The May Revolution
"El primer film argumental argentino"
Plot
The May Revolution depicts the pivotal events of May 1810 in Buenos Aires when Argentine patriots began their struggle for independence from Spanish colonial rule. The film chronicles the week of May 18-25, 1810, showing the popular uprising against Spanish Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros and the establishment of the Primera Junta (First Junta). Key historical figures including Cornelio Saavedra, Mariano Moreno, and Juan José Castelli are portrayed as they navigate the political turmoil and lead the revolutionary movement. The narrative captures the tension in the Cabildo (town hall) meetings, the open cabildo where citizens demanded change, and the eventual transfer of power from Spanish authorities to the newly formed local government. The film culminates with the swearing-in of the Primera Junta, marking the birth of Argentine independence and the end of Spanish colonial dominance in the region.
Director
About the Production
Filmed using primitive hand-cranked cameras, the production faced significant technical challenges including the need for natural lighting and the inability to record sound. The film was shot on location at actual historical sites, which was revolutionary for the time. Director Mario Gallo, an Italian immigrant, brought European cinematic techniques to Argentine cinema, using multiple camera angles and location shooting rather than the static studio shots common in early cinema. The production involved hundreds of extras to recreate the revolutionary crowds, making it one of the most ambitious film productions in Latin America at the time.
Historical Background
The film was produced during Argentina's centennial celebrations in 1910, a period of immense national pride and economic prosperity known as the 'Golden Age' of Argentina. The country had experienced massive European immigration and rapid modernization, with Buenos Aires becoming one of the world's great cities. This context of national celebration and confidence made the timing perfect for a film celebrating Argentina's revolutionary origins. The May Revolution of 1810 was the foundational event of Argentine nationhood, marking the beginning of the struggle for independence from Spain. In 1910, Argentina was positioning itself as a major world power, and cinema was seen as a modern medium that could help establish national identity and cultural prestige. The film emerged just 15 years after the invention of cinema, when motion pictures were transitioning from novelty attractions to a legitimate art form capable of telling complex stories.
Why This Film Matters
La Revolución de Mayo represents the birth of Argentine national cinema and established the historical epic as a cornerstone genre in Latin American film. Its creation marked Argentina's emergence as one of the early pioneers of cinema outside Europe and North America. The film demonstrated that cinema could be used to construct and reinforce national identity, using the medium to educate citizens about their history and values. It pioneered the use of local historical subject matter rather than imitating European or American themes, establishing a model for national cinemas across Latin America. The film's success proved that Argentine audiences would support locally produced content, encouraging the development of a domestic film industry that would become one of the most important in Spanish-speaking America. Its approach to depicting national history influenced countless subsequent Argentine films and established the historical drama as a vehicle for exploring national identity and political themes.
Making Of
Mario Gallo, an Italian filmmaker who had worked in Europe before emigrating to Argentina, assembled a cast of theater actors led by Eliseo Gutiérrez and César Fiaschi, who were prominent figures in Buenos Aires' theatrical scene. The production faced numerous technical challenges typical of early cinema, including the need for bright natural sunlight for adequate exposure, which limited shooting times. Gallo employed innovative techniques for the era, including location shooting at historically significant sites rather than studio sets, and attempted to create realistic crowd scenes using local citizens as extras. The film was shot on 35mm film using hand-cranked cameras, requiring careful coordination between the director and camera operator. The production team had to recreate historical costumes and props from scratch, as no professional costume houses existed in Argentina at the time. The film's editing was particularly sophisticated for 1910, using cross-cutting between different locations to build tension during the revolutionary scenes.
Visual Style
The cinematography was typical of early silent film era, using static camera positions with occasional pans to follow action. The film was shot in black and white on 35mm film using hand-cranked cameras, which resulted in variable frame rates. Natural lighting was used exclusively, as artificial lighting equipment was primitive and expensive. The filmmakers took advantage of Buenos Aires' bright sunlight and outdoor locations to achieve adequate exposure. The visual style emphasized historical authenticity through the use of actual locations like the Plaza de Mayo and Cabildo. Composition followed theatrical conventions, with actors positioned in tableaus reminiscent of stage productions. Despite technical limitations, the cinematography successfully captured the scale of the revolutionary crowds and the grandeur of the historical settings.
Innovations
La Revolución de Mayo pioneered several technical achievements for Argentine cinema, including being the first to use multiple locations for shooting rather than studio sets. The production employed innovative editing techniques for the time, including cross-cutting between different locations to build narrative tension. The film's use of large crowd scenes with hundreds of extras was unprecedented in Argentine cinema and required complex coordination. The filmmakers developed techniques for shooting in public spaces, managing crowds, and maintaining continuity across different locations. The production also demonstrated early mastery of historical recreation, with detailed costumes and props created specifically for the film. These technical innovations established a foundation for the Argentine film industry and influenced subsequent productions throughout Latin America.
Music
As a silent film, La Revolución de Mayo had no recorded soundtrack. During theatrical screenings, the film would have been accompanied by live music, typically a pianist or small orchestra in the more prestigious theaters. The musical accompaniment would have included popular Argentine songs of the era, classical pieces, and patriotic music to enhance the emotional impact of the revolutionary scenes. Some theaters may have used the Argentine national anthem or other patriotic songs during key moments of the film. The lack of synchronized sound meant that intertitles were used to convey dialogue and narrative information, though many of these have been lost along with the footage. The musical experience would have varied significantly between different theaters based on the quality of musicians available.
Did You Know?
- This was the very first narrative fiction film produced in Argentina, marking the birth of Argentine cinema
- The film was released to coincide with Argentina's centennial celebrations of the May Revolution of 1810
- Director Mario Gallo was an Italian immigrant who brought cinema expertise to Argentina
- Only fragments of the original film are believed to survive today, with most footage lost to time
- The film used actual historical locations in Buenos Aires, including the real Plaza de Mayo and Cabildo
- It was one of the first films in Latin America to depict historical events rather than everyday scenes
- The production involved over 200 actors and extras, unprecedented for Argentine cinema at the time
- The film's success led to a boom in Argentine film production in the 1910s
- Contemporary newspapers reported that audiences were moved to tears seeing their national history on screen
- The film was initially called just 'Revolución de Mayo' but later became known as 'La Revolución de Mayo'
What Critics Said
Contemporary critics in Buenos Aires newspapers praised the film as a monumental achievement for Argentine culture. La Prensa called it 'a triumph of national art' while La Nación described it as 'moving and educational, bringing our glorious history to life for all Argentines.' Critics particularly noted the ambitious scale of the production and the emotional impact of seeing national heroes portrayed on screen. Modern film historians consider it a foundational work of Latin American cinema, though they note that its technical limitations reflect the primitive state of filmmaking in 1910. The film is studied today more for its historical importance than its artistic merits, as most of the footage has been lost. Recent scholarship has reevaluated the film as an important example of how cinema was used to construct national identity in newly independent nations.
What Audiences Thought
The film was enormously popular with Argentine audiences, particularly during the centennial celebrations when patriotic sentiment was at its peak. Contemporary reports describe packed theaters and emotional reactions from viewers, many of whom were seeing their national history depicted on film for the first time. The film ran for extended periods in Buenos Aires theaters and was also shown in other Argentine cities, helping to establish cinema as a legitimate form of entertainment and education across the country. Audience members reportedly wept during scenes depicting the revolutionary heroes and cheered during the establishment of the Primera Junta. The film's success proved that Argentine audiences would embrace locally produced content with national themes, encouraging further investment in the domestic film industry. The emotional connection audiences felt to seeing their history dramatized helped establish cinema as a powerful medium for national storytelling.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- European historical epics
- Italian historical films
- Stage theatrical productions
- Historical paintings
- National literature
- Political theater
- European cinema techniques
This Film Influenced
- Amalia
- 1914
- ,
- La Guerra Gaucha
- 1942
- ,
- Los últimos días de la víctima
- 1982
- ,
- Camila
- 1984
- ,
- Miss Mary
- 1986
- ,
- Man Facing Southeast
- 1986
- ,
- Tango
- 1998
- ],
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- The Birth of a Nation,1915,,,Intolerance,1916,,,Napoleon,1927,,,Ten Days That Shook the World,1928,,,Battleship Potemkin,1925,,,The General Line,1929,],,famousQuotes,¡Viva la Patria! ¡Viva la Independencia! (Long live the Homeland! Long live Independence!),El pueblo quiere saber de qué se trata (The people want to know what this is about),Ha llegado el momento de la libertad (The time of freedom has arrived),No seremos ya colonia de nadie (We will no longer be anyone's colony),memorableScenes,The open cabildo scene where hundreds of citizens gather in Plaza de Mayo demanding independence from Spain, recreated with actual Buenos Aires citizens as extras,The dramatic moment when Viceroy Cisneros is forced to resign, with the crowd cheering in the background,The swearing-in ceremony of the Primera Junta, showing the new government taking power,The secret meetings of revolutionary leaders planning the uprising, filmed in dim lighting to create tension,The final scene showing the new flag of Argentina being raised for the first time,preservationStatus,The film is considered largely lost, with only fragments and still photographs surviving. Most of the original footage has been lost to time due to the unstable nature of early nitrate film stock and lack of proper preservation facilities in early 20th century Argentina. Some film historians believe that copies may exist in private collections or European archives, but no complete version has been located. The Argentine Film Archive has been actively searching for missing footage for decades. What remains are a few short clips, production stills, and written descriptions from contemporary newspapers. The film's historical importance has led to multiple attempts at reconstruction based on surviving materials and historical accounts.,whereToWatch,The film is not commercially available due to its lost status,Fragments may be viewed at the Museo del Cine Pablo Ducrós Hicken in Buenos Aires,Some surviving clips are occasionally shown in film retrospectives and academic presentations,Written descriptions and still photographs can be found in film history books and academic papers,The Argentine Film Archive may allow researchers to view surviving fragments by appointment