Educational Media Reviews Online

In September 1970, Chile elected the Socialist candidate Dr. Salvador Allende Gossens to the Chilean Presidency. Labor unrest, food shortages, and civil strife followed. In 1974 Allende was overthrown and died during a coup orchestrated by Chilean right wing General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte. Following the coup, there were thousands of cases of purges, and “disappearances” of left wing advocates.

This documentary focuses on the rift in Chile between Pinochet’s advocates and opponents. Pinochet has been arrested and charged with crimes against humanity. There have been over 4,000 cases of murder, torture and kidnapping lodged against Pinochet and his comrades. Relatives of murder victims give heartrending stories of injustices of this dictator, while those who defend Pinochet maintain that his regime displaced an equally malign government, which overran farms and factories. They claim it was a matter of “excess” of an individual who ultimately helped stabilize Chile and its economy.

This is a fine film that forces the viewer to reflect on the abuse of political power. I have two minor criticisms for this film. First, the viewer does not receive any historical background until ten minutes into the documentary. Until that point, the viewer receives heavy doses of Pinochet’s atrocities (vis-à-vis Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin) without historical context in Chile. Second, prospective viewers of this film should be aware of the film’s time sensitivity. In March 2000, General Pinochet flew back to Chile after British judges ruled he was too sick to stand trial. The point of the film is not muted by recent events, but viewers should be aware that the story is still unfolding.

Chile: Fighting the Past is recommended to adult audiences, particularly those with a keen interest in ethical issues in South American history and political science.