Chernóbil

No se trata de una serie, sino de una película de 5 horas de duración que rinde homenaje a todos los implicados en la detención de un desastre medioambiental potencialmente mayor que el ocurrido. Una aproximación fantástica a las etapas posteriores a la explosión, que nos permite vivir la tragedia humana y la catástrofe nacional desde múltiples perspectivas (desde los bomberos hasta el presidente Gorbachov). Sacrificio de los perros contaminados. Los mineros que ayudaron y su líder. La comprensión y el respeto que surgen gradualmente entre los principales personajes masculinos (el científico Harris y el político Skarsgård). Cuerpos en descomposición de personas irradiadas en los hospitales. La espantosa actitud del jefe de la KGB y el reparto y la actuación en general... Hay tantos elementos argumentales fuertes en esta película que es increíble. Un espejo escalofriantemente preciso del sistema político chapucero, mendaz y sin carácter sobre el que la Unión Soviética construyó su «gloria», solo para que se pudriera desde dentro. (29.07.2020)

Las desviaciones y simplificaciones ocasionales de los hechos no son importantes en la historia. La clave es que los cineastas consiguen evocar el espíritu de la época, crear una denuncia objetiva de una ideología mentirosa a través de los personajes, y mostrar hasta dónde puede llegar el juego con los elementos, cuando se mezcla la necesidad de cumplir un plan, todo de forma francamente naturalista e indiscriminada. Desde el primer episodio, un espectáculo desagradable pero impresionante, respaldado por grandes interpretaciones (Jared Harris y Stellan Skarsgård son excelentes, aunque quizá el más memorable para mí sea el fenomenal Paul Ritter, que retrata con precisión a un hombre producto del régimen). Tengo que decir que el aldabonazo del espectador para mí fue el último episodio con la reconstrucción de la prueba crítica. Conociendo sus consecuencias, se me puso la piel de gallina en todo momento. En definitiva, los realizadores han elegido una construcción argumental absolutamente excelente, cuyo comienzo te asombra, la parte central te horroriza y el final te aplasta. Un cine de calidad y coherente. (04.06.2019)

Once again, HBO gave us their absolute best and introduced the viewers to an elaborate adaptation of the most significant nuclear catastrophe to ever happen on Earth. And even though they didn’t cover everything they could have in 5 episodes, they covered everything they needed so they could sell the idea and pass something on at the same time – the repulsiveness of the Soviet regime but also the proof that humanity and heroism exist everywhere. The first two episodes were probably the most important for me, the creators shocked me with the exteriors, which gave me the impression that the crew actually left for Pripyat and filmed theseries about the catastrophe there. The finale is very crucial as well; it shows what the Soviet regime was capable of doing to not only ordinary people but also intellectuals. After all of that, I am not at all surprised that Gorbachev said in the 1990s that Chernobyl was the fatal consequence of the fall of the Soviet Union. What they did there only underscores the whole effect of communism in Russia of the period, where the local “elite” thought they could do whatever they wanted and God in turn showed them that it wasn’t entirely true. Thankfully this didn’t mean the demise of all of us, it was “only” a warning concerning what we are doing wrong in the world. The fact that we are unable to learn our lessonis another matter. However, this is one of the reasons why the series is so important, which is why it is good to see, perceive, and experience it until the very end. The absolute best of this year’s series and in terms of the HBO production, it is the best that could have been created. Precise, accurate, and apt. (11.06.2019)

This is an event. The initial puzzlement has a quick half-life, as those disembodied moments eventually stand out more than the tangible pressure. It’s a screenwriting university on how to handle the "based on a true story" license while staying in observation mode. It’s a perfect study of human arrogance, lack of humility, and unwillingness to face the truth. A live broadcast of lies that has been coming to us for over thirty years. With all due respect to all the criticisms, the hype is well deserved. (05.06.2019)

Human memory is set up in such a way that the major events around us are similar for most people; we remember exactly what we were doing that day. I have that with 11 September, 2001, and with Chernobyl. The day it went up, we had beautiful, cloudless, sunny weather and half the town was catching rays by the dam, myself included. A light rain fell in the evening, although according to the forecast it was not supposed to rain. And I believe that it’s not just my imagination, because it’s said by more witnesses, but the next weeks the milk tasted differently, probably the comrades put iodine in it or something. The comrades covered up and covered up, and then when it blew up, what I found terribly funny was that the first mention of the catastrophe was only on the third or fourth page of the newspaper, a little footnote. And about the series: excellent stuff, no-nonsense, heading straight for the chamber, without carrying any unnecessary plot ballast. That’s how it should be. (30.12.2019)