In this sense, the film is rather formulaic. By film’s end, it is clear that Ed and Beth will bond, and that Charles will turn up dead, as did another of his American friends. Formula almost always mitigates against higher art, but, if done well enough, the art can be good and compelling, and this film is. Shea is quite good in his role, and Spacek shows her acting chops to the full extent. The rest of the cast, from secondary roles (government apparatchiks, reporters, Chilean locals) to the Mexican Army extras, are merely adequate. It should be noted that Costa-Gavras never formally identifies the nation as Chile, nor the coup as Pinochet’s, but by film’s end, mentions of Santiago (Chile’s capital) become numerous, and the connections are not logically avoidable.
The DVD comes in a two disk edition, and the film is in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio; although there really was not a need for a second disk, since the first disk has only the film and a theatrical trailer. In this day and age, and barring the explicit refusal of the director (or his heirs) to allow a commentary track, this oversight is simply unacceptable. The very reason DVDs came to displace VHS tapes — other than the hassle of rewinding — is so people could listen to commentaries. Many a mediocre film has been able to get a favorable notice in the DVD format due to a good audio commentary.
Yet, after switching over to their new C logo, The Criterion Collection has released an alarmingly high number of titles that lack an audio commentary. Yes, economic times are tough, but being parsimonious on the basics is not a way to reward customer loyalty. The second disk has all the other extra features, and they are quite good. There are a number of video interviews. The one with Costa-Gavras is the best, because it is centered on the film, not the political aspects. The interview with Joyce Horman (called Beth in the film) is therefore not as compelling. Yes, I don’t begrudge her her right to drone on about her husband’s murder, but that does not obligate me to recommend a viewer subject themselves to such.
The film’s producers, Edward and Mildred Lewis, provide some insight into the politics of filmmaking, and writer Thomas Hauser, whose book The Execution Of Charles Horman provided the basics of the film, is solid as well. One good point learned is that Costa-Gavras deliberately recast the film as a father-son drama rather than an examination of the Pinochet coup. There is also a clip of interviews from the 1982 Cannes Film Festival, where Ed Horman, Jack Lemmon, Costa-Gavras, and Joyce Horman are interviewed. It’s rather standard fare. So is the interview with journalist Peter Kornbluh, who documented the coup and Horman's case. Again, only if one is a CIA or Cold War buff would I recommend sitting through that feature.
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