The House of the Spirits is a German-Danish-Portuguese film drama from 1993, directed by Bille August, who wrote the screenplay based on the novel of the same name by Isabel Allende. At the center of this film set in Chile between the 1920s and 1970s is Esteban Trueba, a man from the humblest of backgrounds who comes to wealth and power through hard work as a gold digger and farmer, fights the workers' movement as a large landowner and also develops hardship and relentlessness in his family until he is purified by the loss of his loved ones and shaken by the political upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s.
The following weapons were used in the film The House of the Spirits:
Handguns
Colt M1911A1
Chilean Army officers can be seen with Colt M1911A1 pistols.
Colt M1911A1 "Colt Government Model" - .45 ACP
Two officers hold their Colts on their way upstairs to Pedro Tercero's (
Antonio Banderas) apartment.
One of the officers brandishes his M1911A1 when entering the apartment.
Smith & Wesson Revolver
A Smith & Wesson-type revolver is briefly seen held by an Army officer.
The officer stands on the right and holds up his revolver.
As Blanca Trueba is next to him, he fires it to the air to scare her.
Mauser C96
A Mauser C96 is seen lying on a desk inside the government department.
Mauser C96 fitted with holster/stock combo - 7.63x25mm Mauser
The C96 lies in front of the Army officer.
Another slightly different view of the Mauser pistol.
The holster/stock is seen lying next to it.
Rifles
Mauser 98 Sporter
Esteban Trueba (Jeremy Irons) owns a Mauser 98 Sporter rifle which he gives to Segundo (Joaquín Martínez) in one scene.
Mauser 98, military-to-sporter conversion - 7.92x57mm Mauser
A distant view of his sporter rifle as Esteban gives the reins of his horse to Count Jean de Satigny (
Jan Niklas) after spotting a crowd of his workers.
Esteban holds it in the air after firing to attract the attention of the workers..
Chambering the sporter rifle while approaching Pedro.
A view of the front sight.
The left side is seen as Esteban aims at Pedro for the first time. Note the 98-style action.
Unknwon Rifle
One of Esteban's men carries an unknown bolt action rifle which could be a Portuguese Mauser-Vergueiro.
Mauser-Vergueiro m/1904-39 - 7.92x57mm Mauser; for comparison
The horserider to the right shoulders his rifle.
Another distant view of the rifle.
Heckler & Koch 770
During the second engagement, Esteban is seen with a Heckler & Koch 770 sporting rifle.
Led by Esteban García (
Vincent Gallo), Esteban Trueba holds his H&K 770 while on horseback.
Estaban dismounted from his horse which offers another view of the sporting rifle.
A full view of the rifle as he approaches to the hiding place of Pedro.
After getting interrupted in his attempted murder he fires at the fleeing Pedro.
Heckler & Koch G3A3
Instead of SIG SG 510-4 and FN FAL rifles, the Heckler & Koch G3A3 is wielded by Chilean soldiers during the 1973 Chilean coup d'état in the movie.
Heckler & Koch G3A3 - 7.62x51mm NATO
Soldiers with G3A3s arrest civilians in a street. Note the Portuguese M1940 helmets worn by them.
The magazine and trigger is seen in a close up as one soldier arrests Blanca Trueba (
Winona Ryder).
A G3A3 leaned against a wall while its owner cleans blood stains inside the government department.
A soldier guards the entry of the Canadian embassy.
Another soldier points his HK at Esteban's driver.
Machine Guns
Browning M2HB
Browning M2HBs are mounted on Army vehicles.
An M2HB mounted on a Bravia Chaimite V-200 armored vehicle on the right.
An M48 Patton main battle tank with its mounted Browning.
Trivia
As most of the film was shot in Portugal, all military equipment was provided by the Portuguese army.
Fiat G.91
Chilean Airforce pilots run toward Fiat G.91 jet fighter aircraft.
M48A5 Patton
An M48A5 Patton moves out of a military camp in the morning hours of September 11, 1873.
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