Tras el cristal

I picked this movie out of my library's Spanish video selection and was I surprised while watching this masterpiece! I have never seen anything like it in my life. David Sust is my favorite new actor. What a role! His childhood tormentor- the Nazi- is very convincing as an invalid. I am in awe of the young girl Rena, who plays the daughter. How can these kids be such convincing actors. I tip my hat to them and their acting coaches. The Mother- Marissa Paredes, was great, as well. She is one of my favorite female actresses. I had no lingering questions after watching this film in comparison with watching American movies nor, was there any fancy endings, tying it all together. I could not take my eyes off of the screen; as a matter a fact, I watched it twice! Bravo!

Talk about a movie that lives up to its reputation -- In a Glass Cage is relentlessly intense from start to finish. The story of a Nazi doctor /pedophile in hiding and the strange young man who comes to work as his "nurse," this film explores taboos with relish. Unfortunately, it devolves into horror movie shtick toward its end (thereby obfuscating the very real horrors it has developed to that point), but In a Glass Cage packs a wallop , earning its reputation as one of the more disturbing movies ever made. It 's very much a European movie, and, given its horrifying subject matter -- pedophilia, the torture and murder of children, the relationship between monsters and their victims -- it could never have been made in the U.S. Strongly recommended for viewers who have strong stomachs and are not otherwise easily offended; all others are urged to avoid it at all costs.

A brutally honest commentary on how atroticies can affect a person for life. The film has guilt, revenge, murder, and love all intertwined in a bizarre story. NOT recommend for those easily disturbed, faint of heart, or victims of child molestation.

Spanish ¨cult movie¨ with astonishing images and deliberately paced . This moving as well as strong story is an emotive recounting and an intense horror drama , including tragedy , deaths and bloody executions by hanging , stabbing and other means . After torturing and murdering his latest victim , a Nazi doctor named Klaus (Gunter Meisner) throws himself off a roof , all of it has been secretly witnessed by a little boy . Some years later, his suicide failed attempt , his wife Griselda (Marisa Paredes, Almodovar's ordinary) decides to contract a worker to care him . As Klaus is forced to be confined to an artifact contains an iron lung and to accept a mysterious boy called Angelo (David Sust) as his nurse under threat of blackmail . Meanwhile , Angelo befriends Klaus' daughter (Echevarria) , and the rare teenager possesses the Klaus's diary, which details his wartime experiments in concentration camps and his ulteriorly descent into pedophilia and killing .

The picture is full of suspense , mystery , screechy bursts of violence and lots of blood and gore . As this terror as well as claustrophobic flick shown to the audience gets more and more violent . This slick horror feast is a triumph of style over movie logic . It's packed with overwhelming as well as upsetting images , excessive violence and grotesque killings . Here is treated some disturbing issues such as fetish for young boys , pedophilia , sodomy , eerie tortures and grisly killings . Good acting by Gunter Meisner as former Nazi doctor-turned-pedophile , paralyzed from the neck down and who subsequently feels guilt . Günter Meisner originally turned down the role , horrified by the story . According to Villaronga , Meisner called him a few weeks later to accept the part, arguing he couldn't stop thinking about it . Gunter was a character actor who worked continuously in movies due to his aristocratic style , making him ideal for typecasting in British and later American films as Nazis and other vile , despicable roles , what was ironic about his typecasting as a Nazi is that he stayed in a Nazi death camp during World War II . Although well-known for playing Hitler and various others warlike movies , Meisner was a fine actor who played several support roles , being specially known for his secondaries in ¨The Boys from Brazil¨ , ¨Night crossing¨, ¨Ace of Aces¨ , ¨Avalanche Express¨ and his character as Mr Slugworth in ¨Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ¨ . Furthermore , disturbing acting by David Sust as a boy secretly witnessed the doctor's torture , displaying his ambition to follow in the older man's footsteps and finally unleashes his own criminal spree .

Director/writer Agustí Villaronga said that the origin of the story came when he read about Giles De Rais (1404-1440), a devoutly religious follower of Joan of Arc who fought valiantly on her side and was later trialed and executed by the Catholic Church for heresy and sexual crimes committed against children . As Rais served as a commander in the Royal Army, distinguishing himself by displaying reckless bravery on the battlefield during the renewal of the Hundred Years War . He killed, or ordered to be killed , a great but uncertain number of children after he committed sodomy upon them . In fact , forty bodies were discovered in Machecoul , France , in 1437 . Gilles' body-servant Étienne Corrillaut , known as Poitou, was an accomplice in many of the crimes and testified that his master hung his victims with ropes from a hook . The victims were killed by decapitation, cutting of their throats, dismemberment, or breaking of their necks with a stick . Rais's prosecution would be on charges which included murder , sodomy, and heresy. The precise number of Gilles' victims is not known, as most of the bodies were burned or buried. The number of murders is generally placed between 80 and 200; a few have conjectured numbers upwards of 600 . The victims ranged in age from six to eighteen and included both sexes.

Downbeat and frightening musical score by Javier Navarrete . Dark as well colorful cinematography by Jaume Peracaula . This motion picture titled ¨In a glass cage¨ or ¨Tras el Cristal¨ was compellingly directed by Agusti Villaronga . Agusti was born in 1953 in Majorca, Balearic Islands ; he uses to make films including genuine chills , suspense , mystery and dark atmospheres . His movies pack excellent creation of taut , thriller , emotions and rare atmospheres such as ¨Aro Tolbukhin¨ , ¨El mar¨ , ¨El Niño De la Luna¨ also starred by Gunter Meisner and especially ¨Black bread¨ or ¨Pan Negro¨ , or Pa Negre¨ , this was his greatest success , winning several Goyas .

I was expecting to be horrified by this film. I knew what it was about. After watching the opening scene I thought I wouldn't be able to get through the whole film without having nightmares.

I read some reviews about how this film was banned in some places and though I can understand henious nature of the crimes committed, this is the first in your face film that I've seen that deals with the reality of abuse and how these cycles continue unless they are broken. Sometimes you have to be blatantly crass and over the top to get the point across which this film does in an unwavering manner.

Personally, I thought most of the film was boring only because it was predictable. The soundtrack is the standout. But overall, it was fairly well made film and I think anyone who thinks this film should be banned should look in their own Glass cage. They are probably the one's who have children hanging from racks in their basement.

To anyone who has been a victim of abuse and has chosen to break the cycle, will understand what I mean. Others will probably be disturbed.