El Conde

It is a strange film which is hard to fit any label or classification. It has great merits, but still disappointed my expectations. It also travels through multiple genres not fitting well any of them, for better or worse: gore horror, dark humour comedy, political satire, and even political thriller. Visually, the movie is very nice and Pinochet's portrayal is astonishing (how similar with the military devil makeup turned Jaime Vadell!). I loved all the vampire origin stories in Ancien Régime. It was also quite good to have a timeline drawn through Haiti, Cuba, Russia (Pinoche always against the revolutionaires)... it would be great if it were more explored indeed. The bad character of all members of the family and of the torturer butler was well depicted. However, the film also has serious drawbacks. The script is unbalanced and should have been tighter. Pace is irregular, alternating awesome moments with quite sluggish parts. The behaviour of the characters seemed too inconsistent too, being hard to understand their motivations, and not because they were deceiving them. The interviews by the exorcist nun were slightlty unconvincing as sonething to actually happen, but they did allow the script to mock and denounce a lot the multiple crimes (from corruption to murder) of Pinochet's family and their impunity.

Beautifully shot in 99.9% B&W from a very leftist perspective about the eternal legacy of power, corruption, greed and wealth using vampirism as a metaphor. Here the church in the embodiment of a condescending nun, who though in nature should be the liberator of vampire souls, is in reality secretly in pursuit of the same forces through lust. It's really quite bizzare, surreal, expressionistic, kind of incomprehensible and black as black comedy can be. The humor can suddenly jump at you and make you laugh and it has some famous political figures in it to set its political stance. Watch it if you want to experience something mesmerizing but weird from the other dimension.

EL CONDE (2023) - Director Pablo Larrain (SPENCER, NO) grew up in Augusto Pinochet's Chile and has used that backdrop to inform his work, but never so directly as in EL CONDE - although, with a major twist. In EL CONDE (The Count), Larrain makes Pinochet a literal monster: A vampire who, even after death, is still sucking the soul out of the Chilean people.

Larrain, working with frequent screenplay collaborator Guillermo Calderon, has fashioned a true horror film. Gory and full of grotesque scenes, but, at it's core, it's a pitch black satire. It's not the first time that Larrain has taken such a fanciful tack with a 'bio-pic', his fabulous 2016 NERUDA turned the life of the namesake poet into a Film Noir thriller. EL CONDE is narrated in English and compactly traces Pinochet from his youth 250 years prior in France to his reign in Chile from 1973 to 1990 (Pinochet actually did have family roots tracing back to France). The bulk of the story takes place in the years after his official death (2006). Pinochet (Jaime Vadell) is living in a decaying old mansion with his long-time right hand man and butler, Fyodor (Alfredo Castro) and his less than loving wife Lucia (Gloria Munchmeyer). Pinochet's brood of ingrate children have gathered to divy up the family fortune which, in true dictator style, was largely stolen. An accountant, Carmencita (Paula Luchsinger), has been summoned to oversee the financial skulduggery. Carmencita is a nun and she functions as the 'Van Helsing' of the piece. She's also doubles as an Exorcist of sorts.

The movie is shot exquisitely in Black & White by the great Ed Lachman (CAROL, VIRGIN SUICIDES). Lachman's work truly ascends when the Count takes flight sweeping over the landscape like a dark overlord. A later, first flight of a vampire, is one of the most soaring sights in a film this year. The sound work here is exceptional with a surround sound symphony of creaking floors and rotting detritus. The classically based music score adds to the gloom and doom. Visually, Larrain and Lachman make references to films such as Carl Dreyer's JEANNE D'ARC (Actress Luchsinger bears a striking resemblance to Falconetti) and VAMPYR. This count isn't content to just drink the blood of his victims - he consumes their very hearts as well.

The theme of vampirism is an obvious metaphor, but Larrain handles it well, with delicious dark touches. Still, he can't help but let things get a bit too fanciful and drags in everything from Marie Antoinette to the Falklands war to a surprise cameo. It muddies things up a bit and extends the allegory a bit too thin, even as it strikes a strong blow about the permanence of evil.

EL CONDE is a stirring movie, that doesn't fully hit its marks, but it does so with masterly style and intellectual vigor.

The B/W cinematography is one of the best elements of the movie whilst the nun character is pretty useless because everything just could have unfolded in the same way without it.

Regardless the latter, the performances are great, but I think Chilean audiences should understand in a better way the jokes, allusions to Pinochet family and his actual political history than any other. I think that's not very efficiently worked in the script.

In the other hand what the script does work smartly enough is the relationship between him and his wife Lucia showing clearly who was in charge of everything.

A weird, not fully accomplished but in a way entertaining movie.

El Conde: Pinochet as a 250 year old vampire, born in 1766, he discovers his true nature as an adult and slays the vampire hunters who attempt to stake him. An ardent royalist he rescues the head of Marie Antoinette (after locking her blood from the guillotine blade) and keeps it pickled in a jar. Faking his own death he fights against revolutions throughout the centuries changing his identity and making himself younger time after time. Eventually he ends up in Chile as the young Lieutenant Pinochet, his career proceeds and he overthrows Allende instituting a bloody dictatorship but eventually he falls and is reviled. He fakes his death once more and retires to a country retreat with his wife and faithful butler. He finally wants to die a for real but has forgotten where his ill-gotten gains have been hidden. His five children descend on the estate intent on getting their inheritance. An accountant has been hired to track down the missing loot but she is secretly an Exorcist Nun, But even here there are twists and turns as this is a house built on deceit. Madame Pinochet is truly Lady Macbeth, jealous that she was never given the rewards bestowed by Pinochet on his old army comrade/butler.

Very much a dark/satire comedy, when the Exorcist/Accountant questions Pinochet, his wife and children about their dodgy business dealings the dialogue is based in actual court findings. The horror elements and vampire lore are quire effective. Filmed in monochrome the utter darkness of Pinochet's life (and that of his brood) is well portrayed. Donning his his General's uniform and cape he flies to cities to dine on victims. This vampire prefers to rip out hearts to get the best sustenance. As a modern touch, liquidisers are now used to get the most out of these vital organs. We learn how this vampire sucked the lifeblood from a nation but he portrays himself as a victim who was bribed by crooked businessmen.. There are laughs but there is a danger that they will choke in your throat. Perhaps the real humour is in the identity of the narrator, herself a vampire who flies south in an attempt to save Pinochet from himself. A tad didactic at times which might put some people off nevertheless this is an engrossing tale of evil. Directed by Pablo Larraín, written by Larraín and Guillermo Calderón. On Netflix. 8.5/10.