In a new foreign film feature, Benjamin Lewis reviews Pablo Larrain’s film No, which was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2012. Critics raved at the time, but was it worth the hype?
When you can’t get the Spanish for ‘Chile, happiness is coming’ out of your head and start singing it enthusiastically around the house – much to the confusion of your parents – it’s fair to say that the Chilean film No has had a lasting impact. Directed by Pablo Larrain, No focuses on the 1988 Chilean referendum to decide whether to extend Pinochet’s rule by eight years, from the perspective of the respective ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns.
Larraín’s film is an expertly crafted blend of fact and fiction revolving around a subject matter that is historically important, and still relevant in the context of political upheavals like the Arab Spring. The cinematography in particular makes you feel like you’ve stepped into 1980s Chile by bringing the historical events to life. This is mostly due to the use of the now obsolete analogue U-matic camera from the early 1980s, which Larraín used to merge the archival footage with his own vision. The result is an air of authenticity, as film and archival footage seamlessly blend together. So seamlessly in fact, that at times it’s hard to know what’s being acted.
Larrain’s directing is highly stylised, with a tone that whilst not dark and oppressive as per V for Vendetta, is far from that of Rush Hour 2 where danger and violence is trivialised. It’s perhaps best described as cautious optimism. This tone is reflected in the desire of René (Gael García Bernal), an advertising executive, to focus on happiness as the central theme for the ‘No’ campaign.
My only criticism, barring the ratty haircut that García Bernal has in the movie, is that the scenes with his son and his estranged wife detract from the compelling war between both advertising campaigns and the even more interesting relationship between René and his boss Lucho, whose bickering and insulting add another layer to the conflict. His wife, Veronica, is unlikeable and his son offers very little to the plot, despite an attempt at heightening the tension at the breakup of the ‘No’ rally.
What is most remarkable about this film are the parallels that can be drawn with contemporary politics. At one point in the movie, during a meeting with leaders of the ‘Yes’ campaign, someone says: “you have a system in which anyone can be rich. Careful; not everyone. Anyone’. In other words, No tells us that an individual, with dedication and focus, can make change. This is something that has been seen here in Exeter, with the university recently becoming the first English university to go ‘conflict free’, thanks to the work of the members of‘Project Congo’ of the ‘Be the Change’ society.
Ultimately I strongly recommend No, and whilst it may be an oversimplification that an advertising campaign and catchy jingle was responsible for Pinochet losing power, Larraín believes it had an important role. As a result, we should consider the impact of marketing in politics, even twenty-five years ago.
The catchiness of ‘Chile, happiness is coming’ is undeniable, and as a master class in marketing, the film should be at the top of the Christmas list of Gocompare.com’s advertising department. Then at least, we might get some relief from the considerably crueler regime of the opera singer. Just say “no”, kids.
4/5
exeposedev 