The Crime of Oribe () is a 1950 Argentine fantasy drama film directed by Leopoldo Torre Nilsson and his father, Leopoldo Torres Ríos. The film stars Roberto Escalada, Carlos Thompson, Raúl De Lange and María Concepción César.
The screenplay was written by Torre Nilsson from an adaptation by Arturo Cerretani of Adolfo Bioy Casares's short story "El perjurio de la nieve". The story, first published in 1944 and later included in Bioy Casares's collection La trama celeste, combines elements of fantasy and detective fiction.
The film was released in Argentina on 13 April 1950. Its sets were designed by art director Carlos T. Dowling, while Hugo Chiesa served as cinematographer and José Cardella edited the film.
Plot Journalist Villafañe encounters the poet Oribe while travelling through an isolated region of Argentina. The two men become involved with the Vermehren family, whose members appear to repeat the same daily routine in an attempt to protect one of the family's daughters. As Villafañe investigates the apparently unchanging household, the circumstances surrounding the family and Oribe's involvement with them become increasingly mysterious.
Cast
Roberto Escalada as Villafañe Carlos Thompson as Oribe Raúl De Lange as Vermehren María Concepción César as Lucía Carlos Cotto as Dr. Battis Diana Wells as Eugenia Paula Darlan as Ruth Vermehren Delia Cristiani as Adelaida Vermehren Trudy Tomis as Margarita Vermehren Arturo Arcari as Américo Max Citelli as Lacava Alberto Rinaldi Francisco Monet Juan Alberto Domínguez José Sereno Miguel Leporace Rafael Ricardo Néstor Johan Mario Conflitti
Production The Crime of Oribe was the first feature film directed by Leopoldo Torre Nilsson, who shared directing duties with his father, Leopoldo Torres Ríos. The production marked the beginning of Torre Nilsson's career as one of the prominent directors of post-war Argentine cinema.
The film was produced by Rodolfo Hansen and Torres Ríos for Estudios Mapol and distributed by Cinematografía Independencia. Its score was composed by Alberto Soifer and Bernardo Stalman. The production translated the fantastic and detective elements of Bioy Casares's story into a black-and-white film centred on isolation, repetition and uncertain perceptions of time.
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