View source for The Mouth of the Wolf (1988 film)

{{short description|1988 film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = The Mouth of the Wolf
| image          = The Mouth of the Wolf (1988 film) poster.jpg
| caption        = Film poster
| director       = [[Francisco José Lombardi]]
| producer       =
| writer         = Augusto Cabada<br>Gonzalo Herrero<br>Giovanna Pollarolo
| starring       = Gustavo Bueno<br>Toño Vega
| cinematography =
| editing        =
| distributor    =
| released       = {{Film date|1988|12|8|df=yes}}
| runtime        = 128 minutes
| country        = Peru
| language       = Spanish
| budget         =
}}
'''''The Mouth of the Wolf''''' ({{langx|es|'''La boca del lobo'''}}) is a 1988 Peruvian [[drama film]] directed by [[Francisco José Lombardi]]<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite web |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=18 August 1989 |title=Review "La boca del lobo" From Peru |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/18/movies/review-film-la-boca-del-lobo-from-peru.html |access-date=5 September 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]] |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> that is based on the [[Socos Massacre|Socos massacre]]. The film was selected as the Peruvian entry for the [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] at the [[61st Academy Awards]], but was not accepted as a nominee.<ref name=":1">Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences</ref>
== Plot ==
A military detachment arrives in Chuspi, a small town in the [[Department of Ayacucho]]. The story follows Vitin Luna (Toño Vega), who is attempting to make his ways up the ranks and enter officer school, his companion Kike Gallardo (José Tejada) and other troops must face the [[Communist]] guerrilla group [[Shining Path]] during the [[internal conflict in Peru]], an invisible army that devastated the area and is seemingly superior. The troops are sent from the coastal metropolis of [[Lima]] and are racist towards the impoverished Andean peasants in the town due to cultural differences, seemingly arriving in a foreign land.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title="Filming the war with Sendero" by Francisca da Gama |url=https://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/jc49.2007/daGama-Sendero/ |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=[[Jump Cut (journal)|Jump Cut]]}}</ref> Both groups use violence and [[terrorism]] against the local population to gain control, with the troops using tactics similar to the [[Dirty War]].<ref name="NYTimes" /><ref name=":0" />
During the first night in the town, a [[Peruvian flag]] raised over the barracks is taken down and replaced by a Shining Path flag. Troops respond by ransacking houses in the town and arrest one man, beating him for not responding, though the man only knew how to speak [[Quechuan languages|Quechua]] and did not understand the troops.<ref name=":0" /> After the death of Luna's commander, the strict lieutenant Iván Roca (Gustavo Bueno) arrives to rally the remaining troops. Luna sees Roca as his mentor; however, the officer has a dark past that will lead him to use brutal methods in the anti-subversive fight.
After returning from a fruitless patrol to find guerrilla fighters, return to a Chuspi that was attacked and covered with pro-communist graffiti. Roca responds to the incident by gathering all residents of the town in to the main plaza, raising a large Peruvian flag and forcing citizens to sing the [[National Anthem of Peru]], "Somo libres" ("We are free"), while troops shove individuals who are not singing.<ref name=":0" />
One night, Gallardo strolls to a shop where Julia, a shopkeeper who had previously rejected his advances, is closing for the night and forces his way in to rape her. Luna witnesses what had occurred and when Julia and a relative approach Roca the following day to tell the officer about the incident, Luna remains silent and the allegations are dismissed by Roca. Later that night, Kike and another soldier interrupt a celebration of a marriage proposal in the town, with the two being attacked while attempting to forcibly enter the event and being accused of raping Julia. Kike returns to the barracks accusing the partygoers of collaborating with guerillas in the area, leading to all of the villagers present being detained while others are violently interrogated. While torturing a man, Roca kills him in a rage after he is spit on.<ref name=":0" />
In an attempt to cover up the incident, Roca orders his troops to march the villagers to a cliff and execute them, with Luna refusing to shoot. Luna is detained for violating direct orders and the cliff is demolished with explosives, covering the bodies of those massacred. When the troops return to their garrison, the imprisoned Luna mocks the hypocrisy of Roca calling him a coward, with the two playing [[Russian roulette]] down to the final chamber. Roca refuses to pull the trigger, demanding Luna to shoot him, though Luna refuses and fires the last round into the wall behind the lieutenant. Luna then last seen leaving the barracks and walking down the road while removing his military uniform.<ref name=":0" />
==Cast==
* [[:es:Gustavo Bueno (actor)|Gustavo Bueno]] as Lt. Roca
* [[:es:Toño Vega|Toño Vega]] as Vitin Luna
* José Tejada as Gallardo
* Gilberto Torres as Sgt. Moncada
* Bertha Pagaza as Julia
* Antero Sanchez as Lt. Basulto
* [[Aristóteles Picho]] as El Chino
==Recognition==
{| class="wikitable"
!'''Year'''
!Event
!Nation
!'''Category'''
!Result
!Source
|-
| rowspan="9" |1988
|[[Festival de San Sebastián]]
|{{ESP}}
|Jury Prize
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Campos |first=Paco de |date=9 March 2010 |title="La teta asustada", último acercamiento del cine peruano al terrorismo |url=http://www.lacapitalmdp.com/noticias/Espectaculos/2009/03/09/137648.htm |accessdate=15 November 2018 |website=[[Diario La Capital de Mar del Plata]] |language=es}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="6" |[[Havana Film Festival]]
| rowspan="6" |{{CUB}}
|2nd. Coral Award
|{{won}}
| rowspan="6" |<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fernández-Santos |first1=Ángel |title=Una película polémica |url=https://elpais.com/diario/1989/01/02/cultura/599698811_850215.html |website=[[El País]] |access-date=24 December 2022 |language=es |date=1 January 1989}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=FICHA TECNICA - La boca del lobo |url=http://cinelatinoamericano.org/ficha.aspx?cod=837 |accessdate=15 November 2018 |website=cinelatinoamericano.org}}</ref>
|-
|Award of the International Catholic Film Organization (OCIC)
|{{won}}
|-
| Glauber Rocha Award - Prensa Latina
|{{won}}
|-
|Cultural Tabloid Award "The Bearded Cayman"
|{{won}}
|-
|"Roque Dalton" Award from Radio Habana Cuba Station
|{{won}}
|-
|"La Giraldilla" Award, of the People's Power of the City of Havana
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Three Continents Festival]]
|{{FRA}}
|Montgolfière d'or
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Festival des 3 Continents {{!}} La Gueule du Loup |url=http://www.3continents.com/fr/film/la-gueule-du-loup/ |accessdate=15 November 2018 |website=www.3continents.com}}</ref>
|-
|[[Academy Awards]]
|{{USA}}
|[[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film]]
|Pre-nominated
|<ref name=":1" />
|-
| rowspan="5" |1989
|[[Berlin International Film Festival]]
|{{DEU}}
| -
|{{Included}}
|<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |title=La boca del lobo |url=http://www.programaibermedia.com/ibermediatv/la-boca-del-lobo/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116043429/http://www.programaibermedia.com/ibermediatv/la-boca-del-lobo/ |archivedate=16 November 2018 |accessdate=15 November 2018 |website=Programa Ibermedia |language=es-ES}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Cartagena Film Festival]]
| rowspan="3" |{{COL}}
|Best Film
|{{won}}
|<ref name=":6" />
|-
|Best Director
|{{won}}
| rowspan="3" |<ref name=":10" />
|-
|Best Script
|{{won}}
|-
|[[London Film Festival]]
|{{GBR}}
| -
|{{Included}}
|}
==See also==
* [[List of submissions to the 61st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film]]
* [[List of Peruvian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0094773|The Mouth of the Wolf}}
{{Francisco José Lombardi}}
{{Peruvian submission for Academy Awards}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mouth of the Wolf, The}}
[[Category:1988 films]]
[[Category:1988 drama films]]
[[Category:Peruvian drama films]]
[[Category:1980s Peruvian films]]
[[Category:1980s Spanish-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Francisco José Lombardi]]
{{Peru-film-stub}}
{{1980s-drama-film-stub}}