Los santos inocentes

If I would believe in a god who created man as his equal, Mario Camus would be one of the first people to come in mind to make me understand how powerful that god must be. 'Los santos inocentes' is a masterpiece of European cinema. The movie brings us back to times in Spain where most people were nothing more than property of the few rich. The 'master' even had the right to be the one to make the daughters of his serfs lose their virginity. A man and wife living such a cruel life, with trouble enough of their own, still open up their house for the wife's brother Azarias (Francisco Rabal), when he -at old age- loses his job. And Rabal gives us a performance of simplicity and joy that we will never ever forget. Although I've heard of people who found it difficult to see the beauty through all the misery, to me this is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. Possibly also the very best.

In the opening scenes of this movie, I couldn't tell what century it was. The peasant family living in their hovel with no electricity or running water and their subservient attitude toward the master made me wonder if this movie was taking place in the 19th century. But no, a car appeared, a model from the 1960s, so I knew that it took place in relatively recent times.

Filmed in muted, grayish tones reminiscent of a Goya painting, this film gives one an idea of what life must have been like, not only for Spanish peasants in the Franco era but also for medieval serfs and slaves in the pre-Civil War South. The master and mistress treat their own whims as more important than the peasants' needs, require them to act and speak in a subservient manner, act as if small favors are huge concessions (The family gets to move into a house with electricity!), and literally treat the men of the family as if they were hunting dogs, forcing them to fetch the game that the master spends an inordinate amount of time shooting. In one case, a man is forced to fetch while trying to recover from a broken leg. When foreign visitors criticize the master and mistress for their treatment of the peasants, they make a big show of demonstrating that the peasants are happy and can write their own names (but only because they have just been taught).

But the world is changing, and even the meekest peasant may reach his limit...

Unfortunately, this film has never been released on DVD for Region 1, and the Region 2 version is out of print, so few people will be able to see this brutal but fascinating glimpse of the twilight of an era when Spanish society was composed of countless little dictatorships.

The last twenty five years of Spanish filmography have produced a number of titles which have indulged in sociological themes, mostly using the years of the Franco Régime as a background when not a mere scapegoat. El Sur (Victor Erice)(qv), Las Ratas (Giménez Rico)(qv), Las Bicicletas son para el Verano (Jaime Chávarri) as well as several by the now deceased Pilar Miró, come to mind. But perhaps none reach the powerful endorsement achieved in Los Santos Inocentes, carefully and predictably directed by Mario Camus. Faithfully transferred from the book by Miguel Delibes, also author of Las Ratas, as well as singularly impressive narratives such as Cinco Horas con Mario, a true tour de force in contemporary literature, and the intensely lyrical and moving El Camino, Camus inspired the principal actors - Paco Rabal, Alfredo Landa and Terele Pávez - into producing some memorable scenes.

Scenes of illiterate peasants obeying their master, landowner, insensible to everything except his passion for hunting; peasants who were so hugely grateful for the handful of pennies so compassionately handed out by the rich duchess; peasants who grovelled in the filth of their mean shack and could barely write their own names. Spain: about 1962 if the registration number of the big black Mercedes is anything to go by. Spain, in the region called Extremadura, which even today is the poorest part of the country. Spain, governed by a dictator who himself was extremely uncultured.

Camus, armed with the simple but sincere exposition in Delibes' novel, manages to show this plight, but without the tremendism so frequent in Spanish books or films; without any soured feelings, but dispassionately, like a surgeon operating for the five hundredth time on gall-stones. The story was there to be told and not sympathized over. Not for the pop-corn eating public, more for the discerning cinema-goer who can give what the film demands: attention to details. The incision is precise, exact, giving greater credibility to this little masterpiece.

This the fourth Spanish language film recommended to me as essential viewing by my next-door Spanish neighbours and another excellent choice it is too.

I'm not familiar with the source novel but understand that the setting here is early 60's rural Spain, with the country very much in the Franco dictatorial era which lasted until the mid-70's when democracy and the constitutional monarchy were restored. I'm from the United Kingdom where we probably like every other developed country think we know something of the class struggle but I was staggered at the gap represented here between rich and poor in a recognisably modern context.

We're immediately introduced to the key character of Francisco Rabal's Azarias character, a big unkempt man who although he might be slow mentally nevertheless has an affinity with nature and a particular talent for befriending and petting birds. He also however has no concept of good manners or acceptable behaviour as we easily gauge from his twin habits of defecating in public places and urinating on his hands to stop them, as he says, from chapping. When he loses his position at a wealthy family he joins up with his married sister, her husband and their three children, who are likewise at the lowest end of the social scale.

The family live a life of hardship and drudgery, the husband employed as his selfish draconian, well-to-do master's underling and who has a special skill for beating out game birds for his blood-sport loving boss to shoot by the dozen. His wife helps about the big house, while of their three children, the oldest is keen to escape this life of serfdom and join the army, their middle daughter looks like she will follow her mother into service although there's an inference that she might well be corrupted before she's much older by some rich boor who will treat her as available and willing. Lastly, the couple have a desperately sick younger daughter who is always being carried around and who frequently cries out in pain. At no stage does anyone of the gentry show the slightest concern for this distressed child's obviously ailing health. This miserable family, now plus Azarias, try to eke out a pathetic existence living lives of virtual slavery, their accommodation, you couldn't call it a home, comprising a hovel lit by one bare light bulb. These people resemble nothing so much as Van Gogh's "The Potato Eaters" and yet they are required to accept their lives of grinding poverty as something to thank their monied benefactors.

As for the rich folk, we are permitted some insight into their shallow lives as they periodically arrange or attend grand banquets in the palatial grounds of their grand homes, salve their social consciences by giving their lowly servants the most rudimentary of educations or distributing some low-value coin to them from their position of exaltation. Unsurprisingly, they can also openly indulge in marital affairs, brazenly carrying these on in front of their mute staff witnesses.

It all comes to a head when the peasant husband accidentally falls out of a tree in the course of his duties as a beater, badly breaking his leg in the process. His callous master however has no care or concern for the acute pain the old man is suffering and pushes him to attend a prestigious big hunt he's organising for his fellow-bourgeoisie. Let's just say that while technically speaking the story ends in tragedy, in truth, the conclusion seems altogether almost satisfactory and deserved.

Shot in shades of grey and ochre, in a super-naturalistic style and acted in a hyper-realistic manner by the ensemble cast, its hard not to be reminded of the work of British director Ken Loach who certainly ploughs a similar field. It can't be a coincidence that Azaria bonds with a kite the way the same way the young boy does with his pet kestrel in Loach's "Kes".

It is a slow, arid and at times depressing film. There is some cross-cutting with the timeline by the director which I found slightly confusing at times but the itruth here appears to be that While I understand that the system in rural Spain was widespread well into the 70's, one would like to think that not all master and servant relationships were as stark and brutal as depicted here.

Modern day slavery is unfortunately still happening around the world over as evidenced by stories which occasionally but continually surface on the news. That it seemed to be rife in Spain as late as the 60's is a savage indictment of the status quo in Spanish society.

My eyes were certainly opened by what I saw here. Consider it the disturbing, dark contrast to the French "Manon De Source" and "Jean De Florette" films of around the same time. And remember that the usury witnessed here still went on in Spain only 50 years or so ago.

This intelligent drama based on a Miguel Delibes' novel and screenplay by Antonio Larreta is perfectly acted by a strong cast and masterfully directed . It depicts a brooding study about rich and poor society , making a shattering accusation against the powerful class who cares on selfish occupations more than help families in distress . Somewhere in the Extremadura region ( Spain ) , in the 60s where still rules medieval traditions , archaism and feudalism . Paco ( Alfredo Landa) and his wife Régula (Terele Pavez) along with their tree sons - one of them is backward - form a very unfortunate family . They work as tenant farmers for wealthy baron land ( Agustin Gonzalez , Agata Lys ) of a ¨Cortijo¨ . The older sons can not go to school because the ¨Señorito¨ needs their employment as servants . When Regula's brother ( Francisco Rabal) is fired by another landowner ( Jose Guardiola ) where he has worked for several years , then he settles down along with the family and the events get worse .

This over-the-top movie contains a relentless criticism to high class and the human exploitation and an attack against the rural life during the Francisco Franco time of the 60s . It's a thought-provoking drama about sacrifice, familiar love and feeling with interesting character studio of a varied assortment of individuals . It's a brilliant and touching film though sometimes is slow moving and tiring but is developed with intelligence and sensibility. In the picture are treated ethic and moral themes narrated with great sense of fairness and ductility .T his top-notch movie featuring a magnificent acting by whole casting . Awesome Alfredo Landa as the servile Paco and his wife a sensational Terele Pavez . Enticing and sensational roles with first rate performances as the cocky Señorito Ivan exceptionally acted by Juan Diego , the marchioness Mary Carrillo and her daughter played by Maribel Martin also producer along with the early deceased Julian Mateos . Of course Francisco Rabal who steals the show as Azaria always shouting : ¨ Bonita Milano¨ . Both players , Francisco Rabal and Alfredo Landa , deservedly won Ex-aequo prize the best actors in Cannes Film Festival and Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention to filmmaker Mario Camus and the picture was Nominated Golden Palm .

Furthermore , ample shots on cloudy and nebulous skies and prairies plenty of trees filmed on location in Alburquerque, Zafra , Merida ,Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain with fine cinematography by Hans Burman . Atmospheric and evocative musical score by usual Anton Garcia Abril. This excellent motion picture is dedicated to makeup artist Julian Ruiz and stunningly directed by Mario Camus . Mario is an expert on interesting dramas as proved in ¨ The house of Bernard Alba¨ , ¨La Colmena¨ , ¨The days of the past ¨ and many others . Rating : Better than average , it's a riveting film though very depressing and downbeat . Essential and indispensable watching .