The making of an Argentine hero: Martín Fierro

Title: Martín Fierro
Released: 2007

An animated version of José Hernández's epic poem Martín Fierro just hit theaters in Argentina, and perhaps elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking world. While the theater had a good showing of kids, the storyline was definitely for mature audiences, with themes of war, love, and betrayal throughout. The story goes something like this: Martín Fierro is forced to leave his idyllic life on his ranch, and promises his wife and kids he will return within 6 months when he is conscripted to join the revolutionary army and fight Indians on the northern border of Argentina. Life in the army is hard, and directly clashes with Martín Fierro's fierce gaucho independence. After a clash with the Indians, Fierro defects and goes back to his ranch where he hopes to find his family waiting and dreams of going back to the way things were. They, however, are not.

The Spanish seemed to be very authentic to the gaucho, which is to say we didn't understand a lot of it, with its thick and closed-mouthed accent and use of slang. The animated style was no Pixar: it layered the simply-drawn, rugged characters on top of a more textured, complex landscape background, a perfect complement to the rugged life the Gaucho lived in a vast open country. The art was designed by well-known Argentine cartoonist, Roberto Fontanarrosa, who also co-wrote the script but passed away before the film was released.

This is a great interpretation of one of Argentina's most famous works of literature: one that helped change the image of the Argentine gaucho from a rugged savage to a national symbol of independence.