Not One but Many "Pantis"

As Bingham noted in class, the version we saw of Captain Pantoja is shorter than the one originally screened in Latin America. This led me to search for alternative versions of the film. Despite claims in imdb.com for the existence of a 2hr 55 minute print, the one that is generally mentioned in the web is 144 minutes (2hr 24 minutes). There is a 137 minutes version available in you tube. http://www.youtube.com/user/pestegoriko#p/u/15/s9kwe3coFlc However, the only other version I have been able to watch is a 131 minute one.

At least in the 131 minute version I saw, the additional minutes (or better said the minutes that had been cut) served to flesh out scenes that were abridged or, sometimes, completely eliminated from the subtitled version we saw. For instance, while there is no moment in which rape is depicted, as was suggested in class, there is, however, a scene in which pregnant local women are brought face to face with the soldiers who had raped them and asked to choose one for marriage (starting 7:00-7:50 in the youtube version). Thus the need for the service is brought in a somewhat humorous but still more pointed manner. Secondary characters are introduced in a clearer manner. Alicia, for instance, is introduced as a neighbor rather than simply popping up in the plot without any explanation. The relationship between Pantoja and Bacacorzo is developed, as is the one between Pantoja, Chuchupe and Chupito.

Personally I found the longer version more efficient than the shorter one in that the relationship between Pantoja and “la Colombiana” does not overshadow the other aspects of the movie. While one can understand some of the cuts for the US market—there are a couple of scenes where gay stereotypes are mildly mocked –most of them privilege the romance or soap opera aspects of the movie over those that actually make the characters more believable or htat explain the “service’s” creation and ultimate closing.