Ricky Leslie '11

Machuca

     Machuca is a 2004 Chilean film directed by Andrés Wood. The film takes place in Santiago, Chile during the year 1973, beginning shortly before the military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet, and ending just after the overthrow of socialist president Salvador Allende. It centers on two main characters: Gonzalo Infante, a sheltered, wealthy adolescent, and Pedro Machuca, a member of the lower class in Chilean society who is integrated into Gonzalo's upper class school. This setting is certainly not chosen at random in that the film depicts the growing tension between the upper and lower classes and their respective political loyalties; however, this sociopolitical examination is presented in a more mainstream manner which appeals to a universal audience.
     Although Pedro Machuca is the title character, the viewer follows the point of view of the actual protagonist, Gonzalo Infante. In the beginning, Gonzalo's life is sheltered; his family is extremely wealthy and he is constantly spoiled by his mother as a means of atoning for her infidelity to her husband and constant absence. Though his family is frightened by the growing socialist popularity and organization of the poorer masses, Gonzalo seems completely oblivious to the growing political strife. It isn't until the principal of Gonzalo's elite school, Father McEnroe, implements an integration plan and Gonzalo befriends the poor Pedro Machuca that his ignorance and innocence are shattered. He visits Machuca at his home, attends rallies for both the socialist and nationalist parties, and experiences firsthand the difficulty of attempting to bridge the gap between the rich and poor. Like the characters of Gonzalo's favorite book, The Lone Ranger, Gonzalo and Machuca try to maintain a friendship despite being on complete opposite sides of the social spectrum.
     Unlike many early Chilean documentaries, such as The Battle of Chile, which rapidly present facts and images that may exhaust the audience, or Chilean films such as Latent Image, which assume prior knowledge of the historical context, Wood's Machuca manages to entertain and inform the viewer simultaneously. This is achieved through Wood's unique use of perspective, namely, that of a young child (roughly twelve years old). The association between youthfulness and innocence is heavily used to Wood's advantage in that the viewer has the impression that they are getting an unbiased depiction of 1973 Chilean society. However, Wood's representation is by no means unbiased, a point that a more mature audience would be more capable to discern. Wood uses first-person camera angles and extreme close-ups essentially to place the audience inside the body of Gonzalo Infante; we feel what he feels and see what he sees. We begin to root for Gonzalo and Machuca, despite the overwhelming influence of society and its ever-growing class divide. Their friendship serves as a microcosm of Chilean society as a whole: the contrast between the wealthy upper class and the poor lower class. The film centers on the question of whether or not these two can maintain a friendship in spite of their differences-or, more generally applied, whether the groups of Chile as a whole can peacefully coexist.
     Ultimately, Machuca explores all of the typical issues of adolescence, including friendship, young love, and family relationships, but within a historical context that an American audience would normally have trouble relating to. It is through the ease in which the viewer enters the life of Gonzalo Infante and begins to develop and change with the character, though, that Wood's film achieves such universal appeal. His true talent lies, however, in his ability to engage the audience while simultaneously commenting on the sociopolitical aspects of 1973 Chilean society.