Osvaldo Soriano's novel Cuarteles de Invierno (Winter Quarters, 1981) continues the action in No Habrá mas Penas ni Olvido (A Funny Dirty Little War, 1979), the latter filmed by Héctor Olivera in 1983 (see my review). As this movie begins the military and the security services have won the Dirty War in Colonia Vela (at least temporarily) and are firmly in control of the town. Most of the characters in the first movie are dead or gone: Fuentes the mayor, Cerviño the crop-duster, Peláez the fool. Some of the population tries to survive under the radar (to attract the attention of the military may be deadly), others collaborate doing the dirty work of the authorities, yet others try to cling to whatever dignity they have left. The military decide to celebrate with a festival the "pacification" of Colonia Vela. Andrés Galván (a superannuated tango singer) and Tony Rocha (an equally superannuated boxer) are requested to participate. This is the beginning of the action.
Soriano's style in A Funny Dirty Little War was nonstop, fast-and-furious action peppered with black humor. In this novel the writing is more somber and ominous and the humor blacker, depicting the fear that the military inspired, their contempt towards the civilian population and the total impunity they enjoyed until the implosion of the regime in 1981 (in fact, their impunity extended almost for twenty additional years under an infamous "Law of due Obedience").
Chilean actor Lautaro Murúa had a distinguished career in Argentina both as an actor and as a director of six movies, this one the last. The film is perhaps not at the level of his best work, but Soriano's material is put on screen convincingly with the support of a very good cast. Excellent cinematography by Aníbal González Paz and music by Astor Piazzolla.
Soriano's style in A Funny Dirty Little War was nonstop, fast-and-furious action peppered with black humor. In this novel the writing is more somber and ominous and the humor blacker, depicting the fear that the military inspired, their contempt towards the civilian population and the total impunity they enjoyed until the implosion of the regime in 1981 (in fact, their impunity extended almost for twenty additional years under an infamous "Law of due Obedience").
Chilean actor Lautaro Murúa had a distinguished career in Argentina both as an actor and as a director of six movies, this one the last. The film is perhaps not at the level of his best work, but Soriano's material is put on screen convincingly with the support of a very good cast. Excellent cinematography by Aníbal González Paz and music by Astor Piazzolla.
