Augusto Pinochet is a vampire ready to die, but the vultures around him won't let him go without one last bite.
Director: Pablo Larraín
Cast: Jaime Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro, Paula Luchsinger, Catalina Guerra, Marcial Tagle, Amparo Noguera, Diego Muñoz, Antonia Zegers, Stella Gonet, Clemente Rodriguez
Release Date: September 8, 2023
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, History, Horror
Rated R for strong violence and gore, some graphic nudity, rape, language and sexual content.
Runtime: 1h 50m
Pablo Larraín surreal satire, El Conde, is a fascinating and darkly funny deconstruction of the Chilean dictator as a decrepit, isolated vampire. Larraín approach is rather interesting as he turns a real life monster into a self loathing creature who's primarily concerned with his historical legacy while having very little power to change it. The dialogue’s heavy script provides plenty of laughs thanks in part to a heavy dose of gallows humor and the character's general oblivious, aloofness. Larraín makes a concerted effort to display the general disconnect from reality and humanity throughout and horrific moments are played as mundane minutiae of a monstrous existence. Jaime Vadell plays Pinochet as a pathetic, exhausted creature who would like nothing more than to end his existence in spite of his parasitic family's wishes. His children and wife being little more than single minded hangers on who are unwilling to let him die until they've collected all the money, they believe they are owed. Alfredo Castro, who plays his loyal servant Fyodor, leaves the biggest impression with his performance which carries the veneer of loyalty before something duplicitous is revealed. Paula Luchsinger delivers an equally impressive turn as the nun tasked with dispatching Pinochet after she's taken a full accounting of his misdeeds and stolen wealth for the benefit of the church. Luchsinger mile a minute delivery makes for some of the film's best interchanges especially when she interviews the children as they reveal their superficial motivations. Her character is more than a bit scattered as her emotional state and motivation take some interesting turns especially in the final act. Some of the characters’ actions don't make total sense but she's given an moment that delivers the sense of an ethereal awaking in a wonderfully composed shot which is a solid culmination of the film's wonderful cinematography. The visuals alone will leave a lasting impression even as the film moves into even stranger territory as it barrels into its finale where some of the subtext is more blunt in its messaging. El Conde is the type of film that will delight a certain group of film lovers while others might loath it at the same time, either way it will elicit a reaction.
B+
