Matapanki

Bluesky

Ricardo (Ramón Gálvez) is just an ordinary disaffected teenage Chilean punk, but one day he sips a mysterious alcoholic drink, the legendary matapanki, at a party, and an amazing transformation occurs. Thereafter, whenever he consumes his favourite liquor, he feels confident that he can take on anybody.

Does this experience sound familiar? Let’s face it – many of us have experienced something similar. We know it’s for real with Ricardo, though, because when his fists make contact, the film’s grainy black and white gives way to brightly coloured lines. But as his beloved abuela tells him, “With great power comes great responsibility.” His friends point out that he always used to talk about smashing the state and putting the world to rights. Why is it that now he seems to be changing his tune?

With extensive reference to the brave protestors who took to the streets to stand up to Pinochet in Chile’s past, the film sees scientists experimenting with the energy of the punk warriors who defend their people, seeking to extract it so that it can be given to others. Ricardo was apparently born with the fighting gene, which puts him in their sights. Everybody seems to see something in him that he doesn’t see in himself. When he gives heroism a try, he accidentally terrifies the woman he’s trying to help. Nevertheless, he finds himself carried along on a current of others’ expectations. When those closest to him are in danger, his feelings begin to change.

The film is a bit of a victim of circumstances, with its final fight now seeming less conceptually ludicrous than it did when it was shot - real world events have caught up with it. Its utter disregard for making actors resemble the type of character they’re supposed to playing serves it well here, however, and its geopolitical observations still hit home, albeit in a slightly more disturbing way. The bathetic humour juxtaposed with the hype of the climax adds to both its impact and its charm.

There’s a natural home at Fantasia for films of this ilk, and Matapanki was a hit with the audience, but the energy of it, combined with Gálvez’s endearing performance, means it’s likely to work well in any environment, on screens big or small. It wears its heart on its sleeve and it’s all the better for that.

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