The Pinochet Case
Metascore
84 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 8 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
view
per page
  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Curiel
    100
    Interviews with Pinochet's victims put a human face on the systematic torture that existed under his rule.
  2. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    100
    Eloquent, meticulously structured documentary -- Sober political and legal analysis alternates with grim first-hand accounts of torture and murder in a film that has the structure of a choral symphony that swells to a bittersweet finale.
  3. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    90
    The Pinochet Case is a searing album of remembrance from those who, having survived, suffered most.
  4. Variety
    Reviewed by: Deborah Young
    90
    It's hard to walk away unaffected from this heartfelt, well-researched, feature-length documentary.
  5. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    80
    Chilean filmmaker Patricio Guzman's powerful and sometimes triumphant documentary is not only an excellent overview of the affair, but serves as the perfect finale to his monumental trilogy about the coup and its aftermath, which began with "The Battle of Chile" (1978).
  6. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Michael Atkinson
    80
    Because stateside newspapers aren't enough, "The Battle of Chile" (possibly the most riveting and vital historical document ever put on celluloid) should be a prerequisite to Guzmán's new doc, The Pinochet Case.
  7. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    75
    A riveting documentary.
  8. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jack Mathews
    63
    The film is at its most compelling when the witnesses are telling their stories, and at its least in covering Pinochet's circuitous legal route to Britain's House of Lords.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 1 out of 6
  1. MarianoO.
    10
    It's really sickening, disgusting and also very sad the way Ricardo sees the "reality" of his country. No one should be called a hero if there is over them the slightest shadow of doubt about such a delicate thing as human rights. Why does Ricardo give that adjective to a mass murderer like Pinochet? There are many, many documents available today that allow us to know what really happened in Chile. It's the same old story: as long as they don't get touched by the violence of a government, it's "understandable", "they did deserved it" or "it was for the sake of the country". What a shame, Ricardo! And you call yourself a chilean? Patricio Guzmán has dedicated many years of his life to document those dark years and this movie is one of his best works.… Full Review »
  2. PauloP.
    10
    This film should be essential viewing for anyone trying to make a case for the treatment of detainees in the US's "war on terror." Watch "Trials of Henry Kissinger," and then this film, and you'll get a pretty good idea for why Bush II will never "win" anything. As for Ricardo's comments - people died in the French Revolution (and many other revolutions) fighting for democracy, just like those who were killed in Chile during the Pinochet years. Pinochet's involvement in those killings is indefensible, to say that a government can kill and torture people in the name of democracy is absolutely ludicrous.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »