On the rigour of storytelling. About Invasión (Hugo Santiago, 1969)

Abstract

The article analyses a film transposing a substantial part of Jorge Luis Borges’ universe while casting a new light on notions such as «political cinema», «epic» and «fantastique». A literary universe meets a refined vision of the art of cinematography derived directly from the teachings of Robert Bresson to propose an improbable encounter between the most refined asceticism and the strictest cultism. Invasión demands a spectator who does not shy away from understanding that the most classic is the most modern, and that transfers between the literary and cinematographic universes are only possible if one has first comprehended what is shared by both worlds. Invasión, a modern classic, is a film that is as European as it is Latin American, as porteño as it is universal.