Released the same year as _La Patagonia rebelde_ (Héctor Olivera) and also featuring Héctor Alterio, _Quebracho_ is a story of oppression and rebellion in the setting of a factory located in Villa Guillermina, Santa Fé, Argentina. These two works can be considered sister films, as they have very similar artistic and social purposes.
The film begins with images of an abandoned factory. A flashback to 1914 London opens the story of how things ended up that way. Villa Guillermina is a small town that depends on the factory that processes the quebracho tree for tannin, the substance the British are after. From the very beginning the viewer knows that this resource will be depleted, as the British are already planning to get it from South Africa. Meanwhile, the workers are trying to organize themselves in order to demand better working conditions. Lamazón (the great Lautaro Murúa), a politician, will help them, at first with the purpose of furthering his own career. In the attempt, he will clash with the British, represented primarily by Mr. Murphy (Alterio, speaking with an accent).
The quebracho is an extremely sturdy tree. Its name, as a matter of fact, comes from the combination of the verb "quebrar" and the noun "hacha": this tree is an "axe-breaker". The title obviously refers to the resource the British were exploiting, but also to the strong will of the people to fight for their rights and for what they believe in.
_Quebracho_ is somewhat inferior in execution to _La Patagonia rebelde_. The acting and the directing are good, however, and the film's noble purpose is to denounce the excesses of capitalism (specifically in Latin America and in Africa) and to promote equality. Murúa's performance is reason enough to watch this film.
The film begins with images of an abandoned factory. A flashback to 1914 London opens the story of how things ended up that way. Villa Guillermina is a small town that depends on the factory that processes the quebracho tree for tannin, the substance the British are after. From the very beginning the viewer knows that this resource will be depleted, as the British are already planning to get it from South Africa. Meanwhile, the workers are trying to organize themselves in order to demand better working conditions. Lamazón (the great Lautaro Murúa), a politician, will help them, at first with the purpose of furthering his own career. In the attempt, he will clash with the British, represented primarily by Mr. Murphy (Alterio, speaking with an accent).
The quebracho is an extremely sturdy tree. Its name, as a matter of fact, comes from the combination of the verb "quebrar" and the noun "hacha": this tree is an "axe-breaker". The title obviously refers to the resource the British were exploiting, but also to the strong will of the people to fight for their rights and for what they believe in.
_Quebracho_ is somewhat inferior in execution to _La Patagonia rebelde_. The acting and the directing are good, however, and the film's noble purpose is to denounce the excesses of capitalism (specifically in Latin America and in Africa) and to promote equality. Murúa's performance is reason enough to watch this film.
