- Directors: Patricio Guzman
- Format: Colour, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC
- Language English, French, Spanish
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Icarus Films
- DVD Release Date: 15 Mar 2011
- Run Time: 100 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- ASIN: B004LDEH60
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 128,067 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:DVD
Salvador Allende is another of Guzman's master pieces that painstakingly documents the many layers of humanity that unfold before our eyes in hope, anger, and tragedy. Unlike the Battle of Chile, and Chile Obstinate Memory, this film chronicles the life of the man who came to symbolise the historic leap into to the dark of hope for a nation. It fuses the historical time line of the other two films into a compelling testament of one man's fate, Salvador Allende, who is propelled by the human misery, suffering, despair and defiant struggle of the Chilean masses, and who in turn propels the Chilean people to a democratic and constitutional victory over the domestic and international forces arraigned against Chilean sovereignty.
For those who know little of the historic and defining moments of the Chilean tragedy that is 'the other 9/11' that generally goes unmentioned and unmourned as a catastrophe of international significance, this film brings the history of Chilean democracy to life. From the early familial and political influences that shaped Allende's view of history and the world he inhabited, to the momentous assumption of the presidential sash, we are privileged with a feast of images that capture the moment. These moments reflect a bold and proud figure in deference and service to the people with whose fate Allende is inextricably bound. We get a glimpse of Allende as an endearing little boy in the care of a house maid whom Allende continued to see and hold in great affection throughout his life, even when he was president. The poignant personal reflections of the housemaid and her daughter, and those of Allende's political mentors and comrades, paints a picture of an intellectually cultivated, libertarian, thoughtful and compassionate man whose destiny is to serve. And it is the ebb and flow of Allende's long service to Chilean democracy that this film chronicles. There are breath taking cinematographic accounts of Allende campaigning the length and breadth of Chile along the country's railroads, swarmed by supporters, in his various electoral bids for high office over a period of some forty years. On the assumption of the presidency in 1970, we witness the huge popularity and affection in which this towering figure of the people is held. The historic occasion of the first ever democratically elected Marxist president is captured on screen with a poignancy that is both retrospectively informed, from what we have learned about this man up to now, and that is portent to a future tragedy we now know. In frightening contrast to the humanity of this man of the people who celebrates and communicates his joy with his supporters out in the open, the film congeals glimpses of the dark clouds of deceit, treachery and treason in the stiff collared, emotionless backdrop officer cabal of the military, always waiting in the wings, motionless and opaque. And it is here that Guzman fuses the aesthetic sensibility of the historical docu-drama, with the perspicacity and political acumen of someone who has borne witness to a terrible tragedy the lessons of which are worth considering.
Interspersed throughout the film are the reflections of the US ambassador at the time. His avuncular and good humoured demeanour contrasts with the bleak, sinister and anti democratic invective he dredges up about the 'Marxist-Leninist' threat and scourge that Allende represented for the region. This curiously, in spite of the films detailed scrutiny of both, Allendes scrupulous observance of, and loyalty to the democratic and constitutional path, and his rejection of Marxist-Leninist doctrine encapsulated in political nostrums opposed to liberal democracy such as 'the dictatorship of the proletariat'. Nevertheless the reflective musings of the ambassador ironically provides the film with some serious footage of a class warrior enunciating the principles of class war according to US foreign policy. If it were not the fact that we know that it is the representative of the US government who is speaking, we could be forgiven for complimenting him on the precision of his grasp of the class struggle that was being played out in Chile at the time. Towards the end of the film he makes it clear that the Chilean bourgeoisie could not be expected, and was not going to accept the diminution in its wealth, power and privilege just because Chilean democracy, the will of the Chilean people had voted for such measures. The sheer obviousness of this statement to anyone on the left nevertheless has the shattering effect of unifying what has preceded into a compelling memory of what was, and what could have been. For instance, we are treated to some rare footage of Castro's visit to Chile under Allende, addressing a public rally. He emphasises the great experiment underway in Chile. This is surely an experiment that observes the rules of liberal democracy while remaining loyal to changing the socio economic structure of inequality and injustice. Again, we are privy to heated debate and exchange among workers representatives about the need to organize parallel organs of security among the people, because the military are an organ of state allied to the bourgeoisie from whence their officer class comes.
Early on in the film Guzman refers to the utopian project that propelled the Chilean masses in support of Allende. There is a compelling ambiguity in this characterisation that gives the film its contemporary resonance. Were the aspirations of the Chilean people articulated by Allende's Popular Unity coalition utopian, or was the liberal democratic means by which Allende sought to do political battle with the Chilean bourgeoisie utopian? By continuing to keep Allende's memory and what happened in Chile on that 'other 9/11' alive, Guzman holds forth a torch of hope that is now burning in Venezuela and Bolivia and across the Imperium's backyard in the rest of the Latin American sub continent. We can only hope that the lessons of the democratic path pioneered by Allende and the Chilean people with such tragic consequences, have been considered and understood, and that the people of those Latin American countries that have voted to break with the Imperium and its impoverishing policies of fealty and dependence, are organized and prepared for the anti-democratic backlash.
For those who know little of the historic and defining moments of the Chilean tragedy that is 'the other 9/11' that generally goes unmentioned and unmourned as a catastrophe of international significance, this film brings the history of Chilean democracy to life. From the early familial and political influences that shaped Allende's view of history and the world he inhabited, to the momentous assumption of the presidential sash, we are privileged with a feast of images that capture the moment. These moments reflect a bold and proud figure in deference and service to the people with whose fate Allende is inextricably bound. We get a glimpse of Allende as an endearing little boy in the care of a house maid whom Allende continued to see and hold in great affection throughout his life, even when he was president. The poignant personal reflections of the housemaid and her daughter, and those of Allende's political mentors and comrades, paints a picture of an intellectually cultivated, libertarian, thoughtful and compassionate man whose destiny is to serve. And it is the ebb and flow of Allende's long service to Chilean democracy that this film chronicles. There are breath taking cinematographic accounts of Allende campaigning the length and breadth of Chile along the country's railroads, swarmed by supporters, in his various electoral bids for high office over a period of some forty years. On the assumption of the presidency in 1970, we witness the huge popularity and affection in which this towering figure of the people is held. The historic occasion of the first ever democratically elected Marxist president is captured on screen with a poignancy that is both retrospectively informed, from what we have learned about this man up to now, and that is portent to a future tragedy we now know. In frightening contrast to the humanity of this man of the people who celebrates and communicates his joy with his supporters out in the open, the film congeals glimpses of the dark clouds of deceit, treachery and treason in the stiff collared, emotionless backdrop officer cabal of the military, always waiting in the wings, motionless and opaque. And it is here that Guzman fuses the aesthetic sensibility of the historical docu-drama, with the perspicacity and political acumen of someone who has borne witness to a terrible tragedy the lessons of which are worth considering.
Interspersed throughout the film are the reflections of the US ambassador at the time. His avuncular and good humoured demeanour contrasts with the bleak, sinister and anti democratic invective he dredges up about the 'Marxist-Leninist' threat and scourge that Allende represented for the region. This curiously, in spite of the films detailed scrutiny of both, Allendes scrupulous observance of, and loyalty to the democratic and constitutional path, and his rejection of Marxist-Leninist doctrine encapsulated in political nostrums opposed to liberal democracy such as 'the dictatorship of the proletariat'. Nevertheless the reflective musings of the ambassador ironically provides the film with some serious footage of a class warrior enunciating the principles of class war according to US foreign policy. If it were not the fact that we know that it is the representative of the US government who is speaking, we could be forgiven for complimenting him on the precision of his grasp of the class struggle that was being played out in Chile at the time. Towards the end of the film he makes it clear that the Chilean bourgeoisie could not be expected, and was not going to accept the diminution in its wealth, power and privilege just because Chilean democracy, the will of the Chilean people had voted for such measures. The sheer obviousness of this statement to anyone on the left nevertheless has the shattering effect of unifying what has preceded into a compelling memory of what was, and what could have been. For instance, we are treated to some rare footage of Castro's visit to Chile under Allende, addressing a public rally. He emphasises the great experiment underway in Chile. This is surely an experiment that observes the rules of liberal democracy while remaining loyal to changing the socio economic structure of inequality and injustice. Again, we are privy to heated debate and exchange among workers representatives about the need to organize parallel organs of security among the people, because the military are an organ of state allied to the bourgeoisie from whence their officer class comes.
Early on in the film Guzman refers to the utopian project that propelled the Chilean masses in support of Allende. There is a compelling ambiguity in this characterisation that gives the film its contemporary resonance. Were the aspirations of the Chilean people articulated by Allende's Popular Unity coalition utopian, or was the liberal democratic means by which Allende sought to do political battle with the Chilean bourgeoisie utopian? By continuing to keep Allende's memory and what happened in Chile on that 'other 9/11' alive, Guzman holds forth a torch of hope that is now burning in Venezuela and Bolivia and across the Imperium's backyard in the rest of the Latin American sub continent. We can only hope that the lessons of the democratic path pioneered by Allende and the Chilean people with such tragic consequences, have been considered and understood, and that the people of those Latin American countries that have voted to break with the Imperium and its impoverishing policies of fealty and dependence, are organized and prepared for the anti-democratic backlash.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
A Sharp Portrait Of An Icon And A Reflection On Memory.
6 Sep 2011
Format:DVD
Patricio Guzman, Chile's poet-documentarian, remains haunted and riveted by what happened in his country during the revolutionary years of Salvador Allende's administration and the US-backed fascist coup which ended it. Guzman has been chronicling the Chilean Revolution and its tragic end since the beginning, having made the best documentary on the subject, "The Battle Of Chile" which ranks with the great political films like "The Battle Of Algiers" and "Z." With "Salvador Allende" Guzman produces both a detailed, sharp portrait of a key Latin American icon and a haunting reflection on memory, exile and the passage of time.
Guzman's film begins with the remaining objects which belonged to Allende, his hands search through a wallet and we see behind museum glass Allende's fractured glasses, found after the Chilean army's coup plotters bombed the presidential palace. Guzman interviews both exiles who fled the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship which followed Allende's downfall and artists and poets who bravely stayed in Chile, refusing to forget. These are powerful moments with universal relevance on leaving one's home, feeling time pass and things change, and the pain of memories full of both hope and tragedy. Guzman then embarks on chronicling Allende's life which was naturally pulled into the greater arena of recent Chilean history. Mixing rare footage of the man himself, rare photos and epic shots from "The Battle Of Chile," Guzman forms the portrait of a brilliant politician with a powerful utopian vision. One realizes how heroic Allende's vision truly was, especially as it found itself caught between US imperialism's obsession with smashing it and a growing culture of armed insurgency in the region, seeing the Cuban Revolution as its guiding light, which questioned whether radical socialist change could truly be carried out according to the rules of traditional, Western democracy.
As the film states, the Pinochet dictatorship's obsession with erasing the memory of the Chilean Revolution was so deep and brutal, that there isn't even a serious written biography of Allende available (although Ocean Press has produced an excellent collection of his speeches). But Guzman's film fills the void brilliantly. He doesn't fall into the usual temptation to over-glorify his subject, he is obviously sympathetic to Allende but this is a serious effort at profiling a man and his times. Friends and colleagues honestly share their admiration and criticisms, in one memorable scene a group of former Chilean militants debate around a dinner table whether Allende's socialist program was misguided or truly revolutionary. In the US, for those who ever bother to read on the topic, Allende is usually presented as a Marxist revolutionary in the tradition of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, and while Allende was indeed a friend of both men (Castro visited Chile for 27 days to witness the democratic road to socialism himself), he was not a dogmatic follower of the then-popular Leninist tradition. An old colleague and others who knew him reveal information previously unknown, such as the fact that Allende was more of an admirer of the French Revolution, and his first real introduction to revolutionary politics was through an anarchist shoemaker in his boyhood. A clearer picture forms, you realize there's good reason to suspect Allende was trying to produce some sort of original, improvised form of libertarian socialism in Chile. The former US Ambassador to Chile is interviewed, he openly discusses how for the Nixon administration, Allende's brand of socialism was even more threatening than Cuba's because of its democratic, international implications. We get a lesson in the gangsterism of politics as the ambassador discusses CIA plans to smash Chile's economy and even carry out assassinations to prevent Allende from even assuming office.
The beauty of Guzman's style is that he doesn't just make a straight forward documentary, in the interviews and subject he mines for deeper, universal and personal themes. Allende is the main topic, but the film has a wider vision. Guzman is searching for memories, for experiences. His subjects don't just talk about Allende, they share the feeling of people who experienced a unique, life-changing moment in both national and individual terms. Guzman also holds shots to show us details in faces as we see the bitterness of defeat, the sadness of having seen a utopian moment crushed by a fascist whirlwind. Guzman's narration at times swerves away from narrating Allende's life and journeys into passages of poetry and self-reflection. There is also a boiling anger at the Pinochet regime. In one memorable scene, Guzman walks down the neighborhood where the presidential residence used to reside, he asks the upper class neighbors if they recall the looting which took place of Allende's home during the coup. He is met with silence or shut doors, again we see the power of memory.
"Salvador Allende" is a powerful documentary that revives a historical figure well-known in Latin America, all but forgotten in the United States where most citizens are not aware of their neighbors, their stories, histories and the threads that connect us. Consider this: The US-backed coup took place on September 11, 1973.
Guzman's film begins with the remaining objects which belonged to Allende, his hands search through a wallet and we see behind museum glass Allende's fractured glasses, found after the Chilean army's coup plotters bombed the presidential palace. Guzman interviews both exiles who fled the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship which followed Allende's downfall and artists and poets who bravely stayed in Chile, refusing to forget. These are powerful moments with universal relevance on leaving one's home, feeling time pass and things change, and the pain of memories full of both hope and tragedy. Guzman then embarks on chronicling Allende's life which was naturally pulled into the greater arena of recent Chilean history. Mixing rare footage of the man himself, rare photos and epic shots from "The Battle Of Chile," Guzman forms the portrait of a brilliant politician with a powerful utopian vision. One realizes how heroic Allende's vision truly was, especially as it found itself caught between US imperialism's obsession with smashing it and a growing culture of armed insurgency in the region, seeing the Cuban Revolution as its guiding light, which questioned whether radical socialist change could truly be carried out according to the rules of traditional, Western democracy.
As the film states, the Pinochet dictatorship's obsession with erasing the memory of the Chilean Revolution was so deep and brutal, that there isn't even a serious written biography of Allende available (although Ocean Press has produced an excellent collection of his speeches). But Guzman's film fills the void brilliantly. He doesn't fall into the usual temptation to over-glorify his subject, he is obviously sympathetic to Allende but this is a serious effort at profiling a man and his times. Friends and colleagues honestly share their admiration and criticisms, in one memorable scene a group of former Chilean militants debate around a dinner table whether Allende's socialist program was misguided or truly revolutionary. In the US, for those who ever bother to read on the topic, Allende is usually presented as a Marxist revolutionary in the tradition of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, and while Allende was indeed a friend of both men (Castro visited Chile for 27 days to witness the democratic road to socialism himself), he was not a dogmatic follower of the then-popular Leninist tradition. An old colleague and others who knew him reveal information previously unknown, such as the fact that Allende was more of an admirer of the French Revolution, and his first real introduction to revolutionary politics was through an anarchist shoemaker in his boyhood. A clearer picture forms, you realize there's good reason to suspect Allende was trying to produce some sort of original, improvised form of libertarian socialism in Chile. The former US Ambassador to Chile is interviewed, he openly discusses how for the Nixon administration, Allende's brand of socialism was even more threatening than Cuba's because of its democratic, international implications. We get a lesson in the gangsterism of politics as the ambassador discusses CIA plans to smash Chile's economy and even carry out assassinations to prevent Allende from even assuming office.
The beauty of Guzman's style is that he doesn't just make a straight forward documentary, in the interviews and subject he mines for deeper, universal and personal themes. Allende is the main topic, but the film has a wider vision. Guzman is searching for memories, for experiences. His subjects don't just talk about Allende, they share the feeling of people who experienced a unique, life-changing moment in both national and individual terms. Guzman also holds shots to show us details in faces as we see the bitterness of defeat, the sadness of having seen a utopian moment crushed by a fascist whirlwind. Guzman's narration at times swerves away from narrating Allende's life and journeys into passages of poetry and self-reflection. There is also a boiling anger at the Pinochet regime. In one memorable scene, Guzman walks down the neighborhood where the presidential residence used to reside, he asks the upper class neighbors if they recall the looting which took place of Allende's home during the coup. He is met with silence or shut doors, again we see the power of memory.
"Salvador Allende" is a powerful documentary that revives a historical figure well-known in Latin America, all but forgotten in the United States where most citizens are not aware of their neighbors, their stories, histories and the threads that connect us. Consider this: The US-backed coup took place on September 11, 1973.
Best video source for a left view of Allende
9 April 2012
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Watch it! Best video source for a left view of Allende, helps to give a balanced approach without surrendering to the other side.
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