From the get go it is clear that Bielinsky’s approach to filmmaking does not follow the traditional industrial model developed in Argentina under Menem, the one that sought to attract as many viewers as possible to the theaters by reproducing the slick style of Hollywood blockbusters, or by appealing to an array of disjointed audiences in the way of Caballos salvajes. Nor is the film close to Solana’s revolutionary concept of Third Cinema, or to the auteuristic, “hyperintellectualized” notion of film held by the directors of the Nueva Ola. Instead, Bielinsky shows a passion for “classical” Hollywood film, an approach to the craft that, in the best style of Hitchcock’s most paranoid films, is driven by the internal twists and turns of a plot that, despite its preposterousness, keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats. To me, as a viewer, the beauty of these films is in the tension created by their very absurdity, and in the ability of the director to keep that tension going –and making sense—up to the even more absurd twists expect at the end through attention to the most minute details of the plot.
Any fissure in the storyline will make the whole film fall like a house of cards.
The film had great success in Argentina, where it reached the magic number of 1 million viewers, and abroad, where it earned accolades no Argentine film had received in 10 years. Like other international films of the era (it came out around the same time as Guy Ritchie’s Snatch, Run Lola Run by Germany’s Tom Tykwer, and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros), it successfully married an intelligent plot with sharp visuals in a manner that Hollywood seems to have forgotten. The result is a film that would make any international producer proud… But how would an Argentine critic react?
Nueve Reinas (2000) is a crime drama written and directed by Fabián Bielinsky.
ReplyDeleteThe main protagonists in the story are con men Juan and Marcos. The two meet by happens chance and decide to work together to “pull off” a major scam. The story plays out in modern-day Buenos Aires, a city that sometimes looks Spanish, sometimes ancient and sometimes modern. The scenes of the film projects images that promotes tourism and appeals to international travelers.
The ambiguous way that the director portrays the cities is a con in itself and could maybe be foreshadowing that reality will deceive everyone in the end. The ultimate con would of course be if the Argentine economy collapsed, so that everyone's money, no matter how they had obtained it, would be gone.
Bielinsky’s film debut Nueve Reinas was released right in the middle of Argentina’s financial collapse and addresses the monetary depressions in the scene where we witness Marcos going to the bank attempting to cash a check that he received from the counterfeit stamps.
The film highlights working classes characters and portrays the dark times and social events surrounding the massive economic and political difficulties that Argentina. Although the country suffered major economic blows, this was a time when citizens began to rethink the old system and make changes to help people cope with daily life. The movie is considered a classic in Argentina. At the time of the release Bielinsky opined that ‘ today , as never before, people are gathering in neighborhoods, looking for solutions, looking for ways to participates in our daily, social and political life. And that is quite a change (Falicov, 2007).
The movie Nueve Reinas (2000) showed the “cine rico” culture of filmmaking. Director Fabian Bielinsky took the viewer on a thrilling journey of two con artist who needed to sell priceless stamps before time ran out. Even though the movie was visually appealing and had contained an interesting plot, this movie seemed to have little influence on Argentinian politics and negated to address the working-class. Such movies like these were supposed to support the lower classes of Argentina and to realistically connect with them as well. The movie itself was high-pace as the two swindlers, Marcos & Juan, raced across the beautiful city of Buenos Ares. From the cinematic shots of car chases to the interesting dialogue, this movie was framed into being quite the blockbuster hit. The major flaw in this movie didn’t address the proper social class audience at this time. Movies created during this era was supposed to appeal to the people who have been radically affected by unemployment & poverty. Nueve Reinas is a movie for a cinematic lover, however isn’t the epitome of the working class. The films ended with Juan going to a warehouse and returning to see the rest of the cast that was actually involved with his scandal on Marcos. The problem with such an ending is that it does very little to show the political and financial struggles that were occurring at the time. The only reference that indicated this occurrence was when Marco’s check wasn’t accepted from the bank due to money laundering and fraud. If the film ended on this note, then the film might actually have some grounds for political discussion.
ReplyDeleteIn Falicov’s book, she mentions that this film is one of the many that showed the excluded Argentinian citizens, rather than focusing on creating a political statement (133). To an extent, her view is correct, but this film is not the embodiment of this notion. While viewing the film, I didn’t notice the poor, working citizens, but more of a middle-class that had the leisureliness to go to coffee shops or visit hotels. The scene in which they showcased the Argentinian environment during the motorcycle chase was appealing, however, I wouldn’t consider it representative of the whole class. As for the role of being a liberating film for the unemployed masses, this movie clearly didn’t present itself as a revolutionary piece of art. A financial crisis was going on during this time and it was minimally shown only to progress the storyline. For this reason, films such as Nueve Reinas, like Caballos Salvajes, are enthralling and interesting for any consumer of a Hollywood style film, yet it doesn’t revolve around Argentinian politics at all.
The film that emphasized and showed the corruption of the financial system in Argentina was Solana’s Memoria Del Saqueo. Even though it didn’t fit the mold of being a “cine rico” film; this film actively presented the tragedies that were happening to the working class. By pairing shots of starving children with scenes of rioting, Solana’s filmmaking created more prominence for thoughts of liberation. His filmmaking style critiqued the Argentinian system and demanded a response from the viewer. The movie isn’t hiding or masking the mistakes through a scapegoat, unlike Caballos Salvajes where there is anonymity of blame, but directly addressed the bank & government. For this reason, films like Solana’s Memoria Del Saqueo, were more culturally relevant than the rich cinema blockbusters during this period.
The movie Nueve Reinas was a far better film than Caballos Salvages. Just in terms of its story and plot line, it seemed to have developed more interesting characters and explored more critical issues. Just in terms of looking at Argentine society at the time, especially in giving us a glimpse into the economic crisis of the early 21st century. As the text mentions, Argentina was beginning to face difficulties and filmmakers were exploring them in non-traditional ways. So this action-suspenseful movie about crime is a great way to engage the masses and explore the real issues at hand. The complicated and emotional family ties that some of the characters undergo is an example of one of the ways the audience might be able to relate to it.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of selling Argentina to the international scene, this film did wonderful. There were many scene that viewed the city at its best, showing their fine hotel and beautiful harbor. It really begins to show this more expensive filmmaking. Also, it appeals to many international scenes because of its blockbuster type of movie. The chasing car scenes and high action appeals to the classical american movie-goer. But in this strength, it may have also failed in relating to those under going the economic crisis of time. Although, the poorer classes may have seen this as an opportunity to escape from the difficult lives and experience this fast-paced crime life most won't be apart of.
Overall, both Caballos Salvages and Nueve Reinas have introduced us to the new cinema during this time, one which moves away from such intellectual and psychological films, and moves towards the action packed blockbusters in order to reach a broader audience.
“Nueve Reinas”, an argentine film made in 2002 by Fabian Bielinsky, is an internationally renowned film because of its aesthetic characteristics. This movie is the first in Argentine history to truly “catch up” internationally, as far as reaching one million views and having similar characteristics as popular international films, such as Hollywood movies. It is the story of two con artists who end up crossing paths and scheme together for money. It is a messy, complicated situation that involves a good thief and a bad thief. In this sense, the film is aesthetically pleasing, gaining international fame.
ReplyDeleteHowever, from the stand point of Argentina, it is not so. Yes, it is entertaining, but it is highly fantasized. It does not accurately depict what was going on in Argentina at the start of the 2000s. The final scene shows a bank closing, the start of the actual economic crash of 2001 in Argentina, but other than that, the film makes money seem more readily available. It ignores the working class’ real struggles, and focused solely on the character development of the two con artists. It is not an issue of racial tensions, like many of the films we have watched, but one of social and political tensions. It shows that anyone can bypass the system and “get lucky” stealing money. It makes the people of Argentina seem naïve and blind to these con artists.
Overall, it was a very entertaining and aesthetically pleasing film. However, it does not accurately depict the reality of Argentina at this time. Filmmaking can be difficult to please the audience. It seems as though they must choose between pleasing the citizens of Argentina, or the rest of the world.
Friday we watched Fabian Bielinsky’s Nine Queens (2002) and a documentary titled Social Genocide (2004) by Fernando E. Solanas. Presented in different styles, Nine Queens was presented in a way that would be acceptable to the government because it did not point any fingers towards corruption. Social Genocide, on the other hand, was made to expose the corruption in the government. It seems each film had its own interpretation on how the people (the citizens and government) were presented.
ReplyDeleteNine Queens presented many of the characters such as Ricardo Darin (Marcos) and Gaston Paul (Juan/Sebastian) as thieves and scam artists. Throughout the film, many of the characters were offended by that idea and stated, “I am not a thief” or something to that effect throughout the film. This example of how people were portrayed did not make the public seem to be too down on their luck. Many of the people found a way to get buy just fine and did not seem too bothered by the government’s dishonesty and immorality at all. Even in the end, when the banks were freezing the public’s bank accounts, the film was only showing how Marcos was affected by this catastrophe. The other characters did not seem to be bothered by the corruption at all and that does not seem realistic. Surely there would be more than a handful of people and a news crew rioting in front of the banks for their own personal survival.
In Social Genocide, Solanas illustrates the condition of “La Mufa” that was evident throughout Argentina. Almost everyone was going through a distressing time because of all of the government corruption. This film was exceptionally heartbreaking mainly because it was genuine and honest. The horror that the citizens of Argentina had to endure was inhumane and astonishing. The way the people rebelled and fought the government back was the reaction that I found more inspiring. This documentary made me understand the truth about the history of Argentina in a way the other films were unable to do. Watching the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo fighting for their right to protest while getting beaten and whipped by the police was difficult to watch. The children and small babies that were infected with diseases because they did not have access to clean drinking water or food was even more disturbing.
Because of the style, the Nine Queens seemed easier to watch and would be more enjoyable to a broad audience. Between the colorful characters and the community sticking together towards a common goal, the story line was comfortable and somewhat enjoyable. The twists and turns throughout the movie kept the viewer on his/her toes and Bielinsky was creative in the way he conveyed this story. On the other hand, Solanas had a style that was not so gentle and was not meant to be passive. He presented real footage and true testimonies of the daily suffrage that occurred in Argentina. Although uncomfortable and painful, Solanas represented pure authenticity that was extremely emotional to those who had the opportunity to watch it.
Nueve reynas is by far one of the better movies we have watched In class so far. The characters and the plot itself was better developed in the movie. Argentina was beginning to face difficult times economically social and filmmaking wise, directors were exploring them in non-traditional ways. So this action-suspenseful movie about crime is a great way to engage the masses and explore the real issues at hand. The complicated and emotional family ties that some of the characters undergo is an example of one of the ways the audience might be able to relate to it and be connected day by day. it also portrayed some good thing that commercially and internationally could be interesting to other viewers. For example, the dock by the coast where the two thief in the bike threw away the stamps. it is internationally known for all the products that come out and in out of Argentina.
ReplyDeleteOne thing the movie doesn't due is elaborate more on the struggles that they were gong through in Argentina during that time. for example, the lower class, the movie was more depicted to the middle class and high class. something I also notices was that there went any actors of dark color, I think all of them were white, it didn't really show diversity in the film. but overall, it was a great action with a great ending and a lot of action throughout the film.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNueve reinas is by far my favorite movie that we have seen in class. The film contained a perfect amount of suspense, but not too much suspense to where the people as viewers stress out for the characters just by watching the movie. I believe that Bielinsky was able to accomplish this feat due to the use of subtle foreshadowing. To those who can catch on to the smallest hints of foreshadowing (which should be many), the plot twist should not have been too much of a surprise. The reason being, throughout the film, there were many plot twists, pitfalls, or wrong turns that always put the characters into a bigger pinch, and the people that Marcos and Juan dealt with, always ended up with some kind of extra stipulation when all seemed to be going well. So, with that in mind, the end was a perfect revelation for someone like me who knew something was up, but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. One use foreshadowing I would really like to chime on was the use of the weather on the night of the deal with the rich man who wanted the 9 reinas stamps. Juan and Marcos got the money, but before they could even meet with the man to give him the money, it was thundering, and stormy outside. Immediately, I knew something wasn’t going to pan out in their favor. And, low and behold, he wanted to sleep with Marcos’ sister and still have the stamps for the money.
ReplyDeleteAnother foreshadow that was used throughout the film was Juan’s guilt trips to Marcos, telling him that it’s not good to live without a conscious. For example, with the old lady who they took money and ring from, Juan said something along the lines of “it’s not right to steal from older women.” Another example is when Marcos’ sister “slept” with the rich man. Juan slept because he felt guilty and ridiculed Marcos for being able to sleep so soundly.
Towards the end of the movie, one symbolic aspect that I liked (I always have to talk about symbolism in these films) was the scene in which Juan offered a boy a car or money. The boy chose the money and this, as we discussed in class, represents Argentine’s societal value of money over materialistic value.
Personally, I think that and Argentinean would view this film and primarily think that it was amazing (if they didn’t get annoyed by things always going wrong), and then later they would probably think how messed up things had to be in the lives of these people for needed so much money and not wanting to earn it honestly. The reason I say this is because this movie reminds me of a Korean movie titled The Thieves (2012. It’s on Netflix and I recommend it. It has some of Korea’s top actors of today’s time, old and young). In the movie, there a group of thieves who plan a really big heist, but in the end, there’s a huge plot twist because someone like Juan had other ideas to get the money for his own agenda and leave the others with nothing. The Thieves is slightly different from 9 reinas because the audience knows the group of thieves’ plan, but there is still a plot twist towards the end, and things tend to keep going wrong throughout the film.
Nueve Reinas is an exciting film by Fabian Bielinsky released in 2002. The story is centered around two “good crooks”. Juan and Marcos meet in a convenience store when Juan gets caught up playing a trick on the cashier to get extra change back. Marcos comes to his defense and pretends to be a cop, escorting them both to safety. After some convincing, Juan agrees to join Marcos for the day and see if he has what it takes to make money by cheating people. After some mischief, Juan and Marcos get involved with an important business man that wants to purchase the Nine Queens, a very expensive collection of stamps. The collection that Juan and Marcos have is counterfeit. In the end, the audience finds out that Juan has been the mastermind behind the entire opeperation and has an entire crew of people working for him to make it happen.
ReplyDeleteOne can argue that the film is making a statement regarding the financial situation of Argentina in the early 2000s. Towards the end of the movie, Marcos tries to cash a large check at one of the banks. The bank is closed because of a big crash and Marcos is left with nothing. Although this scene acknowledges the bleak situation of the economy, the film provides more of a distraction than anything else and there is little mention of other political events. There are a lot of action shots and the audience is left in suspense throughout the movie. There are famous actors in the film. It is interesting to note that Nueve Reinas was funded by the government due to its highlighting of tourist areas like the port.
The message portrayed in this movie is less political compared to some of the other films we have watched. There is brief commentary or observation of the Argentine economic crash but the movie is fast-paced and slick. It is appealing to a wide span of individuals. The theme of revenge and “getting back what’s yours” is prevalent in the movie and we see that the greediest guy loses everything. Although the film is less intellectually stimulating than some of the other films we have seen, it is enjoyable to watch.
Nueve Reinas has a good guy-bad guy appeal, which made me root for one main character and be disgusted by the other. Juan, a small time scam artist, has the appeal that we need for a “good crook”. He never wants to hurt anyone, and he’s always trying to make sure that his targets won’t necessarily be harmed. Marcos, his new partner for a day, doesn’t seem to understand this. Juan is saving up to help his father get out of jail, while Marcos will do anything to swindle someone out of money, including his siblings, and then lie to them about it. However, despite this, simply because he rarely uses force, he seems to set himself apart from the “real criminals” on the street, where he points out the people who steal much more openly from every day people. For some reason in his mind, simply because he is not up front, grabbing a purse from a shoulder, that makes it okay, it makes it better. As though robbing people because they aren’t mentally careful as opposed to physically careful is okay.
ReplyDeleteThis movie seems to drive home the fact that money runs the world. Every person we don’t think could be corrupt, such as the cop, or the stamp expert, all of the sudden is asking for a cut in the deal. To those who are corrupt, scam artists are easy to pick out. Towards the end, even the little boy on the train chose money before he chose the car, perhaps making that same statement, a little boy wants money before he wants a toy. I weep for his childhood. However, through all of this money grabbing, in the end, we see a beautiful, although crooked, community who seems to really look out for each other in their time of need.
I felt the same way about both Juan and Marcos until the end my feelings towards Juan kind of turned. He did such a good job of convincing Marcos of what seemed to me lies about how close him and his father were and how he felt so guilty about the acts he committed. Just to give the ring they got from that old lady to his girlfriend and say the ring has been in his family for a hundred years. I think that the film hinted towards there is no good crook or bad crook they are all crooks and are in no way good.
DeleteI completely understand why Neuve Reinas (2000) directed by Fabian Bielinsky was such a big hit in Argentina. The movie was relatable, funny, relevant, and entertaining till the end. But if you look at it from and Argentine critic view the movie goes from around a nine to more of a five or so only because it was more of a blockbuster movie. Under the dictatorship of Menem films were a means to sell. During Menems time in office films goals were to “sell” Argentina, by means of making Argentina look like an amazing place for tourism. Films should show the amazing views of Argentina, like the country sides or the big new cities that had been built in Buena’s Aries. Not only were films used to sell the country but also a way to sell products. Too much of the publics dismay Menem became a man who wanted Argentina to be a society that was only as good as its material items. To push this way of thinking and to make the people of Argentina to consume more films were a way to do so. Not only did they push products for to the people of Argentina but they were also a way to show outside nations that it was in their best interest to trade with Argentina. In the 9 Queens there were a very limited amount of scenes that showed other nations the beauty of Argentina. The two main ones were of the trading harbor in the city as well as the beautiful hotel that most of the action was shown in the film.
ReplyDeleteThe film also was had a way of making the audience think about the corrupt government that was happening in Argentina. The two main characters were struggling to make ends meet so took to committing small crimes to make ends meet. This is not a good perspective of any country. The director takes it a step further and not only shows how messed up these two characters but also takes the time to show more than a dozen characters stealing and breaking the law in the streets of Argentina. It also represented Argentina’s struggle by the scene were the banks completely shut down due to the economic crises. If it were not for this few scenes showing Argentina’s good side, there would have been no way that the government would have funded this production.
Part of what makes Nueve Reinas successful to an Argentine audiences is found in the interaction between the characters and cinematic elements that would bring a sense of familiarity to an Argentine audience. There is a sort of harshness in the interaction between the main characters that brings out a strong sense of Argentine culture. Both Marcos and Juan are characters with a toughness to them. This allows Marcos and Juan to carry out the scandal that eventually blows up in Marcos’s face. Also, the fact that Marcos and Juan go around Buenos Aires ringing people’s door bells to scam them for money shows the lack of care that they have for others. This gives an Argentine audience characters that they can hate and love to hate in the film. The way that they react (obviously not who they are and what they do) to situations throughout the film would be familiar to an Argentine audience. In Caballos Salvajes, there is a line that one of the characters says, “even the Bible says that thieves can steal from other thieves.” In a sense, that is exactly what is going on in Nueve Reinas too. The plot is interesting because there is an interesting twist that keeps the audience guessing and wondering what will happen next. In a sense, that is why this film is different from blockbuster popular hits that would have been made under Menem’s regime. The film also has the element of the Argentine economy that I believe that an Argentine audience would capture instead of an international audience. The good thing is that a film can be so multifaceted that an international audience can take away certain elements that an Argentine audience would not. On the other hand, an Argentine audience would understand the film in a different way. I think that there is an element of the decline of the Argentine economy and a criticism of the system that the people find themselves in. I think that an Argentine audience would see this element clearly. The plot always exists between the characters in the film. In the end, people end up being getting what was coming to them. The idea that the economy is a player in this film is clear.
ReplyDeleteNueve Reinas is a film produced in 2000. The film details a heist in which Juan tricks Marco into giving the inheritance he stole from his sister in a plot to scam a business man with the Nueva Reinas stamps. The entire film Juan is portrayed as the nice guy, out scamming and swindling for the first time. Marcos, on the other hand, is portrayed as an experienced swindler only looking out for himself. Marcos has constantly hurt others in order to gain more for himself and in the end this is his undoing. The ending scene of the film is all the characters thought to have been Marcos pawns, together under the leadership of Juan with all the money including Marcos. In the end the swindler was swindled.
ReplyDeleteThis movie helps to portray the economic crisis that Argentina was facing in the early 2000's. While Argentina did not plunge into massive economic and political difficulties until 2001, this film helps to show the beginning of this fall. During the telling of this story, and ideology is never put out right which would be congruent with the times in Argentine. In the text, The Cinematic Tango, it is stated that filmmakers were still grappling with social, economic and political issues but rather than do so in a traditional way they told their stories from a different standpoint.
In the previous films, stories were told with set political or economic goals in mind. Caballos Salvaje was intentionally reaching out to the working class while appeasing the middle class by not allowing anything to happen to the bad guys. Nueve Reinas, does not tell the story in the same way. While it still appeals to both the working and the middle class through their vision of corruption, they also allow all the "bad" consequences to happen to the bad guy, Marcos. They also represent the financial situation and blame the Corporate entity or as in the movie, "The Board". Nueve Reinas was a movie from a new era, an era that shows Argentine strife while maintaining an entertainment value.
Film in Argentina often told cultural and political stories that hinged on recent events and developments. Movies like The Official Story had symbolic significance that was targeted for a specific audience. Nueve Reinas (2000) explored new territory by expanding upon cine rico, “…glossy film geared toward middle-class audiences and international film festival consumption.” (9) The “glossy” edge lends the film an uncommon aesthetic that appealed to one million viewers and earned varying international honors. The engaging storyline followed the conniving schemes of a pair of con-artists in their journey to make half a million dollars. The audience is faced with aligning with the “lesser of two evils” with two protagonists of varying ethical standards. For the average viewer it is unrealistic and serves a more narrow purpose.
ReplyDeleteThe cultural value of the film is a lacking element despite the challenging circumstances of the time. Argentina was greeted by an economic collapse in the beginning of the 21st century. While the film did briefly acknowledge the issue through Marcos’ encounter with the bank at the end, it fails to show much of the reality for Argentine citizens. Shortly after the bank scene, the camera is redirected to follow Juan as he was soon to reveal the dramatic plot twist. The brief address was quickly amended by a resolution to the central conflict. Overall, the filmmakers exchanged relevancy and a political agenda for international acclaim. Cine rico in comparison with cine pobre worked to provoke a different reaction by appealing to a different audience and leaving out the exposure of “the underdevelopment and grim social realities of a Latin American in crisis.” (9)
Nueve Reinas is a film produced in 2000. Juan tricks Marco into giving the inheritance he stole from his sister in a plot to scam a business man with the Nueva Reinas stamps. Juan is portrayed as the nice guy, out scamming and swindling for the first time. Marcos, on the other hand, is portrayed as an experienced swindler only looking out for himself. Marcos has constantly hurt others in order to gain more for himself and in the end this is his undoing. The ending scene of the film is all the characters thought to have been Marcos pawns, together under the leadership of Juan with all the money including Marcos. In the end the swindler was swindled. The story begins when a younger man who has been conning the staff of a convenience store gets caught in his con, and an older man comes in successfully posing as a policeman and takes him away, thus freeing him from the clutches of the store manager and staff. Thus two con artists, Juan, the younger man, and Marcos, the older one, meet and form an alliance, in which Marcos enlists Juan's help in a scheme he has yet to explain. At one point early on Marcos makes a phone call when Juan is out of earshot and he says only, `It's on.' What? Do we ever find out? What is clear from that moment, if not before, is that no alliance between con artists is a sharing of trust. The ultimate lesson to be learned from `Nine Queens' is that no one is more gullible than a con man, that grifters, in order to con people, have to be able to believe in their own fabrications, and thereby they become potential victims of the grift.
ReplyDelete“Nine Queens”(2000) is a great example of “New Argentine Cinema” and it also contains many powerful political and social allegories. “New Argentine Cinema” represented a shift in the aesthetics of film. Films became more daring and experimental, had more open endings and targeted a new middle/upper class audience which meant a change in subject matter. These new characteristics are very evident in “Nine Queens” which portrays many social issues, as was characteristic of this new filming style. One of the social topics that were explored was the corruption within the government. This is evident through the main plot, which revolves around Juan and Marcos who are forced to break the law to earn money, and in the end they orchestrate a huge heist. This could symbolize the corruption within the government that led to its collapse after the military dictatorship. You also see evidence of corruption in other scenes in the film such as when Marcos is fake arrested by a cop in the hotel bathroom. We then find out the cop was his friend and he paid him to fake arrest him. There is also evidence of social subjects through one of the final scenes in the film where Marcos goes to cash his check and finds out the bank has closed. This portrays the collapse of the Argentine economy at the end of 2000. Moreover, Falicov described this period in history as having a “culture of a shopping mall” which is evident in the film. This is particularly evident in the scene where Juan offers the boy the car toy or money and the boy chooses the money. The “culture of the shopping mall” meant that people defined themselves in terms of the possessions they had and valued money above all else. The child chose money over fun and creativity that could have been achieved when playing with the car. He chose mass culture over intellectual culture. This scene could also be an allegory for the ambivalence of the middle class during the military dictatorship. They often chose to remain ambivalent and ignore the atrocities of the military dictatorship because it was financially better for them and better for their families. They were choosing money and ease which was symbolized by the boy choosing money over the right, honorable thing which was symbolized by the car. The boy like many Argentines chose money over the better more honorable option. The film also had an open ending that left the audience questioning what is imaginary and what is reality. This was characteristic of “New Argentine Cinema”. You are left wondering what happens to Marcos and also left questioning if Juan is good or bad when he gives his girlfriend a piece of jewelry and tells a fake story about it. Overall, “Nine Queens” was a great example of “New Argentine Cinema” and also revealed many political issues in Argentina that we have discussed in class through several political allegories.
ReplyDelete