Jaguar () is a 1986 Soviet drama film directed by Sebastián Alarcón. It is an adaptation of Mario Vargas Llosa's novel The Time of the Hero.
The hero is a cadet of a military school where future defenders of the Pinochet regime are trained. Having survived the collapse of the philosophy of cruelty, Jaguar (as the cadets called him for his firm and independent character) joins the ranks of fighters against the existing regime.
Set in Chile during the early 1980s under Augusto PinochetâÂÂs rule, the film follows three cadets in a military academy, each occupying a distinct social rank within the informal hierarchy among students. Pablo, nicknamed âÂÂJaguar,â hails from humble origins and joins the army to climb the social ladder; heâÂÂs a strong leader who was the only cadet not subjected to the academyâÂÂs humiliating initiation rituals. Alberto Fernandez, known as âÂÂPoet,â holds a middling position, while Ricardo Orana, dubbed âÂÂSlave,â is the groupâÂÂs outcast, enduring mockery and bullying from his peers. When cadet Cave draws the assignment to break into a classroom to steal exam answers, he accidentally shatters a window, alerting Orana, who is on guard duty in Jaguar's place. Although Orana witnesses the incident, the academy command blames all guards for the breach, stripping them of leave privileges. Upset by this punishment, especially since he recently met a girl, Orana informs on Cave, leading to his expulsion.
Later, the cadets are sent to break up an anti-government protest, where Orana is killed by gunfire. An investigation reveals that he was shot by a fellow cadet, but the academy chooses to cover it up, blaming the protesters instead. Fernandez, OranaâÂÂs friend, accuses Jaguar of being responsible and informs the command about ongoing corruption among the cadets, including illicit drinking, cigarette sales, and trading exam answers. Lieutenant Gamboa, who supports finding the truth, backs FernandezâÂÂs claims, leading to Jaguar and FernandezâÂÂs detention and a barracks search that uncovers forbidden items. Pressured by the academyâÂÂs need to maintain its official version of OranaâÂÂs death, Fernandez is coerced into retracting his accusations. While in detention, Fernandez confesses to Jaguar that he implicated him, sparking a fight between them until Lieutenant Gamboa intervenes. Upon their return to the barracks, Jaguar faces hostility from his peers, who suspect him of betraying them. Although he knows Fernandez was responsible, Jaguar remains silent. Disillusioned, Gamboa is reassigned, but before leaving, he speaks with Jaguar, who expresses his disappointment with his comrades and questions his past loyalties. Ultimately, feeling betrayed and disillusioned with his military path, Jaguar leaves the academy to join the guerrillas in the mountains.