June 1973. Having failed to unseat Salvador Allende via constitutional attacks, the opposition, backed by the United States, attempts a coup. It is first defeated by loyalist troops—yet the right continues to plan for military seizure of power, while the left is increasingly divided over strategy.

The Battle of Chile catches fire in this second installment, with a state of emergency declared and streets transforming from strident places of protest to sites of civil war. Dynamite but discursive, it is the epic documentary’s bloodiest chapter, with tensions reaching an alarming crescendo.