Neruda: The Anti-Biopic

Chile’s official foreign language entry for the Academy Awards this year is Pablo Larraín’s Neruda, but those expecting a simple biopic on the Chilean poet will be in for a surprise. Neruda stars Luis Gnecco as the writer in exile, and adds a new character in Gael García Bernal’s Inspector Oscar Peluchonneau. As Neruda traverses the world with his wife, he risks their safety to leave clues for the inspector, turning his persecution into a global spectacle and using the opportunity to become a symbol for freedom.

First debuting at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Neruda was released in Chile in August 2016 and is set for American and French releases in December and January, respectively. As an international collaboration between Chile, Argentina, France, Spain, and the United States, it's highly likely the film will be reaching more countries in due time.

Neruda is not a biopic, though it is informed by biography. But what Larraín makes clear throughout the film is that “who the artist is—any artist—is less important than what they inspire: to give voice to the powerless, and arouse the senses, is the ultimate gift to the masses.”

The trailer is available here.