The title of the movie is usually translated "A Bully in 1900" but more accurate would be "A Thug from 1900." It is based on a play by one of Argentina's most important playwrights, who also collaborated on this screenplay adaptation. The story concerns a political thug who carries out dirty tricks for one of Argentina's major political parties (which is not named). The film shows Argentine politics as driven by aristocratic cliques who have no real regard for democracy. Clearly, director Leopoldo Torre Nilsson intended the film as an allegory of his own times, when the country had elections but the Peronist party was outlawed. Alfredo Alcón seethes with intensity in the title role. The overall style is dark, dramatic, and expressive. A gripping picture, likely to be of even more interest to folks from Argentina.
