When Kyle asked me in December if I'd like to write a couple reviews, particularly of Spanish-language films, I thought it was an awesome idea. Fast forward two months to see me newly settled in Argentina, watching the Oscars (subtitled) as "El secreto de sus ojos" won the foreign film category. Schoolwork, travels, and work have kept me occupied, but I finally watched "The Secret in Their Eyes." And within a day, had seen it again.
If I had any doubts as to whether this film was meant to be taken lightly or not, the first five minutes quickly dispelled them. In a very graphic manner, "El secreto" tells the story of a rape and murder that happened in 1974 and the drama that follows. And follows. The frame of the film shows Benjamín Espósito, the investigating detective, two and a half decades later, still seeking closure. Irene Hastings, his new (new in '74) serves as the foil to his need to remember. Pablo Sandoval, Espósito's assistant, provides comic relief and the writers' thesis of human nature.
The scenes depicting the investigation and the justice system appealed to the crime show addict in me, but the truly great part of this film comes from its blunt depiction of human nature, the good and the bad. The plot, though well written, comes across as nothing more than the season finale of Law and Order: SVU. The investigators get personally drawn into the case, and the denoument serves to appease the audience, not the justice system. I have't seen any of the other movies that were nominated, but in my opinion, "El secreto" won because of one particular conversation between Espósito and Sandoval in the bar. Sandoval manages to define individuality in a way that's still got me thinking.
Something else to take away from this film, however, is its particular depiction of Argentine history. While very few political specifics are actually mentioned, the importance of memory to the narrative speaks to the writers' opinions. One debate, in particular, between Espósito and Hastings reflects the current dialouge about how the past dictatorship should affect the present. Even their names and backgrounds communicates a political leaning.
Somehow, the popularity of the film, and the excitement it prompted in Argentina manage to use the film's own thesis to define the nation. Argentina's passion is its pride. What's your passion?
