Set during in Chile, 1973, during the last days of Salvador Allende's presidency, Port Mortem tells the story of Mario, a lonely clerk who works at the morgue. Mario has a very mundane existence but one night he decides to go down to the burlesque club where he meets Nancy, a burlesque dancer who happens to also be his next door neighbor. Mario becomes swept away by Nancy's beauty and companionship which she provides, yet things aren't exactly how Mario sees them. Pablo Larrain's Post Mortem is a film which captures the horror of Chile's 1973 military coup through the eyes of Mario, a passive and somewhat cold man who functions more like a robot than a human being. The film does a great job early on of showing this growing conflict between the people and the current regime, showing us subtle glimpses- which makes sense given Mario's passive nature towards almost everything in his life, except Nancy. Nancy is clearly involved with people who are a part of the resistance, and when shit hits the proverbial fan Mario and Nancy are pulled apart by much larger forces. Alfredo Castro is extremely well cast as Mario, not only in looking the part but in portraying this cold detached man. Since everything is by Mario's point of view the film does unfold quite well as the viewer begins to realize that the relationship between Nancy and Mario is not as romantic as we were led on. I'm honestly not entirely sure what Pablo Larrain was trying to say with Post Mortem but I would guess it has to do with how being passive in life brings nothing but lack of control in the end. While Post Mortem is not particularly engaging, it definitely gives a unique and interesting vantage point to a trying time in Chile. 7.5/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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