Tetro (2009)

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola

Writer:

Francis Ford Coppola (written by)

Release Date:

26 June 2009 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Every Family Has a Secret

Plot:

Bennie travels to Buenos Aires to find his long-missing older brother, a once-promising writer who is now a remnant of his former self. Bennie's discovery of his brother's near-finished play might hold the answer to understanding their shared past and renewing their bond.

Plot Keywords:

Writer | Success | Conductor | Play | Hotel

Cast

Vincent Gallo	...	Tetro
Maribel Verdú	...	Miranda
Alden Ehrenreich	...	Bennie
Klaus Maria Brandauer	...	Carlo
Carmen Maura	...	Alone
Rodrigo De la Serna	...	Jose
Leticia Brédice	...	Josefina
Mike Amigorena	...	Abelardo
Sofía Castiglione	...	Maria Luisa
Francesca De Sapio	...	Amalia
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Adriana Mastrángelo	...	Angela
Silvia Pérez	...	Silvana
Erica Rivas	...	Ana

Directed by
Francis Ford Coppola

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Francis Ford Coppola		written by

Produced by
Francis Ford Coppola	....	producer
Anahid Nazarian	....	executive producer
Fred Roos	....	executive producer
Masa Tsuyuki	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Osvaldo Golijov

Cinematography by
Mihai Malaimare Jr.

Film Editing by
Walter Murch

Production Design by
Sebastián Orgambide

Set Decoration by
Paulina López Meyer

Costume Design by
Cecilia Monti

Makeup Department
Osvaldo Esperón	....	key hair stylist
Norberto Poli	....	makeup artist
Beata Wojtowicz	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Yousaf Bokhari	....	unit production manager: Spain
Helen Marti Donoghue	....	unit manager: Spain
Adriana Rotaru	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sol Aramburu	....	second assistant director
Roman Coppola	....	second unit director
Juan Pablo Laplace	....	first assistant director
Óscar Manero	....	second assistant director: Spain
Mariana Wainstein	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Charly Carnota	....	property master
Javier Gonzalez Duato	....	construction coordinator: Spain
Martín Libert	....	props
Luciana Quartaruolo	....	props

Sound Department
José Caldararo	....	boom operator
Sin Cohen	....	sound mix engineer
Vicente D'Elia	....	sound recordist
Bechen de Loredo	....	foley mixer
Leandro de Loredo	....	supervising sound editor
Federico Esquerro	....	sound editor
Juan Ferro	....	dialogue editor
Mario González	....	adr recordist
Colin Guthrie	....	sound mix engineer
Pete Horner	....	sound re-recording mixer
Walter Murch	....	sound re-recording mixer
Francisco Pedemonte	....	assistant sound editor

Visual Effects by
Kevin Bailey	....	digital compositor (as Kevin N. Bailey)
Ezequiel Borovinsky	....	visual effects
Mario Dubec	....	visual effects artist
Miro Gal	....	senior flame artist
Tomas Hajek	....	digital compositor
Jan Heusler	....	digital compositor
Zuzana Hlavkova	....	digital effects artist
Milos Hudec	....	data operator
Dalibor Janda	....	digital compositor
Tomas Kalhous	....	head of 2D
Tomas Kalhous	....	senior compositor
Pavel Kolar	....	visual effects artist
Vít Komrzý	....	visual effects producer
Jirí Linhart	....	digital effects artist
Petr Masek	....	digital compositor
Juan Pablo Menchon	....	visual effects
Viktor Muller	....	visual effects supervisor
Tomas Munzar	....	visual effects artist: UPP
Robert Pik	....	on set VFX assistant
Katerina Pokorova	....	visual effects coordinator (as Katerina Popelova)
Jiri Stamfest	....	matte artist
Jakub Szilvasi	....	rotoscope artist
Ryan Bozajian	....	visual effects artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Agustin Barrutia	....	best boy electric
Daniel Ciurleo	....	gaffer
Leonardo Hermo	....	assistant camera
Roger Martínez	....	assistant camera: Spain
Miguel Rivarola	....	electrician
Massimo Ruggieri	....	assistant camera
Alicia Schemper	....	still photographer
Cacho Velez	....	key grip

Casting Department
Walter Rippell	....	casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gabriela Minzi	....	costumer
Mariela Rossi	....	costumer
Verónica Scheliemann	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Ezequiel Borovinsky	....	assistant editor
Juan Pablo Menchon	....	assistant editor
Walter Slater Murch	....	associate editor
Jim Passon	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Jeremy Flower	....	music editor
Lev Zhurbin	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Diego Igartua	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Nuria Martín Chucrel	....	production assistant: Spain
Jim Dobson	....	publicist
Frederic Fabrega	....	production staff: Spain
Guillermo Flórez Muñiz	....	production assistant: Spain
Adam Frost	....	production assistant
Fabian Gabelli	....	animal wrangler
Matías Goldberg	....	production assistant
Sebastian Goldberg	....	production assistant
Asia Jarzyna	....	production coordinator: Spain
Ariadna Kramarz	....	production secretary
Carolina Krasñansky	....	post production coordinator
Joaquina Llambias	....	location manager
Amilcar Machado	....	production assistant
Virginia Maillo	....	assistant: director
Paula Massa	....	production coordinator
James T. Mockoski	....	film archivist
Chloe Nataf	....	production secretary
Federico Noejovich	....	location manager
Luciana Olmedo-Wehitt	....	production assistant
Fernando Salem	....	production assistant
Kathleen Talbert	....	unit publicist
Maria Guisado	....	publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• American Zoetrope
• BIM Distribuzione
• Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales (INCAA) (participation)
• Tornasol Films
• Zoetropa

Distributors

• American Zoetrope (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• BIM Distribuzione (2009) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Clap - Produção de Filmes (2009) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Memento Films (2009) (France) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2009) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Alta Films (2009) (Spain) (all media)
• Feelgood Entertainment (2009) (Greece) (all media)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2009) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)

Special Effects

• Universal Production Partners (UPP)
• Wanka Cine & Animacion

Other Companies

• Post Media  special thanks
• Talbert Communications  publicity

Also Known As:

Segreti di famiglia (Italy)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexuality and nudity.

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA | Italy | Spain | Argentina

Language:

English | Spanish | French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:Unrated | Canada:G (Quebec) | USA:R (certificate #45641) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade)

Filming Locations:

Argentina

Company:

American Zoetrope

Trivia:

Originally, the tutor Alone was going to be played by Javier Bardem, but upon revising the script Francis Ford Coppola decided the relationship between Alone and Tetro would be more appealing if it was between a man and a woman, so Alone became a woman played by Carmen Maura.

Quotes:

Tetro: Angelo is dead! You hear me? Angie is dead!

Movie Connections:

References The Tales of Hoffmann (1951)

A welcome opportunity for a rich viewing experience

Even through I had a lowered expectation of "Tetro" from reading some published reviews, I felt a responsibility to my cinema students to see it so I would be in a position to exchange comments with them. Having seen it, my perspective is reinforced that various currently published reviewers have a shallow view of movies, they seem to lack the ability to perceive and enjoy more than linear and obvious story lines and simplified conclusions, and they seem to see movies as solely or at least primarily for distraction not mental engagement, stimulation, and reflection.

"Tetro" starts with heavy under and overtones that grew into an evocative and engaging movie about relationships with nuanced performances and shifting perspectives. The current experiences of its characters are shown in black and white. Part of its attraction is its challenge to discern whether the shifts to color are character memories, representations of character feelings, or whether they are independent poetic distillations of the essence of the earlier event, since they are often representational and sometimes physically operatic. We are left to consider whether in these instances we are seeing through the characters or through an external expressionistic perspective, and whether in some instances they are of one nature and in others another and in some shift between both. This provocative approach respects the audience's intelligence and ability to perceive shifts in reality and perspective and anticipates and hopes that they are able and interested in considering their meaning. It reminded me of the sophistication and challenges offered by movies like "If" and "Blow-Up".

"Tetro" is a movie that presents visual poetry rather than optical stenography. Enhanced, generally realistic but not fully naturalistic lighting and composition adds another layer of meaning to the black and white images in the manner that a painter adds meaning rather than strives for a literal photographic record. This pictorial embellishment is particularly pronounced in the color passages. Through these means skilled performances have subtle qualities added that reflect their essence and amplify or expand upon their meaning.

There are at least a couple of concerns or quibbles I have that leave me a bit short of a rave. "Tetro" is a very worthy and accomplished effort by Francis Ford Coppola that I'm am very glad to have seen and one that I will view again to study and consider. In the same way that my experience and understanding is enriched through not just looking at a masterful painting but inspecting it and seeing it again, a masterful movie can gain in meaning and impact with more than one viewing. "Tetro" has the subtlety and the complexity that will draw me back for further investigation.

"Tetro" is an experience that offers an opportunity and a stimulus for viewers to consider and reflect on the nature of relationships. I found that opportunity interesting and valuable. I recommend it to those who enjoy having their mind not just their adrenalin engaged during and after a movie and those who enjoy works that can warrant and invite further discovery.