El lado oscuro del corazón

The Argentinian film El lado oscuro del corazón (1992) was shown in the U.S. with the translated title The Dark Side of the Heart. The movie was written and directed by Eliseo Subiela.

Darío Grandinetti plays Oliverio, an Argentinian poet. He travels to Montevideo where he meets Ana, played by Sandra Ballesteros. She's a beautiful prostitute. The fall in love--they have to fall in love--but she's very clear about the fact that he pays for every evening spent in her bed.

The movie is not just about a poet, but about poetry. Mario Benedetti, Juan Gelman, and Oliverio Girondo are three poets who are well known in Latin America. Characters in the movie--including Ana--recite their poetry.

That was the problem for me with this film. Prose translates fairly well, but poetry doesn't.

Nacha Guevara is the beautiful actor who portrays Death in the movie. She and Oliverio have long conversations. It's an interesting concept, like the knight playing chess against Death in Bergman's The Seventh Seal (1957).

The movie worked well on the small screen. It has a strong IMDb rating of 7.6. If I spoke Spanish, I would have given it a higher rating. I rated it 7.

I believe there are few films that can actually touch the core of someone's soul the way Eliseo Subiela does it in this film.

Subiela´s view of life through poetry is outstanding and the magical reality that surrounds the characters transport you to a dimension only felt in the enchanting coasts of Argentina

This movie hit the box-offices in Argentina and drove the standard Hollywood movies out of their normal first places, concerning the numbers of spectators. And not without reason! The movie is not only a love story -the quest of a poet for the perfect woman- but also a story of the ´soul´ of Argentina. It is all about life and death and death in life. The style is superb: surreal shots are mixed with more ´real´shots that ensure the movie does not become totally vague and incomprehensible. The abundant use of poems adds to the magical, surreal, romantic character of the film. The movie kept (and keeps) me to my seat until the end. Subiela shows great love for film-making and this is reflected in this masterpiece. See it!

If not for anything else, Eliseo Subiela's "El lado oscuro del corazon" will introduce the casual viewer to the poetry of Mario Benedetti, Juan Gelman, Oliverio Girondo as well as the director's own compositions. Eliseo Subiela is one of the best Argentine directors of all times, as this 1992 film clearly demonstrates.

Oliverio, the taciturn man we meet at the beginning of the film, takes us on a trip to Montevideo where, one night, he meets the exotic Ana in a night club where prostitutes gather. It's clear the mutual attraction Oliverio and Ana feel toward one another the moment they set their eyes on each other. It appears that, at last, Oliverio has found the elusive woman who can fly with him. These two souls make love, but Ana, being a hooker, reminds Oliverio his time is up. What is even better, Oliverio, an amateur poet, meets his match in Ana, who loves and knows the texts he recites to her as a way of introduction.

Oliverio has had his share of lovers. We see him making love to beautiful women, but none of them qualify as the one to fulfill his life. In a comic touch, Oliverio's bed is divided in two and when he finds a woman is not for him, he rings a bell in the night table and the other half of the bed opens up and the victim falls to an abyss.

In order to survive, Oliverio free lances as well as write poetry which he and his two buddies, Erik and Gustavo trade for food to the friendly restaurant owner who loves to recite the poems to his fiancée. Oliverio is seen walking at night, as well as when he travels to Montevideo when he feels the urge to see Ana, and has long debates with a woman clad in black who is Death personified.

One thing is clear, Oliverio can't have Ana, as she cleverly reminds him. Ana can't afford to be too generous with anyone. Ana obviously loves Oliverio, but she has other priorities that are only revealed at the end of the film. One of the best sequences in the film involves an erotic art exhibit by Erik that is not to be believed.

Dario Grandinetti, the great Argentine actor, plays Oliverio with equal parts of charm and mystery. Mr. Grandinetti makes an invaluable contribution to the success of the film. He is the main reason for watching this forgotten film that is full of poetry and magic. Sandra Ballesteros is seen as Ana. Ms. Ballesteros is an equal match to Mr. Grandinetti. Nacha Guevara plays Death with panache. Ms. Guevara, who is one of the best cabaret and performance artists of Argentina, is a huge talent that Mr. Subiela utilizes to the best results in the movie. As Oliverio's buddies, Andre Melancon and Jean Pierre Reguerraz are perfect.

The popular music by Mario Clavel, Osvaldo Montes, Chico Novarro and Fito Paez blend perfectly in the movie's atmosphere. The dark cinematography by Hugo Colace adds another dimension in our enjoyment of the film. Ultimately, this is Eliseo Subiela's triumph in a movie that is not only beautiful to look at, but to listen to the great poetry the director brings to it for our pleasure.

"El lado oscuro del corazón", is one of the best movies I´ve ever seen. Inspired in the life of Oliverio Girondo, (a great argentinian writer, intelectual father of Jorge Luis Borges, transgressor in the 30´s) it talks about life and love. The desperate search of Oliverio for a woman who could levitate after making love. Oliverio travels alternatively from Buenos Aires to Montevideo and each travel is a fantastic portrait of both cities, meanwhile the fears of Oliverio arise to a climax Don´t miss it, if you like poetry