...A Valparaíso

In the 20th century, many artists and intellectuals were drawn to Communism, especially in the interbellum, in which the Dutch director Joris Ivens learnt to express himself through films and documentaries. He travelled the world, making many documentaries in mostly communist territories, often requested by the Communist party in designated regions, but Ivens often withheld his integrity in all aspects of the making. ...A Valparaíso (1963) is a visual, poetic travelogue of an outsider vocalising his views on a once important city and signals how all the people, their lives, the construction of the city on the hills, and the huge amount of connected stairs, provdide a social commentary and even hope, as the documentary changes from black and white to colour.The documentary combines elements of communistic and social viewpoints with neo-realism, poetry and a place amidst the Nuevo Cine Chileno movement of the 1960s.

The documentary was a Chilean-French co-production. For the montage and music, French money was spent on an editor and an orchestra, conducted by Georges Delerue, while the original score was composed by Chilean Gustavo Becerra (Schmidt, who later migrated to Eastern Germany). The composer was an important voice in Chile, writing classical, film, and aleatoric music, but also popular songs, while teaching at a university. It is almost all evident in his score for Al Paraiso, but is deficient in experimentation.

...A Valparaíso opens and closes with an unnecessary (written by whom?) French chanson called 'Nous irons à Valparaiso' performed by Germaine Montero. Its original score employs a full orchestra and solo instruments. In its social commentary, the music explores a fairly light, whimsical idea often expressed through 'Chilean' guitar rhythm, prying woodwinds, strings, harp, and a xylophone, underscoring all the realistic and positive sides of this travelogue. Instead, some (disguised) subdued music, crafts the overarching, complicated social issues through mournful emotions, is addressed through all these instruments, now also including brass soloists. Several short musical cues are clear detached, parralel scoring examples, but they are unnaturally unobtrusive and still serve their purpose in the poetic overall intent of the travelogue, only just less aptly.

As described, levelling in between two concepts, with some additional singular and erratic musical moments, the original score responds to the new wave of Chilean cinema and the strengths of Ivens' social commentary through an excellent travelogue. Becerra and Ivens would collaborate once more on the 1964 Le Train de la victoire short documentary, covering the elections in Chile.


(14-10-2026)