You know, I had a feeling that this was going to be a good movie. It just had that vibe. Barreda is a surprisingly gripping and emotional thriller/drama based on true events. As always, it’s better to first watch the movie and then check out what really happened. We will be following events both before and after Ricardo Barreda’s murder spree, including the heinous act itself. This is a crime that shook Argentina to its core back in the early nineties, so not that long ago. Actually, the term shook might be wrong here, as this crime brought out both the best and the worst in the people. Now, more than thirty years later, we can take a sobering look at these events. Take a sobering look and realize that nothing has fucking changed. I will talk about this a bit later. For now, I want to go over the basics.
Barreda opens with Ricardo sitting in court during his trial, after he was arrested. We will go back and forth between the trial and the events leading up to the murders. Director Daniela Goggi brilliantly avoids any emotional manipulation and melodrama, focusing on the facts. This leaves us completely free to study what exactly happened here and why. I have to admit that the only Argentinian actor I know is Ricardo DarÃn (El Secreto de sus Ojos). However, I will remember the name Luis MachÃn after this movie. His portrayal of Ricardo Barreda was simply stunning. Especially when you watch the real footage and see his mannerisms. Carla Peterson and Mercedes Morán were just as good as Gladys and Elena.
As a true crime fan and someone who has seen a lot of movies like this, I wasn’t expecting anything special. I know that this is going to sound a bit emotionless and downright offensive, but the case itself seemed like another family annihilator affair. Only without kids as victims. As soon as I laid my eyes on Ricardo, I got this uneasy feeling in my gut. I felt an incredible urge to just punch him in the face. And this was way before he did anything. He’s such a little whiny, pathetic, horrible, little, how did he say they called him, little pussy (conchita). Just an unbearably obnoxious person who makes everyone’s lives around him miserable. You know those people who light up the room? Well, he fucking darkens it.
I have met people like that. When I was younger, I didn’t really think about them. I just avoided them, but if that guy is your father, you can’t fucking avoid him. Then I realized just how lucky I was; my father wasn’t like that. Take a second to think about your own family and your own experiences with people like this. It took me a while to realize what was irritating me so much about this guy, Barreda. And then I think I figured it out. He wasn’t crazy; he did not go crazy, and he did not absolutely plan this in advance. Moreover, there was no grand scheme! He wasn’t going to flee the country, shack up with his mistress, or anything like that. In fact, I think that his plan was one of the most outrageous I have ever seen.
He wanted everybody to know that he murdered them, and he wanted everybody to acknowledge that it was the right thing to do! Just a man who had had enough and had to do something. In reality, this arrogant piece of shit thought that his family was his property and that he was entitled to full control over them. It’s this arrogance and hubris and utter, unshakeable belief that he was doing the right thing despite it clearly being the wrongest thing anyone could ever do. And there was nothing we could do about it. This is what bothered me so much. The damage is done, and nothing will bring those poor people back. With all of this said, it’s time to talk about the trial and the reaction of the people of Argentina. I want to make something very clear: this could’ve happened anywhere, as we’re all alike.
Replace Argentina with any of the states or countries you know, and you’ll see what I mean. During Ricardo Barreda’s trial, he had a surprisingly strong group of not just followers but worshipers! They even printed out pictures of him as a saint, Saint Barreda. Remember, this is before the popularization of the Internet, forums, 4chan, and other sites. We now know that mass murderers receive the same positive treatment in the darkest and most depraved parts of the Internet. Finally, to get back to Barreda’s popularity, I think a large part of it was banter, not actual approval. Something more akin to dark, edgy humor among the male populace. I’m not minimizing it, just putting it into perspective. What are your thoughts on this? Let me know down in the comments section.
Director: Daniela Goggi
Writers: Juan Cavoti, Daniela Goggi, Josefina Licitra, Tamara Talesnik, Donna Tefa
Cast: Luis MachÃn, Carla Peterson, Mercedes Morán, Maite Lanata, Margarita Páez, Paola Barrientos
Fun Facts: The development of the movie Barreda: Husband, father, Murderer began back in 2020. Initially, the project was to create a docu-drama but since pivoted to a regular movie format.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt43706402/
