Educational Media Reviews Online

Nicolás Savignone’s Spanish language drama Ni héroe ni traidor / Neither hero nor traitor is set in Argentina in 1982 on the eve of the Falklands War. The protagonist is a young, would-be bass player, who learns that he, along with his friends will be drafted. The drama of the coming war is wrapped within the drama of his strained relationship with his father, the worried love of his mother, and his desire to live up to the war history of his grandfather, played with endearing pathos by Hector Bidonde.

The film, set in the 80’s, either by design or accident looks and sounds very much like a film made in the 80’s. In part, this is to the film’s credit, except that the soundscape is seemingly irrelevant to the story, and grates on the listener’s ear (reminiscent of early 80’s horror soundtracks). The cast, apart from Bidonde, mopes its way through a weak dramatic structure. The characters, in general, are two dimensional and unlikeable. The pace is slow and there is no real dramatic tension. The viewer comes away knowing no more about the politics that created the war, nor about Argentina itself.

According to comments by Savignone on the Prada website, the film was sparked by his own memories as a child. It serves, then, perhaps as a nostalgic piece for Argentinian viewers, but may not resonate as much with a foreign viewership.

Awards:

Nominee: São Paulo International Film Festival. Best Fiction Category

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