Con uñas y dientes

" Con uñas y dientes " ( 1977 ), the second feature length movie of Paulino Viota, is a disillusioned and biting look over the years of Spanish democratic transition, narrated in a dry and scrawny style where director Paulino Viota shows the political intrigues, struggles and frustrated hopes of the first years of Spanish transition to democracy.

A brave, sharp and visceral film told in a concise way that sometimes remember the style of french director Robert Bresson and that was shot in very difficult economic conditions.

One of the key titles of the Spanish transition age and one of the firsts in showing without lacks the situation of that period.

It concerns Marcos (Santiago Ramos) , a labor leader , at the beginning he is relentlessly pursued , being beaten and injured by the thugs of the enterprise bosses and finally obligated to take shelter . The one in charge to protect him results to be Aurora (Alicia Sanchez) , a communist woman that works as a teacher in a secondary school . Along the way his syndicate colleagues get together at various encounters and hesitating wether go on with the strike they are proceeding or make a Salomonic decision . As while the employees carrying out strikes , the employers pull off lock-outs . But things go wrong when a merciless vengeance by a nasty employer (Alfredo Mayo) takes place .

The film offers a bitter , violent and sour look at the years of the democratic Transition in Spain. It delivers a visceral critique to pre-and-post-Francisco Franco period , as it is set during Post-Francoist epoch , an early democratic time called Spanish Transition, in the newborn Spanish democracy ; by the time various sharp fims with strong political charge were released , as in hilarious , cynical style : ¨Las Truchas, ¨Tú estas loco Briones¨, ¨Arriba Azaña¨ , ¨Vota a Gundisalvo , as in a more serious wake :¨Sonambulos¨, ¨Fuga de Segovia¨, ¨3 Dias de Enero¨. A twisted and plenty of talking and sex plot written by Paulino Viota himself , portraying the frustrated hopes of a broad social sector and the subsequent vengeance executed by a malicious entrepreneur . It contains a lot of sex , nudism , and some disagreeable scenes when a violent rape takes place and carried out by two rapists played by known secondary actors : Angel De Andres López and Francisco Casares . Pretty good cast and support cast , such as : Santiago Ramos as a syndicate leader forced to reclusive , Alicia Sanchez as a militant of a left party , Luis Politti as a killer , José Manuel Cervino , Francisco Casares, Ángel de Andrés López , Victor Petit , Eduardo Bea , José Thelman , José Yepes and Francisco Vidal , among others .

The movie packs a faded and washed-out cinematography , being really necessary an alright remastering , because of the film copy is worn-out . Being photographed by the prolific as well as prestigious Raul Artigot who had a long career including films as Secretos de alcoba , La espuela , La iniciación en el amor , Las camarera, Ligeramente viudas , Manuela , Esclava te doy , Vida íntima de un seductor cínico , No quiero perder la honra , El Buque maldito , La chica del pijama amarillo , La criatura , Los demonios , Coqueluche , La semana del asesino . It packs an atmospheric musical score by Julián Llinas , and adding : Sonata in A minor, Op. 1, nº 4 written by as Georg Friedrich Haendel and songs : Con uñas y dientes performed by Alicia Sánchez and Lyrics by Javier Vega , music by Julián Llinás Mascaró . The motion picture was professionally but regularly directed by Paulino Viota and in short as well scrawny budget , financed by producer Angel Huete . This is the second film by Paulino Viota , a Cantabrian filmmaker , his first one was ¨Contactos¨1970 , his second one : ¨Con uñas y dientes¨ 1979 , and third : ¨Cuerpo a cuerpo¨ 1984 and he also has made and edited Shorts as ¨Jaula de todos¨ and ¨The Last Days of Margaret Thatcher¨ .