empieza con un juego de jai-alai custodiado por militares donde el fronton tiene las paredes repletas de posters del presidente y algunos de ellos con graffiti de:
muera. cary grant es un famoso neurocirujano americano con su esposa que, en contra de los consejos de la embajada, entran de vacaciones, por carro, a un pais latinoamericano regido por un dictador. todo suena a cliche si no es que la pelicula es de 1950 y el dictador es un peron con una primera dama a la que llaman isabelita. sus subordinados le dicen con respeto 'coronel' y el pueblo le grita 'asesino'. la leyenda popular es que mando a matar a fernando, el lider politico de la oposicion. el coronel presidente le explica al medico americano que su rival murio a tiros por un marido celoso. pero finalmente el doctor descubre que no esta invitado a palacio sino secuestrado para una mision de estado: operar el tumor cerebral del coronel presidente (jose vicente ferrer de otero y cintron en la mejor actuacion que le he visto, rayando un marlon brando o montgomery cliff; que incluso se gano el oscar ese mismo año por cyrano de bergerac). el medico acepta operarlo no sin antes exigir que se lo comuniquen a su embajada y dejen irse del pais a su esposa. el dictador acepta solo lo de la mujer. incluso arreglan los emolumentos y el cirujano le dice que cobra siempre el 10% de la riqueza total del cliente. viendolo asi uno imagina que el cirujano se llevara la mitad de los recursos naturales del pais, incluyendo las bellas mujeres. asi las cosas le pide tambien al mandatario que lo deje pasear por la ciudad sin escolta mientras se hacen los preparos de la operacion. entonces va a un cafe donde (por casualidad?) se le presenta el lider de la resistencia, antiguo amigo del coronel. el disidente le ruega que no haga la operacion por el bien del pais pues todo el mundo esta esperando que el tirano muera. el americano le contesta que no es un problema politico sino moral, por el juramento de hipocrates. por los pasillos de palacio se topa con otro norteamericano, un millonario petrolero que esta perforando en esos suelos y que le propone -le resuelve- escapar. el doctor no esta dispuesto a hacer eso. el caso es que la resistencia nacional le captura la esposa al medico cuando esta se va en tren y le envia una nota a palacio:
si opera al presidente, ella muere. la carta es interceptada por la mujer del coronel y nunca llega a las manos del cirujano, que procede a operar a su importante paciente.. -esta es posiblemente una de esas joyas perdidas, obra maestra noir, muy bien dirigida (el estreno de richard brooks) e impecablemente escrita. estan pasandola por tmc en el 256 de direct tv (y en dvd desde el 2009). es de esas historias que uno las empieza a ver y a los 20 miuntos comprende que hay que acomodarse mejor en el sofa, ir al refrigerador por cocacola y chips, y mear; porque esta ante un tronco de filme. una de las frases de jose ferrer a cary grant:
en tu pais cuando ven una señal de stop la respetan; aca la escupen. hay que enseñarles democracia, que empieza por el respeto.
©varela
it begins with a jai-alai game guarded by the military where the fronton has walls filled with posters of the president and some of them with graffiti: die. cary grant is a famous american neurosurgeon with his wife who, against the advice of the embassy, goes on vacation, by car, to a latin american country ruled by a dictator. everything sounds like a cliche if it's not that the film is from 1950 and dictator is a peron alike with a first lady who is called isabelita. his subordinates tell hin with respect 'colonel' and the people shout him 'assassin'. the popular legend is that he ordered to kill fernando, the political leader of the opposition. colonel president explains to the american doctor his rival died shot by a jealous husband. but finally the doctor discovers that he is not invited to palace but abducted for a state mission: to operate the brain tumor of the president colonel (jose vicente ferrer de otero y cintron in the best performance that i've seen him, scratching a marlon brando's or montgomery cliff's; taht even he won the oscar that same year by cyrano de bergerac). the doctor agrees to operate but not before demanding that they inform his embassy and let go his wife out of the country. the dictator accepts only the wife's. they even arranged the emoluments and the surgeon tells him that he always takes 10% of the total wealth of the client. seeing it so one imagines the surgeon will held half of the country's natural resources, including the beautiful women. so things he also requests to the chairman that leaves him strolling through the city without escort, while are preparing the operation. then he goes to a cafe where (by chance?) meets the resistance leader, old friend of colonel. the dissident begs him not to do the operation for the sake of the country because everyone is hoping that the tyrant dies. the american replied that it is not a problem of political but moral, by the hippocrates oath. through the halls of the palace he met another american, an oil millionaire drilling in those soils and that proposes him -resolves it- to escape. the doctor is not available to do that. the case is national resistance captures the doctor's wife when she goes by train and sends him a note to palace: if he operates to the president, she dies. the letter is intercepted by the wife of colonel and never reaches the hands of the surgeon, who proceeds to operate on his vip patient... -this is possibly one of those lost jewels, a masterpiece noir, very well directed (richard brooks's premiere) and impeccably written. is in amc by 256 of direct tv (and on dvd since 2009). it's such history that one begins to sees and after 20 minuntes understands that it must accommodates better in sofa, goes to the refrigerator by coke and chips, and piss; because you're before a piece of movie. one of the phrases of jose ferrer to cary grant: in your country when they see a stop sign they respect it; here they spit it. we must teach them democracy, which begins with respect.©varela
