KM 72

Venezuela, 2015, 94 minutes, Colour.
Frank Spano, George Akram, Marco Antonio Alcala, Indra Santamaria, Jesus Nunes.
Directed by Samuel Henriques.

This is a police drama from Venezuela, with settings in the capital, Caracas.

A millionaire has been killed and the police go to investigate. One of the police is corrupt and tries to track down the rich man’s bodyguard and get the briefcase which has been stolen from the open safe.

However, the film focuses on the bodyguard himself, his police and driving background, his loyalty to his boss. When he comes to the house and finds his boss dead, he confronts the three people in the house, an exploitative magician, a young woman from a bar, the dead man’s son. He confronts them verbally and physically – and the film shows the three versions of the rich man’s death.

The bodyguard has taken the briefcase and buried it at a special place designated by his boss. When the corrupt policeman finds the bodyguard, threatens him with injury to his mother to whom he is devoted, and gets the briefcase it is full of ping-pong balls.

Memories of Kurosawa’s Rashomon with a variety of versions of the same story.

1. A film from Venezuela? Local themes? Universal?

2. The settings, Caracas, the streets, the homes, police precincts?

3. A police drama, investigation?

4. A crime drama, the murders, the police inspecting, the corrupt officer and his search for the briefcase, shooting the driver?

5. The various time shifts? The three versions of the killing?

6. The police at the scene, the audience seeing the dead people, hearing some of the background?

7. The bodyguard, the background of his story, the police, driving, 10 years, in himself, his care for his mother and concern for her health, the rich man as a father figure, his loyalty? Meeting the son at the airport? Resenting him? Finding the rich man dead, confronting each of the three suspects?

8. The bodyguard, his control, the visualising of the three stories, each of the characters in the different version of the background of what happened? Killing? Suicide? The bodyguard and his torture, killing the suspects?

9. The magician, his background, justifying himself, the woman, the son, the clashes, power, the briefcase? The woman and the killing?

10. The woman, and the clubs, being picked up, the later coincidences, the car, the drive, in the home, tantalising the man – and his shooting himself?

11. The son, his story, relationship with his father, defending him?

12. The bodyguard, getting the briefcase, burying it at KM 72?

13. The corrupt policeman, the briefcase, the ping-pong balls? The interactions with the police chief?

14. Crime, investigation, interpretation?