The Actor in the Argentine Star System. Privileged Worker or Mere Product?

Abstract

Despite the fact that research on Argentine classical-industrial cinema has increased considerably in recent times, there are still relatively few studies that address the subject and even fewer that focus on the star system in particular. In these cases, however, the works usually focus on certain figures or on the films they star, without giving much relevance to the conditions that make them possible or the economic context in which they emerge. In almost all of them, the condition of “product to be consumed” of the star is highlighted, leaving aside his/her worker condition, partly, because some seem to consider that this categorization opposes their condition as artists, and partly, because, for others, the interpretative performance of the star is almost null, since they are considered to be products based only on their looks and personality, both of which have been especially polished to “sell”. The following article aims to analyze the star system in Argentina, paying special attention to the actors and actresses that conformed it, as well as to the reasons for its appearance and for the particular forms it adopted in our country. It also aims to raise some questions about the star’s specific status of worker, within an undoubtedly capitalist system.