El lado oscuro del corazón (1992) [Repost]

Oliverio (Darío Grandinetti) is a young poet from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who, like most bohemian people, has no money but loads of talent and aspirations. There are two things that Oliverio enjoys most in life: poetry and women. And yet, somehow, he can’t quite connect with any of the many girls he meets and romances. In his mind, Oliverio has a device to open a hole in the other half of his bed into which the girls fall to stop bothering him. Citing a poem from one of his idols, Oliverio Girondo (whose name is the same as his by coincidence), Oliverio states that he can stand absolutely anything from a woman – except her inability to fly. There’s one woman Oliverio seems addicted to however: Death (Nacha Guevara), who is obsessed with him and hates him for his way of life, since he’s so different from the others and so enchanting to her, which keeps her from taking him away. It is Death who constantly tries to convince Oliverio to quit the artistic life. It’s this struggle between art and success, loneliness and establishment, life and death, which keeps Oliverio busy, to the point of driving him insane.

Two movies came to mind while I was watching El Lado Oscuro del Corazón, neither of which were probably actually thought of by writer/director Eliseo Subiela, but both of which are inevitably referenced: The Seventh Seal (1957) and 8 ½. This is an addicting trip inside an artist’s mind, one who is very human and constantly questions his existence and importance. His conversations with Death are absolutely genius as they contain all his internal struggle and questioning. The film is composed of actual occurrences, imaginary events, memories, hallucinations, and poetry. It’s the poetry which actually makes the trip unforgettable, poetry written by the idols of Oliverio, Mario Benedetti, Juan Gelman and Oliverio Girondo. Oliverio constantly recites poems related to his current circumstances, and the poems, spoken by Grandinetti, sound like the most gorgeous music ever written.

The plot also includes Oliverio’s bohemian friends Erik (André Mélançon) and Gustavo (Jean Pierre Reguerraz), whose view of life is very peculiar, and some whores Oliverio enjoys visiting at a cabaret, one of which, Ana (Sandra Ballesteros), changes his life.

How to express the beauty of this film? I’d have to recite a poem to achieve it, and even then, I wouldn’t by far. I hadn’t heard much of it until a friend told me it was his favorite, and I can proudly say it’s worth being someone’s favorite. There’s so much sadness and complexity contained in such an easy-going, musical film, that you won’t believe it. Talking about musical, Osvaldo Montes’ score is something to behold. This film is a rare piece of art if there ever was one, and a very special and unique mixture of artistic expressions.

Darío Grandinetti, most famous nowadays for his role in Talk to Her (2002), is suave and strong, sad and attractive. He’s perfect. The cast surround him is swell also, including poet Benedetti as a German-speaking romancer of whores.

A must for Spanish speakers, very recommendable for everyone else.

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