White Elephant (2012)

Directed by: Pablo Trapero
Country: Argentina / Spain / France

Review: “White Elephant” depicts the paths taken by two priests while on mission in a poor and dangerous slum of Buenos Aires. Accurately photographed by Guillermo Nieto, the film shows the frightful conditions lived by the inhabitants of the village. Most of the population lives outraged without a decent home, protesting against governmental injustices, and involved in violence, drug consumption, and criminal gangs. Ricardo Darin and Jeremie Renier constructed their characters with sincerity, showing the constant struggle among external concerns and internal dilemmas. This is a story about the courage and determination of two men who abandoned a comfortable life to dedicate themselves to the less fortunate, becoming exposed to different kinds of dangers. Its noble principle is here dispersed on other themes such as faith, love, sacrifice, and sin, from a Christian perspective. Though likeable and interesting, some scenes didn’t put all the excitement possible, evincing some difficulties on maintaining an easy flow and denoting some ups and downs in the narrative. This clerical-narcotraffic interaction achieved its purposes, not with distinctiveness but in a satisfactory way, making us realize how wounded these souls become by witnessing so much misery.