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The Truce (1974 film)
The Truce is a 1974 Argentine film directed by Sergio Renan and co-written with Aida Bortnik, based on the eponymous novel by Mario Benedetti. It was the first Argentine film to be nominated for an Academy Award (the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film).
Synopsis
The film opens on Martin Santome's (Hector Alterio) 49th birthday, a widower and the father of three children: the eldest, the embittered Esteban (Luis Brandoni); the caring middle-child Blanca (Marilina Ross) and Jaime (Oscar Martinez), a closeted homosexual. He goes to work thinking they have forgotten his birthday, and once at the office, he assigns two new employees to their jobs: the effeminate, nervous Santini (Antonio Gasalla) and the young Laura (Ana Maria Picchio), with whom he soons develops a bond. Back home, Martin is surprised with a party thrown by his children.
After having a one-night stand with a woman he met on the bus (Norma Aleandro), Martin starts going through a series of events that alter his life completely. Santini has a nervous breakdown at work and rants against the complacency of his co-workers; he is subsequently replaced, though the breakdown marks Martin and forces him to look at his own life. His son Jaime finally comes out and decides to leave home to save the family from embarassment and further complications. Topping it all, Martin, who has befriended Laura, professes his love for her at a cafe and implores her to look beyond the age difference and give him a chance. She accepts.
The two start dating and Martin regains his wont of living. Their relationship never faulters, and hints of infidelity are quickly dismissed. He moves into her apartment, forsaking his son and daughter (who starts dating a man herself). This upsets Esteban even more, who blames his father for giving him a mediocre life. Martin implores him that it is never late to change, and they reconcile.
The film's climax begins with the untimely demise of Laura, who contracts flu and dies from heart failure shortly thereafter. Martin once again regains his bleak view of life and the world. He realizes that his romance with Laura was nothing but "a truce with life". The film ends on an ambiguous tone, as Esteban tries to comfort his father, roles inverted, and the camera centers on Martin, leaning against the wall, looking more hopeless than ever.
Cast
Hector Alterio .... Martin Santome
Luis Brandoni .... Esteban Santome
Ana Maria Picchio .... Laura Avellaneda
Marilina Ross .... Blanca Santome
Aldo Barbero
Juan Jose Camero
Carlos Carella
Cipe Lincovsky .... Laura's mother
Oscar Martinez .... Jaime Santome
Lautaro Murua .... "The Manager"
Walter Vidarte
China Zorrilla
Luis Politti
Hugo Arana
Norma Aleandro
Sergio Renan ... Jaime's boyfriend
Victor Manso
Antonio Gasalla .... Santini
Constantino Cosma
Background
Argentine actor Sergio Renan had been performing in movies since 1951 under the direction of noted filmmakers Mario Soffici, Lucas Demare and three times under Leopoldo Torre Nilsson. It was in his last collaboration with Torre Nilsson, in 1973, that he met fellow co-stars Hector Alterio and Norma Aleandro. A year later he would cast them both in a starring role and a cameo appearance respectively in his film debut, La tregua.
A year after its release, La tregua was submitted to the Academy Awards (the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film) and won a nomination (the first Academy Award nomination in Argentine film history) but lost out to Federico Fellini's Amarcord. The movie has since gained cult status in Argentina.
A Mexican remake was made in 2003.
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article The Truce (1974 film)
