19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
State of Siege - Estado de sitio, June 16, 2002
This review is from: State of Siege [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This is an unbelievable film which takes place during the Uruguayan military dictatorship of the 1970's. Specifically, the storyline depicts the actions of Dan Mitrione, a US torture specialist sent to Uruguay to train police and military personnel. Inevitably, it leads to his murder by the Tupamaros (left-wing freedom-fighters). The film is moving and stuns the viewer with the cold harsh reality of what really happened in Uruguay. In fact, the Uruguayan regime banned this film because it exposed the true face of the dictatoriship.
I highly recommed this film. It was especially moving to me because it gave me a clearer perspective of what my family went through during this atrocious period in Uruguayan history.
This film is extremely hard to find in the US, so grab a copy if you find one. It is also known as "Estado de sitio" and "Etat de siege". (I must reiterate the fact that the original reviewer is wrong - he is thinking of the movie "Z")
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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Up-Date, September 10, 2003
This review is from: State of Siege [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I was a student at Indiana University, majoring in political science (comparative politics)in 1975. We reviewed this movie for a Latin American Political Systems class because the movie was based on the activities of a police official from Gary, Indiana. So, for the person writing the review preceding this one you might need to check your facts about the movie "not" being historically based.
A must see for insight into the workings of organizatons such as the CIA, the USAID, the NED and even PEACECORP.
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21 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Terrorists or freedom fighters? The question surfaces., November 23, 2002
This review is from: State of Siege [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This 1973 film is set in Uruguay. There's a revolution going on. An American, played by Yves Montand, had been kidnapped and murdered by the Tupamaro guerillas. What follows is a flashback on the seven days leading up to this. Mostly, it focuses on the American's interrogation. Gradually, the audience learns that he has been sent there by the American government to teach torture to the Uruguayan police.
Directed by Costa-Gavras, the tone of the film is that of a thriller, with broad sweeps of action and cross cutting between characters. There's very little historical base for all this, just the immediacy of the moment-by-moment tension. The filmmaker clearly favors the guerillas and their attempt to topple their corrupt government. But the story is less about these political ideas than an attack on American imperialism and complicity with the government.
Viewed from the 2002 perspective, the question of whether these guerillas are terrorists or freedom fighters surfaces. They've targeted their actions towards a particular person who they know is responsible for heinous deeds, not the general public. But yet they have a political agenda that they are trying to push through violent means. Certainly, the film makes the viewer think seriously about this.
The film is too long. And it's in French with English subtitles even though it takes place in South America where people speak Spanish. Yves Montand is a fine actor and plays his role well. He keeps his composure throughout, even though he was aware of the sensitive situation he was in. For me, this challenged the film's authenticity, as did the French language. I therefore found it impossible to be emotionally moved by his plight. The message therefore, which must have been shocking to 1973 audiences, was an unmasking of the United States' complicity with dictatorships in Latin America.
Despite its flaws, I'm glad this film exists. It brings something important to the public. It certainly piqued my interest in Latin America. Personally, I'm always surprised when people are so shocked about government misdeeds. Americans are idealists. We've been brought up to believe in freedom and democracy. Problem is we thought that achieving these goals were easy. There're not
The fillm is worth seeing, particularly for a historical perspective. It's all about its message, which is an important one. I recommend it for this reason.
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