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Pao verde
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Wikipedia article
'Pao verde' ('Green Cloth') is a 1973 Argentine gangster film drama directed by Mario David. The film, based on a 1955 novel of the same name by Roger Pl, is set in Buenos Aires in the 1940s, covering the formation, rise and fall of a criminal gang. It stars Carlos Estrada as the protagonist mafia boss Miguel Acua, Luis Brandoni, Julia von Grolman and Hctor Alterio. Vctor Proncet composed the soundtrack.
Plot
In 1940s Buenos Aires, the laconic, immaculately dressed Miguel Acua, or "El Pa" (Carlos Estrada) leads a double life. He owns a bar and appears apathetic to the customers but is secretly a violent criminal. He murders the local mafia boss after threatening him with a knife and shoots him dead when he reacts with a gun. He throws the knife in the river. Miguel becomes the leader.
The gang pull off a series of robberies. At one robbery by the docks they shoot several people dead, including several of the guards and a man in a car, which they use as the getaway vehicle after the tyres are shot at on their own vehicle. In the next robbery, Miguel accidentally shoots a young boy dead while shooting at the guards. His guilt is only revealed when he overhears customers at the bar talking about his death, forcing him to walk out in awkward silence.
While planning a bigger caper, Alma (Julia von Grolman), the wife of his associate Amrico (Luis Brandoni), falls in love with Miguel. Miguel reluctantly relents to her advances but proceeds to beat her, despite professing his love for her. Tano, one of the gang members, is reluctant to participate in the imminent big bank robbery and is threatened by Miguel. During the robbery, when Tano' s worries come to fruition and he is shot by one of the guards, rather than save him, Miguel shoots him dead while making their escape. The getaway vehicle catches fire but the men escape.
The police invade Amrico and Alma's flat while Amrico is in the bathroom shaving. Amrico pretends to surrender but turns on an officer, holding his razor blade to his throat, but is shot dead in front of his wife as backup officers arrive. The police arrive at the bar and surround Miguel. Miguel manages to escape, but only by ruthlessly shooting dead a female admirer and an old friend, to buy him time to escape. He is eventually shot on the roof and falls to his death through the skylight onto the bar's pool table, much to the shock of the bartender who had never suspected his wicked ways.
Cast
* Carlos Estrada as Miguel Acua, "El Pa"
* Luis Brandoni as Amrico
* Julia von Grolman as Alma
* Hctor Alterio as El "Tano" Folco
* Edgardo Surez as Galndez
* Luisina Brando as Chola
* Jos Mara Gutirrez as Ambrosio
* Juan Carlos de Seta
* Alicia Bruzzo as Pola
* Mara Jos Demare as Prostitute
* Ral del Valle
* Aldo Mayo as Policeman
* Olga Berg as Woman at dance
* Mario Savino as boy in bar
* Ricardo Grecco
* Osvaldo Mara Cabrera
* Tito Barcel as singer
* Mara Estela Lorca as woman in assault
* Marta Serra
* Carlos Veltri
* Mara Lascio
* Amadeo Senz Valiente
* Pachi Armas
* Mario Luciani
* Flix Caballero
* Domingo Cutri
* Lucho Fabri
* Juan Carlos Villegas
* Andrs Midn
* Roberto Fiore
* Clemente Bermdez
* Denis Romano
* Juan Carlos Ricci
* Alejandro Villordo Paz
* Raimondo Diego
* Domingo Barbieri
* Tito Bez
* Arsenio Reinaldo Pica
* Jos Mara Brindisi
* Lidia Lugo
Production
The screenplay was written by the director Mario David, based on the 1955 novel of the same name by Roger Pl. Cinematographer Arsenio Reinaldo Pica was hired to shoot the film, working with cameraman Roberto Matarrese. Vctor Proncet composed the soundtrack, while the editing was done by Oscar Pariso.
Reception
The film premiered on 1 March 1973 in Buenos Aires. It was well received by the critics, with Edmundo Etchelbaum of 'La Opinin' declaring it to be a "Revelation of a good commercial film director" and 'La Razn' stating that the film has "good technical quality and a group of excellent actors". Clarn though was more favorable to the cinematography, opining that the "camera extracts much more and is so much better than some of the passages of dialogue", which they believed cooled the effectiveness of certain scenes. In his book 'Breve historia del cine argentino', Csar Maranghello states that he believes 'Pao verde' to have been David's best picture, praising the "fury and nostalgia of its protagonist", Carlos Estrada.
See also
*List of Argentine films of 1973
References
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