Les condors ne meurent pas tous les jours

The greatest colombian movie ever made, "Cóndores" is a shining portrait of one of the most violent eras in latinamerican history, brilliantly directed, with class and measure, by Francisco Norden. Frank Ramírez gives an unforgettable performance as León María Lozano, a simple man whose faith to the party and his misconceived principles lead him on a savage killing spree and turn him into the one of the biggest assassins of a violent time. We can sense through him the confusion, the anger and the need for redemption that led to a war that bled and still bleeds Colombia to death. Adapted from a great Colombian novel, this film surpasses its source material and becomes chilling, moving and compelling cinema, an example of what Colombian and Latinamerican cinema can be at its noblest form.

Loosely translated as `Condors are not buried every day', Cóndores is by far the best Colombian film about political violence in the fifties. Colombian star Frank Ramírez masterly portrays León María Lozano, `El Cóndor', a conservative party member that becomes a ruthless killer of political opponents. Based on the bestseller novel from Gustavo Alvarez Gardeazábal.

A LOT going on in this Colombian GEM!

...But FIRST: Let us FOCUS on the Title's Content and Context:

For those of you who have NEVER seen a Colombian film, A MAN OF PRINCIPLE (Released as "Condores No Entierran Todos Los Dias" in Latin America) would, undoubtedly, be a superb place to start! One of the most highly awarded films in Colombian history and at the same time, arguably both the best Colombian movie ever and the most successful outside of Colombia! (Although, La Estrategia del Caracol could, perhaps, give CONDORES a decent run for the money for these titles!

The most chilling factor here is that, basically, as the film gruesomely unfolds before us, we are watching a true story. Near the top of its IMDb title page, right after it is listed as "90 min", there is no genre designation, as is the case with 99.9% of films appearing here! I would say, "Crime / Drama", but it's not CRIME, at least, not in the traditional sense!

Our "CONDOR" is Leon Maria Lozano, a real life serial killer for hire, who does the bidding of the, mostly local, Colombian Conservative Party hierarchy! In his self-anointed role, he sees himself as an Angel of Death, helping his Conservative Party, and God ALMIGHTY, rid the region of Liberal and Communist scum...As a "Matter of Principle!". A philosophy he uses to justify all his nefarious actions. (Hence the Alternate Title)

Actor Frank Ramirez earned several Awards and Nominations for his amazing portrayal of stone cold, ice in his veins, assassin, Lozano, who would polish off his victims with the same detached matter-of-factness as exhibited dropping off a load of laundry at the dry-cleaners! Vicky Hernandez, in the role of Lozano's wife, Agripina, has been practically a household name in Colombia since her appearance in CONDORES, and deserves note for her starkly natural, slice-of-life acting as the naively clueless, but unwaveringly loyal companion!

The rest of the cast, as a whole, deliver well-integrated, extremely believable performances, apparently benefiting from some very firm and even-handed direction from Belgian born Francisco Norden. Interestingly, despite winning several awards for 1984's CONDORES... Non-Colombian born Norden did not get to direct another film until 2005! What's up with that COLOMBIA?????

For those of you who don't know, Lozano and dozens, perhaps hundreds, of other violent criminals like him are responsible for initiating a downward spiral of violent turmoil in Colombia that has lasted for almost 70 years! However, no matter where you hail from, CONDORES tells an entrancing story that will appeal to any member of the human race!

....ENJOY! / DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!