Life in rural Argentina is devoid of the glamour usually associated with Buenos Aires. In this story we are introduced to a couple of families who appear to be tenant farmers, and caretakers, in two separate locales; they work the land under precarious circumstances. There is Pichon, a single father, whose boy, Ladeado, shows a cruelty that is unusual for a lad of his age, which in that setting probably goes with the territory.
The other family consists of Poldo and Alejandra; they have a young girl of about eight years, Nati, that has become mute. Nati tends to take off her clothing whenever she is upset about something. Her mother, Alejandra who is having an illicit affair with Pichon, has no problems letting her daughter see her when she is having sex. Ladeado, on th other hand, is beaten by Pichon; he even walks with a limp, caused perhaps by one of the thrashings from his own father. The two youngsters are suffering from mental disturbances that perhaps they cannot understand, much less control; both have been damaged by the actions of their parents.
"La rabia" is a difficult film to sit through. Its director, Albertina Carri, shows she doesn't believe in the usual society norms, as she demonstrates in this movie that, in addition, shows in graphic detail the killing of animals. One can understand it is somewhat expected when living in the country living to witness the slaughter of a hog, but Ms. Carri asks too much of her audience by doing it right in front of the viewer's eyes. Ms. Carri seems to love pornography to illustrate her point of view, or perhaps shock her audiences so they pay attention to what really is going on. In addition to the raw sex, the director intersperses animated sketches to underscore an idea that goes on in Nati's mind.
Sol Lopatin, the cinematographer offers an interesting take on the pampas, mainly in sunsets with its vivid colors. The animated sections are by Manuel Barenboim. This film, no doubt, shows it was only meant to be seen by few selected crowds because of its explicit content, but Ms. Carri shows, like other women directors from Argentina, an unique talent for presenting uncompromising material on the big screen.
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