forgive themselves for that and that is why the Neanderthal brain of the fascist majority in Chile blocks these facts and ignores them. Because a hero would never be a professional thief like Pinochet was.