That Forward Center Died at Dawn
| That Forward Center Died at Dawn | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | René Mugica |
| Written by | Agustín Cuzzani Agustín Cuzzani (play) |
| Starring | Arturo Arcari |
| Cinematography | Ricardo Younis |
| Edited by | Atilio Rinaldi |
Release date |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | Argentina |
| Language | Spanish |
That Forward Center Died at Dawn (Spanish: El centroforward murió al amanecer) is a 1961 Argentine drama film, adapted by Agustín Cuzzani from his play of the same name.[1] It was directed by René Mugica[2] and was entered into the 1961 Cannes Film Festival.[3]
Plot
"Cacho" Garibaldi, skillful soccer player, is bought by a millionaire named Lupus and in a stormy night moves to his mansion: a combination of palace, fortress and prison. There he learns that Lupus is a collector of exceptional human beings and that the player is not allowed to leave or play football ever again.
Cacho falls in love with another prisoner, a dancer, and they try to escape. They fail and Cacho ends up killing Lupus and getting shot by the guards.
Cast
- Arturo Arcari
- Didi Carli
- Camilo Da Passano
- Pierina Dealessi
- Francisco Pablo Donadio
- Enrique Fava
- Félix Daniel Frascara
- Lalo Hartich
- Roberto Maidana
- Víctor Martucci
- Luis Medina Castro: Cacho Garibaldi
- Javier Portales
- Raúl Rossi: Lupus
- Eduardo Vargas
Reception
The film was described as "an incisive chronicle of the sports world".[4]
In Angels With Dirty Faces, Jonathan Wilson wrote: "It is a strange, partially allegorical work that features a millionaire who buys artists and scientists in order to breed them and better the species."[5]
Legacy
The presentation of a screening at the Museum of Latino-American of Buenos Aires stated: "The libertarian spirit of Agustín Cuzzani's work, surrealist in the Creole style, was transferred to the cinema in an exemplary way by Mugica".[6] The same source states it is the director's masterpiece.[6]
References
- ^ Canal, Carlos Marañón (21 October 2022). Barullo en el área: El fútbol en 50 películas fundamentales. Editorial UOC. ISBN 978-84-9180-970-8.
- ^ Peña, Fernando (1993). René Mugica (in Spanish). Centro Editor de América Latina. ISBN 978-950-25-3164-9.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: That Forward Center Dies at Dawn". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
- ^ Plazaola, Luis Trelles (1989). South American Cinema: Dictionary of Film Makers. La Editorial, UPR. ISBN 978-0-8477-2011-8.
- ^ Wilson, Jonathan (11 August 2016). Angels With Dirty Faces: The Footballing History of Argentina. Orion. ISBN 978-1-4091-4444-1.
- ^ a b "El centroforward murió al amanecer Malba". malba.org.ar. Retrieved 27 February 2025.