Political Science

One might fairly compare Alicias perspective to a student first being introduced to the Argentinean military repression and authoritarian style of government.  In the same way that a new student is shocked to learn of the methods used to maintain power and the horrible consequences, so too does Alicia begins in a relatively ignorant or nave state before experiencing a profound transformation in terms of his perspectives and feelings.  Alicia, to be sure, becomes progressively enlightened as the movie develops.  She transforms from a naive state to one of shocked disbelief, then to a painful type of realization that what she had preciously believed was untrue, and finally to a sense of outrage and angry embarrassment about the state of affairs in Argentina.  Her character illustrates a couple of salient features of the human being.  First, despite atrocities occurring all around, people can remain honestly ignorant and base their perspectives on false premises.  Second, it demonstrates that military oppressors can benefit by cultivating this type of ignorance in order to supplement their other brutal measures.  It is not always easy to realize that one exists in a repressive state, as Alicias early character demonstrates, and this counsels that people should be vigilant about preventing any movement toward authoritarianism in government before it becomes too deeply rooted as was the case in Argentina.

Her friend, Anna, has been tortured in particularly bad ways and abused for nothing more than living with an allegedly subversive person.  She has been so violated and psychologically hurt that she has left her home and has steadfastly refused to become involved in any battles against the repressive military state.  She represents the horrible physical and emotional suffering that results from repressive regimes.  Conversely, and a cruel irony throughout the movie, Alicias husband has always been intimately informed and well aware of what was happening throughout Argentina and he has benefited personally and economically.  His perspective is therefore influenced by the diverse political, social and economic benefits associated with supporting and participating to some extant in the repressive military regime.  Roberto truly illustrates how human greed and a quest for power can subvert ideals associated with social justice and be used as a superseding type of excuse for morally reprehensible acts.  These types of benefits for Roberto, as the movie portrays them, are more important than even his own family members.  Gaby, the adopted girl, is seemingly lost and one wonders whether she might share the same fate as Anna or Alicia. She represents the social dislocations caused by repressive military rule and the future victims.  Her perspective was one of not belonging, not being allowed to belong, and perhaps functioning as the symbolic voice of those whom the movie was intended to remember and lament.

The fate of Alicias family did not appear especially hopeful.  While the movie ended with her leaving, there was no definitive conclusion.  A couple of predictions, however, can be made.  First, it is improbably that she will ever reconcile with her husband.  She was heatedly opposed to his social ideology, to his philosophical convictions, and she had been physically and emotionally abused.  Second, it is also unlikely that she would allow Gaby to grow up in such a household.  It is entirely plausible to imagine that she will attempt to run away, that Roberto will as a consequence become angry and vengeful, and that he will therefore attempt to have Alicia and Gaby murdered.  Such a series of events would be consistent with the character of a man devoted to the conservative military regime.

The movie tells us much about the legacy of military rule.  First, there are many victims.  The victims might have suffered death, torture, and the loss of loved ones.   Second, even families can be divided in environments where repressive military rule prevails.  Roberto, for example, refused to attempt to harmonize his pro-military opinions with those of his wife, his father, and his brother.  Families are victims, too.  Finally, there seems to be no middle-ground quite the contrary, individuals become polarized and a sort of extremism seems to develop in which violence is used to solve disagreements.  These would seem to be some of more visible consequences of a repressive military rule.