The wonderfully acted ‘Argentina, 1985’ is fascinating, atmospheric and often subtle

‘It is always the same. The government says it’s going to change things and then name the same bastards as always.’ More than six months after Argentina’s military dictatorship came to an end, a democratically elected government is half-heartedly trying to confront the past. Nobody seems to want to try the many crimes committed by the military junta, which was in power for seven years. A number of ministers are even trying to put the blame on the victims.

Justice will never come, suspects prosecutor Julio Strassera (Ricardo Darín). Former General Jorge Videla and his accomplices only recognize a military court, which has no intention of convicting fellow soldiers. Unlawful torture, kidnapping, rape, murder, some 30,000 disappearances — all of it, according to the military, was necessary in a so-called war against guerrilla activity.

To Strassera’s surprise — and shock — the decision was made in September 1984 to move the trial to a civil court. Precisely the court where he is the sole accuser. Strassera’s task is to provide conclusive evidence within five months against Videla and eight commanders in the most important trial in Argentina’s history.

Though he wants nothing more than to lock up the suspects, Strassera, a thoughtful and unassuming lawyer, does not consider himself fit for the task. “History is not written by men like me,” he says. In addition, there is the fear that something will be done to him or his family; before he has even started, he is seriously threatened.

Argentina, 1985, the Argentine entry for the Oscars, shows how Julio Strassera (1933 – 2015) becomes a hero despite his will. Helped by a team of young and inexperienced employees (established lawyers don’t dare) and strongly opposed by invisible forces, he bites into the case. During the trial, which begins in April 1985, more than 800 witnesses give their often gruesome accounts. The testimonies are being broadcast on television, an important way to make the shrug of the Argentine middle class also realize the seriousness of these crimes against humanity.

The Argentine director Santiago Miter, who often focuses on the recent history of his country, presents a convincing image of the era, sometimes supplemented with archive footage from the 1980s. He quietly builds up a thriller-like atmosphere, with the court scenes as icing on the cake. Meanwhile, the screenplay, written by Miter and Mariano Llínas (writer and director of the critically acclaimed four-part epic la flor) also pays ample attention to Strassera’s private life, which only benefits the film.

The great acting Argentina, 1985 is fascinating, atmospheric and often subtle. From time to time, Miter trades the subdued tone for a bigger, Hollywood-esque gesture, and that’s okay: there’s a lot at stake for Strassera and his country. The prosecution’s closing argument may be a bit bold, but it is also a direct hit in the fight against fascism.