No Film Difficulty Ranking: 3
No is probably the best film about the fall of a modern dictator (Pinochet in Chile).
Why Watch No?
- To see what life was like in a country where police brutality was not just normal, but expected: Pinochet’s Chile
- If you work in advertising and want to see how you could change the world
- Because it’s got Gael Garcia Bernal in the lead role, that guy in Motorcycle Diaries, Amores Perros, Desierto, and many more
- It’s another great film from Pablo Larrain; for more check out Neruda, Jackie, and Tony Manero
The Breakdown
It’s 1988 in Chile, and Chile is still being lorded over by Pinochet, one of the world’s most repressive dictators. After 16 years in power, growing international pressure has forced Pinochet and the Chilean government to hold a vote where the public can vote ‘No’ for a democracy or ‘Yes’ for another 8 years of Pinochet. Gael Garcia Bernal plays Rene, one of Chile’s top advertising professionals who has been given the opportunity to lead the ‘No’ campaign to end the Pinochet dictatorship.
You’ll see that the team behind the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns use completely different advertising tactics. Whilst the ‘Yes’ campaign goes for very obvious propaganda messages depicting Pinochet as a national hero, the ‘No’ campaign message simply tries to depict ‘freedom’ (kind of like your typical Coke or Pepsi ad). If you don’t know anything about advertising, this film is worth watching just to see how people use adverts to influence people.
You’ll also notice that this film looks different from most. To film it, Pablo Larrain used 3/4 inch Sony U-matic magnetic tape, which some might recognise from old TV news shows. It’s grainy look gives the film’s storyline more credibility as it makes it appear more like a documentary film. It made me believe that Rene was an actual person, and that this whole film was based on truth. In reality, it’s only based on a true story.
Conclusion
No is shot well, has a great story line, and you’ll learn something about Chilean history. It was also nominated for an Academy Award so I’m not wrong.
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