Vacas

With this brilliant debut film, Julio Medem placed himself almost instantly into the ranks of Spain's leading directors, along with Carlos Saura and Pedro Almodovar.

From the suspenseful footage of barefoot woodchoppers to the sprawling family rivalries to the chaos of war, Medem brings a unique vision and a sharp edge to this Basque historical saga. His later films are equally masterful, but this is the one time he chooses to grapple with the history of his Basque homeland instead of telling a contemporary and character-centered story.

The plot can be a bit tricky to follow for those unfamiliar with Spanish history, and the lush beauty of the film definitely calls more for a big screen than for video. I can't make your screen bigger, but as for the history, I may be able to help with what most confuses the typical American viewer:

The Carlists were supporters of a series of 19th century pretenders to the Spanish throne and constituted an alliance of Basque nationalists with right-wing Spaniards, allied on the basis of Catholic faith. The Carlists advocated absolute monarchy (against the ruling liberal constitutional monarchy), but were willing to grant the Basque region considerable autonomy. Later, in the Spanish Civil War, the Basque nationalists allied to the left, siding with the secular Republic (which also offered them autonomy) against Franco's centralizing fascist forces. Thus to be a Basque nationalist family over the span of this history led to some paradoxical alliances over time.

If life itself is cyclical, the telling of it must be so, too. This is evident in films like `Los Amantes del Círculo Polar' (1998) (qv) and `Lucía y el Sexo' (2001) (qv), both seen a long way previously to `Vacas' which I have only just recently been able to see - and where better but on the Basque Channel (Euskal Telebista).

This story takes up over 60 years leading up to the eve of the Spanish Civil War in the high valleys and hills of Euskadi (Basque Country). Two rival families eke out a living. Highly charged with symbolisms - cows - and metaphorisms, as well as the ever-present rôle of Basque culture, such as the `aizkolari', the film proceeds unhurriedly through the years, unveiling an almost mysterious world of superstitions, envy and mistrust.

The cyclical effect of the film is enhanced by some of the main actors - Carmelo Gómez, for example - playing more than one character as the years go by, thus assuring that the spectator has to be on his toes and aware of how the film's story is progressing.

Good work here by Carmelo Gómez, and the rest of the cast is well up to Medem's demands. Superb photography by Carles Gusi, and as ever Alberto Iglesias' music is really good, mirroring well the scenery, its people and the story line. Well worth watching if you get the chance.

From 1875, (second Carlist war) to 1935 (Spanish CIvil War) in Basque Country, we are able to see the relationship between two near families, their discussions, their fight and their envies. All is viewed form the point of view of the cows, so quiet, so peaceful, so able to forgive, while we watch to the humane, their madness their lack of respect for life, their irresponsibility. Though it is hard to digest (too much for my taste) it is clear that it is a Medem's movie: the treatment of time, the sense of quietness in the environment and the development of the story. But we can see a young Medem, not so expert in these tools, and the result is not good as is used in these author, as he was still a noob, but we are able to see that he was a promising talent. Carmelo Gómez makes a terrific triple part and he is the one that builds the movie, everything happens around him and he is able to take the responsibility. The director is able to mix in a curious way the peaceful live of cowman's in Basque Country (and cows too) with the horrors of the war. It is not the best Medem's movie (well it is the worst he has done), but, being his opera prima, it is a pleasure to watch to it. If you are able to digest more or less correctly his films, you should not let pass the opportunity of watching this one, although it is not as good as "Tierra" or "Los Amantes del Círculo Polar"

I originally saw Vacas at the Mill Valley Film Festival before its general release and thought then that it was one of the most exceptional films I had ever seen.

If you have the opportunity to view it, you are in for a rare visual and story treat.

Since it failed to make general US release in 1991, I have been searching for a VCR/DVD copy of it, with at the least English subtitles, in order to share it with others. If anyone knows where to obtain such a copy, please let me know. TIA!!

Spanish production with fine acting , colorful cinematography and rousing score by Alberto Iglesias . Julio Medem directed the film for Sogetel and it was released in 1992 . Set in the Basque region, a story of the rivalry of two families, period 1870-1935 . A film set in the Basque region, beginning in the Carlist war , Basque Country, 1875 . For decades Spain has been the scene of the Carlist Wars, and ending during the Spanish Civil war of 1936 . The picture tells how one simple act of cowardice originates the spark of the next three generations of two families , the Irigibel and Mendiluce . On the Carlist front sergeant Carmelo Mendiluce (Txema Blasco) learns his fellow villager Manuel Irigibel (Carmelo Gomez) has arrived as a recent rookie . Manuel seems pretty afraid and when the enemy attacks Carmelo attempts to help him . But Manuel is a coward and due to his cowardliness Carmelo dies . It fuels the intense rivalry which will spread the next sixty-one years . After that , 1915 , now is the time of a new generation , as there appears Peru Irigibel (Miguel Angel Garcia and grown-up performed by Carmelo Gomez) and Cristina Mendiluze (one-time-grown played by Emma Suarez) . Later on , there takes place the Civil war (1936) and the events get worse .

This is a slow-paced , deliberate though magnetic drama . It is a riveting film though a little boring . Anyway, the film is interesting , thematically intriguing , and usually scathing of virtually all institutions and classes . It contains marvelous cinematography , breathtaking musical score , enjoyable production design , but , for a variety of reasons, it does not quite pull as much punch as it should have . It tells the rise and downfall of two families , a long period of rivalry and hatred among them , they are excellently played by a magnificent plethora of main actors such as Carmelo Gomez , Emma Suarez and Karra Elejalde . Good support cast gives right performance and full of prestigious players such as Ana Torrent , Txema Blasco , Klara Badiola and Pilar Bardem , Juan Barden's mother . Adequate and atmospheric set design by Rafael Palmero , filmed on location in the Basque region , colorfully photographed by Carles Gusi . Intriguing as well as evocative musical score by several times Oscar nominated Alberto Iglesias ."Vacas" was brilliantly received and became a big success .

The motion picture was originally directed by Julio Medem who had been making short movies with a super-8 camera owned by his father until he received a call from a new production company called Sogetel and executive producers Fernando de Garcillán , José Luis Olaizola , Enrique López Lavigne . They were interested in his script titled "Vacas" . It won the Goya Award from the Spanish academy for best new director, and won prizes in the festivals of Tokyo, Torino and Alexandria. In 1993 Medem made his second movie, "The red squirrel¨. It confirmed Medem's talents and won prizes in Fort Lauderdale, Bogota and Bucarest. His third movie, "Tierra," released in 1996, was selected for the Cannes Film Festival. In 1998 Medem released " The lovers of the Polar Circle ," considered his best movie by most of his fans . It also became a box-office hit with more than one million spectators in Spain and was also released worldwide. In 2001 his fourth movie, "Lucia and sex ," became a huge hit and began the career of actress Paz Vega who won the Goya for best new actress . Although in 2003 failed with the release , "The Basque ball" , a documentary that portrays the phenomenon of nationalism and terrorism in the Basque Country of northern Spain , it was very polemical and partial . In 2007 directed the flop ¨Caotica Ana¨ and in 2010 , ¨Room in Rome¨, a successful though with not sense film , plenty of nudism and only starred by two gorgeous naked girls . Julio Medem is for sure one of the the most important and original Spanish filmmaker.