Raúl de la Torre produced many enduring films in the 70s and 80s, among which are _Crónica de una señora_ (1971), _Heroína_ (1982), and _Pobre mariposa_ (1986). In 1993, _Funes, un gran amor_ was almost selected as Argentina's official submission for the Academy Awards; in the end, the honor went to Leonardo Favio's _Gatica, el mono_, which was not nominated. All of these films star Graciela Borges, and so does _El infierno tan temido_.
Based on one of Juan Carlos Onetti's best short stories, _El infierno tan temido_ revolves around Juan Risso (Alberto de Mendoza), a journalist who one day begins to receive envelopes containing Polaroid pictures of an erotic nature. The film chronicles his involvement with Gracia César (Graciela Borges), an actress, whom Risso first sees in the garb of Lady Macbeth, of all characters. The action is interspersed with a conversation in a café: seven colleagues discuss their co-worker Risso and relate past events that tied them together. The viewer is thus given a portrait of the main character through action and commentary.
Like other masterpieces of Argentinean cinema such as _Breve cielo_ (David José Kohon, 1969) and _Sur_ (Fernando "Pino" Solanas, 1988), _El infierno tan temido_ features the unforgettable music of Astor Piazzola. Tango is the perfect type of music for this melancholy, deeply emotional film.
Few writers explored the darkness of the human heart like Onetti. _El infierno tan temido_ is an excellent adaptation/expansion of his text. The pace of the film is a little bit slow compared to that of the short story, but the performances, the mise-en-scène, and the music keep the viewer engaged.
