Hay que matar a B.

This thriller/suspense movie develops a political intrigue about a fictitious dictatorship , included a resounding message . José Luis Borau's first film under his own control , a political thriller titled ¨Hay que matar a B.¨(1974) or ¨Kill B.¨, which highlighted, for the first time, his precise narration , thorough stylish directing , film construction , interesting story and skill edition. This film featured an international cast that included American stars as Darren McGavin, Burgess Meredith and Patricia Neal. This is a moving story about a twisted plot , adding a political denounce about South American dictatorships . Dealing with a South American country , in which there're lots of political tension and violence , while the labor-unions have all their labourers on strike . Meanwhile , the public demands the return of a politician from exile to deliver peace and order . However , private trucker Pal Kovak (Darren McGiven) can't afford to strike due to his debts , so his job colleagues consider him as a strike-breaker . Then the striking workers seek vengeance and he's beaten up and his truck burned . Along the way , Pal falls in love for a mysterious woman (Stephane Audran) . After that , Pal Kovak becomes involved into a hard criminal intrigue throughout the country .

A complex and twisted thriller about a criminal conspiracy , here there's only the hunter and the hunted . The structure film is pretty plain and simple at times , though little by little developing itself suspenseful and intriguing incidents , until a final twist . Darren McGavin stars as the hapless trucker , he is acceptable and his love scenes with Stephane Audran are well played . There are some mythic secondaries giving nice interpretations , such as Patricia Neal , Burgess Meredith and José Nieto . As well as a lot of of Spanish support cast , such as : Luis Prendes, Pedro Díez del Corral , Rina Ottolina , Angel Menéndez , Luis Barboo and Perla Cristal. It displays and evocative musical score by José Nieto, as well as atmospheric cinematography by Luis Cuadrado shot on Spanish locations from Vigo , Pontevedra , Galicia and Madrid.

The motion picture was slow but professionally directed by José Luis Borau . It won some prizes and nominations , such as Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain 1975 Winner CEC Award Best Film , Best Screenplay José Luis Borau , Antonio Drove ; National Syndicate of Spectacle, 1974 Winner Prize of the National Syndicate of Spectacle , Best Cinematography cameraman Luis Cuadrado . José Luis Borau was a good Spanish writer and filmmaker . His film debut was a Spaghetti western : ¨Brandy¨ (1963) followed by a thriller : ¨Double-edged crime¨ (1965), with little commercial success . From these works he drew the conclusion that he could only make satisfactory films if he made them under his own control , and in 1967 he founded his own production company El Imán. For ten years he mostly shot commercials and produced films for others. In addition, he worked as a script teacher at the Official School of Cinematography . His greatest commercial success was in 1975 with the drama ¨Furtivos¨, which is currently considered one of the best examples of late-Franco cinema and one of the best Spanish movies. Above all, the visual scenery of the plot in the forests around Madrid is impressive . In 1975, the film won the Golden Shell at the San Sebastian Film Festival and the award for best film in the Spanish language. In 1979 he premiered ¨La Sabina¨, a story of passion and superstition that takes place in Andalusian lands . The co-production with Sweden allows well-known foreign actors to be added to the cast. In 1984, he was the director of the Spanish-American co-production ¨Río Abajo¨or ¨On the Line¨ with David Carradine and Victoria Abril, which did not obtain the expected repercussion. Borau was able to get even for this relative failure by reaping public and critical success in 1986 with ¨Tata mía¨ stars Imperio Argentina and Carmen Maura, which, among other things, earned a Goya nomination for best screenplay, and in 1997 he filmed ¨Niño nada¨. In 1993 he filmed the television series ¨Celia¨, based on stories by Elena Fortún. From 1994 to 1998 he was president of the Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, from which he directed the elaboration and edition of the Dictionary of Spanish Cinema in 1998 . In 1995 he founded his own publishing house, Ediciones El Imán, dedicated mainly to the cinematography. In 2001 he won the Goya award for best direction with his film ¨Leo¨ (2000). In addition, he won the special jury prize at the Malaga Film Festival and, together with Álex de la Iglesia's community, the Fotogramas de Plata Award. President of the General Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE) from July 2007 to July 2011. And in February 2008 he was appointed academician of the Royal Spanish Academy.

I caught "B Must Die" one night many years ago at 3:00 am on a local station's Late Late Show. This film can really surprise you. And it can really stick with you. Its one of those films that you keep trying to find out if anyone else has ever seen.

What looks like a typical low-budget, off-the-cuff 1970's attempt at a slick intrigue picture--you know the kind, I am sure--actually shows forethought, consideration, and carefulness despite its modest production values. You keep waiting some stupid, glaring hole in the storyline, or perhaps the editing (as often befalls lower-budget 1970's products) but this never happens and soon you forget about trying to shoot the film down. It is simple and straightforward and unpretentious.

Its got an exotic, (but at the same time gritty and impovershed) foreign locale and good, reliable, American actors. Darren McGavin gives a solid, understated performance as the unwitting dupe of a political assassination plot. He's just a regular guy made into a patsy on account of his finesse with a long-range rifle. The film has just that bit of menace in its villains and restraint on its violence to make you watch it carefully. It doesnt make the unfolding events too obvious or dumbed-down.

But what you really wind up paying attention to is not the plot in this picture at all--the story simply makes a memorable backdrop for the quite tender, bittersweet romance between McGavin and Stephane Audran. For all its puny size, this romance surprisingly evokes the rhythms of other, more famous film romances--like Doctor Zhivago for example. Its got the very same appeal: that of a man and a woman meeting by circumstance and trying to sustain a romance during a melee of larger political events over which they have no control. The romance is tenuous, and therefore somewhat melancholy from the start. McGavin is plainly a haphazard figure who has never had a chance to be in love with a woman like Audran--and the fact that he cant seem to extract himself from the jeopardy he finds himself in seems to hint that his late success will be short-lived.

But there is a wonderful visual of the two lovers strolling down a steep boulevard, huddled tightly against one another, making their way hesitantly through a crowd of rushing figures, enjoying their love for one another.

All the other bodies around them are clad in starched white cotton tunics and the couple stands out in sharp relief, proceeding in the opposite direction, wearing their everyday clothes, not really looking at anything, but just being close to one another for as long as they can. The figures stream by them like the forceful current of a river. The camera is held for just the right duration, and with just the right backward motion, following the actor's faces from the foreground, looking back towards them as they move. Its hard to forget that scene.

At the end you are really hoping for McGavin to find a way out of the snare--a snare thats been prepared with him as the bait.

If you ever see this film in listed on the preview channel do yourself a favour and give it a look--you wont be sorry.