ALIAS GARDELITO (Argentina/1961)

In the late 1950s and 1960s, cinema experienced a revolution against established "genre" forms of commercial cinema. In Argentina, the filmmakers involved were known as "la generacion del '60". Lautaro Murua, who was born and raised in Chile, was a key figure of the movement both as an actor and director. In Alias Gardelito, Murua directs a script by Bernardo Kordon and plays a key but secondary character. The protagonist is Toribio, who dreams of a career as a tango singer (hence the title) but engages in extortion and smuggling contraband goods to make a living. Alias Gardelito is a somber and sober look at the underworld in Buenos Aires. The film denounces the corruption at high levels and the lack of opportunities for working class youth to make an honest living. The performance by Alberto Argibay as "Gardelito" is magnificent. The outstanding b&w cinematography (with mostly location shooting) comes courtesy of Oscar Melli, another key figure of the movement.Alias Gardelito was named Best Film of 1961 by the Argentinean Film Critics Association.