Time for Revenge

Tiempo de revancha
Tiempo de revancha
	Spanish language theatrical poster
Directed by	Adolfo Aristarain
Written by	Adolfo Aristarain
Produced by	Héctor Olivera; Luis O. Repetto
Starring	Federico Luppi; Haydée Padilla; Julio De Grazia; Ulises Dumont; Aldo Barbero; Enrique Liporace; Arturo Maly; Rodolfo Ranni
Cinematography	Horacio Maira
Edited by	Eduardo López
Music by	Emilio Kauderer
Production; company	Aries Cinematográfica Argentina
Distributed by	Aries Cinematográfica Argentina; Televicine International
Release date	30 July 1981;
Running time	112 min.
Country	Argentina
Language	Spanish

Tiempo de revancha (English language: Time for Revenge) is a 1981 Argentine political thriller film written and directed by Adolfo Aristarain and starring Federico Luppi, Julio De Grazia, Haydée Padilla, and Ulises Dumont. It was produced by Héctor Olivera and Luis O. Repetto. The music was composed by Emilio Kauderer. The film premiered in Argentina on July 30, 1981, and won 10 awards, including the Silver Condor for Best Film and Best Film (ex aequo) in the Montréal World Film Festival.^[1]

Tiempo de revancha is not only considered as a classic in Latin American cinema and a cult film, but also as a powerful allegory that deals directly with Argentina's last civil-military dictatorship, which was still ruling the country when it was released.^[2]

It was selected as the fifth greatest Argentine film of all time in a poll conducted by the Museo del Cine Pablo Ducrós Hicken in 1984, while it ranked 9th in the 2000 edition.^[3] In a new version of the survey organized in 2022 by the specialized magazines La vida util, Taipei and La tierra quema, presented at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival, the film reached the 3 position.^[4]

Synopsis

Pedro Bengoa, an ex-union organizing demolition worker, and Bruno Di Toro, an old friend of his, decide to blackmail the corrupt company they work for. They set up a fake accident in a copper pit, in which Di Toro pretends to have been struck mute as a consequence of an explosion, and Pedro would corroborate his story. During the explosion things don't go as planned and Di Toro loses his life, leaving Pedro to continue the plan on his own, still pretending to be mute. However, when the company finally agrees to a financial settlement, Pedro refuses to accept; he now wants only justice, and his case goes to the courts. This event changes Pedro's life forever.