Product Description

This is the second release in Terra’s series, Spotlight on Chilean Masterworks. The Jackal of Nahueltoro is an extraordinary account based on real events that took place in Chile at the beginning of the 1960s. It tells the story of an illiterate farmer who kills his lover and her children in a drunken rage after being evicted from his farmhouse. He goes on to learn to read and write in prison, and becomes an active citizen, but finds that his reform is not enough to save him. The film was controversial for its portrayal of the abject living conditions and the social injustices facing the poor in Chile, and it gained wide praise in international circles, it is considered one of the best Chilean films from the 20th century. Directed by Miguel Littin. Originally released in 1969. Spanish with English subtitles. 95 minutes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #83654 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-02-28
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full length, Full Screen, Original recording remastered, Restored, Special Edition, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: Spanish
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 95 minutes

The New York Times, April 13, 1974
"The Jackal of Nahueltoro is a remarkable picture. The picture's strength springs from the extreme simplicity of the narrative. . ."

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Bunuel, diario Le Monde
"A beautiful film never equaled. . .the best Latin American film. . .a masterpiece."

National Gallery of Art USA
"The most widely seen motion picture in Chile's history."

Customer Reviews

A Touching Look into the Lives of Those Born to Lose
This is a movie made in Chile in the 1960's. It tells the true story of a man who committed a mass murder in one mad, drunken afternoon. If you are used to crisper production values, you might be put off by the grainy, hand-held quality of this film. In addition, its English subtitles are often very ungrammatical, poor translations of the film's native Spanish. I almost drifted away from the general amateurishness of this production. But I'm glad I stuck with it.

I eventually got past the crudeness of technique, and found myself walking in the shoes of those involved in this tragedy. This turned into a sort of "In Cold Blood" story of the aftermath more than of the crime itself. We learn about the perpetrator's impoverished background. We wait in prison with him during the months he spends there - as he reflects, changes, hopes for reprieve.

This film provides a realistic look into the lives of the "underclass." It also provides a realistic look into the judicial system as it existed and as it still largely exists in many Latin American countries. One thing notably missing from this saga is courtroom drama. There is no Perry Mason pleading here. As I learned on a recent trip I took to Mexico, the concept of trial-by-jury is largely unknown throughout most of South America. Instead, individual judges decide suspects' fates in private, as they read briefs presented by opposing lawyers. So the evidentiary drama in this film is limited to our hearing a voice-over reading of certain passages from a voluminous pile of papers.

However even without the emotional appeal of courtroom revelations - we still come to care. This is ultimately an engrossing, involving movie.

If however, you really would prefer to explore this theme in a more modern, slickly produced Spanish-language film, I suggest you check out "Cronicas" starring John Leguzamo. "Cronicas" deals with the more sinister case of a man suspected of being a serial killer of children. However it has many parallels with "The Jackal of Nahueltoro." We see the mob violence that often gets focused on those suspected of crimes against children. We see conditions in South American jails. And in each case, there is the suspense of - will the sentence of capital punishment be carried out against the man - or will he go free?

Excelent
This is a must see movie, and it is excelent that they have it in DVD