Music, Style & Culture

Post Mortem

A character study of a desensitised man during a period of great political turmoil.

Released in cinemas 9th September 2011.

It's worth brushing up on Chilean political history before heading into Pablo Larraín's harsh period piece.

Set in 1973, events begin on the day of Pinochet's military coup against socialist president Salvador Allende. Post Mortem's protagonist is 55-year-old Mario (Alfredo Castro, star of Larraín's last film Tony Manero), who earns a living typing up autopsy reports for a coroner.

Mario is a solitary, detached figure with feelings for his showgirl neighbour Nancy (Antonia Zegers), who's just been sacked for being underweight. He finally gains the courage to ask her out, and their dysfunctional relationship is portrayed in fascinatingly uncomfortable scenes - the date at a Chinese restaurant where neither understand the menu, a bizarre moment when Mario's attempts to empathise with Nancy by sobbing along with her.

This is no relationship drama, however, more a character study of a desensitised man during a period of great political turmoil. Mario is a gaunt, greasy-haired individual with a lack of social graces - his interactions with those around him are painfully observed.

Mario's job becomes increasingly important to the story as the body count rises. Larraín implies the country's bloodshed through the morgue's increasing workload, before it becomes the setting for a pivotal moment based in Chilean history. Larraín keeps the events of the time simmering in the background - a tank here, a demonstration there - but historical knowledge is essential to appreciate Post Mortem as it escalates into something far more threatening.

Larraín's film is superbly period authentic, shot in dirty hues on grainy 16mm. His photography is unpredictable, stark and unforgiving, always reminding us that Mario's character is equally harsh. Surprisingly intense, with a jaw-dropping ending, it remains a difficult, inaccessible film with a limited audience.

Rating: 8/10