The Last Moments of Leopoldo Berenguer begin at the end. A president is at his office with his closest advisors. The palace is in chaos, there’s gunfire everywhere, and the revolutionaries are coming for him. As his staff ponders over what needs to be done, Leopoldo argues that this is not his final moment.
This film was based on a French play by Eugène Ionesco titled Exit The King. While the play is a lengthy narrative that features several personalities, The Last Moments of Leopoldo Berenguer is shorter and to the point, and features only a few. But the film mirrors the same themes and points of the original: the emotional battle of a personage who refuses to accept his reality and inevitable death, and his journey towards slow though hesitant acquiescence. Overall, this short film is dramatic, yet with a touch of thoughtfulness and a hint of historical rebellion.
The film is a little slow, but there are several little touches that give it flair. Justo, for example, is interesting as a character, and his little patronizing speeches are great as a contrast to those of Leopoldo’s supposedly loyal subjects. Moreover, the man’s desperation for his preferred ending provides an interesting backdrop for his sad reality. I do wonder how it will feel like to be abandoned by everyone, and everything, during those last few moments.
(The Last Moments of Leopoldo Berenguer is available on Vimeo with English subtitles. Click here to watch a film about a woman trying to reach a man imprisoned like Leopoldo was. Click here for a film about a man’s last words. And click here for a link to Ionesco’s Exit The King play.)
The Last Moments of Leopoldo Berenguer from jaime dezca on Vimeo
