Historical Baggage, and the Andean Landscape in La cordillera (2017) by Santiago Mitre

Abstract

In The Summit (2017), director Santiago Mitre continues his career-long exploration of contemporary political themes by way of Hernán Blanco, a character who is at the beginning of his term as president of Argentina and is preparing for his first leaders' summit at a hotel atop the Andes. As the political negotiations of the summit unfold, Blanco's son-in-law and daughter cause a family crisis that threatens his reputation. Finding himself under tremendous pressure, Blanco's personal and professional relationships become strained, and the President gradually detaches himself from colleagues and family. The plot of this thriller alternates between the president's professional and personal life. As both aspects come together, Blanco’s actions are guided by his unbridled ambition, leading the spectator to question his morals and wonder how far he will go to benefit himself.

Drawing on the work of Martin Lefebvre (2011), I describe how the cinematic representation of the mountain range supports Blanco's progressive isolation. Using wide-angle shots and highly illuminated images, Mitre presents an uninhabited, inhospitable landscape that surrounds and isolates the characters of this film, echoing the protagonists' emotional state. Subsequently, I look to Harper and Rayner’s (2010) work Cinema and Landscape to guide my reflections on the Andes' role in Latin America's history, how they are part of the viewer's cultural baggage, and how this informs their understanding of Blanco. Finally, within the context of this discussion of the role of landscape in the film, I delve into its political commentary.