Mockumentary master Gabriel Lichtmann gives us yet another excellent addition to the genre with The Red Star. A fictionalized Lichtmann (Héctor Díaz) finds several interesting documents and film reels among his recently deceased grandfather’s belongings: Key among them is a folder containing a WWII era German novel with a cipher written inside its cover and a 45rpm record of a tango entitled ‘The Red Star’.
Lichtmann connects these and the other documents to one Laila Salama (Thelma Fardín, Mora Rodríguez), daughter of an MI6 agent, Communist party member, alleged lover of Rommel, and architect of Adolf Eichmann’s capture in Argentina. How can someone be all these things at once? Lichtmann pulls on a thread to untangle the web, but the more he pulls, the more tangled the web becomes. He interviews many unique and intriguing characters, trying to find the truth behind the myth. Some refuse to talk or speak in half-truths. Half the fun of the movie is playing sleuth yourself, connecting the dots, and perhaps beating Lichtmann to his eventual conclusion.
This intriguing false history makes one wish it was real in its varied twists and unique story. This farcical story of multiculturalism in Argentina displays fantastic filmmaking and never fails to keep the viewers' attention. Where it does fail is how many loose threads it leaves behind. We notice (and then Lichtmann points it out) the main character being tailed. Nothing comes of this. Several story arcs are left in tangles about two-thirds of the way into the film and never picked up again. Perhaps COVID is to blame for some of this inconsistency: Filming began in 2019 and maybe Lichtmann had to splice together what footage he had into an ending he hadn’t planned. It does, however, make for an unsatisfying end and a lot of unanswered questions. Despite this failing, The Red Star is an excellent mockumentary and belongs in library collections.
What type of library programming could use this title?
Programing about Jewish Diaspora, Nazis in South America, and Argentinian films would benefit greatly from the addition of The Red Star.
Can this film be used in a library education program?
Though filmed like a documentary and containing some factual information, The Red Star is fiction and should not be used in education to prevent viewer confusion.
What type of professors would find this title valuable?
Professors of film, Jewish studies, and literature will find great value in The Red Star.
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