THE BATTLE OF CHILE: Part II
Director: Patricio Guzmán Run Time: 88 min. Release Year: 1976 Language: Spanish
Starring: Abilio Fernández, Augusto Pinochet, Salvador Allende
The Coup d’Etat (88 minutes) opens with the attempted military coup of June, 1973 which is put down by troops loyal to the government. It serves as a useful dry run, however, for the final showdown, that everyone now realizes is coming. The film shows a left divided over strategy, while the right methodically lays the groundwork for the military seizure of power. The film’s dramatic concluding sequence documents the coup d’etat, including Allende’s last radio messages to the people of Chile, footage of the military assault on the presidential palace, and that evening’s televised presentation of the new military junta.