Time to Die (1985 film)

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Time to Die (1985) is a Colombian-Cuban drama directed by Jorge Alí Triana. The screenplay was written by Gabriel García Márquez, with later dialogue work by Eligio García Márquez and Carlos Fuentes helping with Mexican slang. The story originated with Gabriel García Márquez in the 1960s and has several earlier versions, including a 1966 film by Arturo Ripstein and a 1984 Colombian TV miniseries that Triana later adapted into a feature film. The movie uses a Western feel to explore themes of machismo, family honor and revenge.

Plot
Juan Sayago, who has spent eighteen years in prison for killing Raúl Moscote in a duel, returns to his small dusty village hoping to leave the past behind and start a quiet life. He learns that Raúl’s two sons, Julián and Pedro Moscote, want revenge. Juan rekindles his relationship with Mariana, a widow who still loves him but warns him to leave town for his safety. Despite harassment and threats, Juan tries to rebuild his life and refuses to be drawn into a duel.

As tensions rise, Julián’s brute pride clashes with Juan’s calm resolve. The mayor warns the Moscotes to stop their pursuit, but the trouble continues. Mariana reveals she still loves Juan and gives him a gun for protection. The truth about Raúl Moscote’s death is revealed: Raúl tormented Juan after losing a cockfight, and Juan killed him in a duel with a bullet to the heart—the man’s pride had fueled the violence.

A violent confrontation between Juan and Julián ends with Julián dead from a gunshot. Juan gives his gun to Pedro and walks away, only to be shot in the back by Pedro. Destiny seems to repeat itself as violence and revenge consume the town.

Production and reception
Tiempo de morir was originally written for the screen in the 1960s in Mexico by García Márquez, with Mexican author Carlos Fuentes contributing dialogues. Ripstein’s 1966 film is a very different take, more like a classic American Western revenge story. In 1984, Triana adapted the same material into a Colombian TV miniseries with the same lead cast, then turned it into this feature film, adding a new scene written by García Márquez.

The movie was shot in Colombia (Tolima region, including Armero) and edited in Havana, Cuba. It had a budget of about $300,000 and was produced by Focine (Colombia) and ICAIC (Cuba). It premiered at the Havana Film Festival in 1985 and was released in Colombia on April 15, 1986.

Time to Die was Colombia’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 59th Academy Awards but did not receive a nomination. It is regarded as one of the best Colombian films of the 1980s, noted for its strong performances and its critique of Latin American machismo.