A Long Journey (Chile,1967)

The still-born 'Angelito' at the wake.

In pre-Allende days in Chile this film dissects the social classes in Santiago. I was expecting a bit of a political film but in the end it's more of a rhapsody of Chilean culture. The film does highlight the problems of the poor and the excesses of the rich but it is stoic rather than indicting in its approach. It certainly does not suggest any remedies nor does it say that there is anything to fix.
Much of it is seen throught the eyes of a child boy on a mission goes through the streets of Santiago and experiences the life there. In contrast we see the life of the upper classes socializing and doing business. There are interesting scenes which show the violence of the street kids under the bridge by the Mapocho river. Another of a wake for a still-born baby where the local neighbourhood comes to console the grieving parents and drink 'el tinto' and dance the "Cueca' until they drop. Elsewhere we see a shooters party among the rich where a machisto brags that he didn't miss one bird. Some other scenes are a bit of a puzzle and the background music is decidedly odd and perhaps inappropriate. But overall I enjoyed Largo Viaje for it's nostalgia.