Bienvenido Mister Marshall

Probably, the best Spanish film ever made. A loyal portrait of Spaniards' personality and way of thinking with the particular sense of humour added by the writer Miguel Mihura. Essential: the Pepe Isbert's balcony scene, be ready to laugh .

I have seen this film in its original version and in a French translation, and I must admit that, as far as all cinematic qualities are concerned, it reminds me very much of those glorious British Ealing Studios comedies of the 50s.

This film is an excellent and witty portrayal of Franco's post-war Spain. There are many hidden agendas and underlying stereotypes of both the American and Spanish people. The more you watch the movie, the more one-liners you catch. The order in which the camera bounces from person to person always has a meaning. This style of exposition is unique and refreshing. The dream sequence contains many of the stereotypes held by the Spanish towards the American people. The people of the village change their town into what they think the Americans want to see, even though they have the wrong idea about them. The best part is all this content is delivered in a comedic fashion, which lets you enjoy the underlying commentary.

Bienvenido Mr Marshall is the most modern thing in the whole of Spanish cinema, because it was modern even before anyone knew what modernity was cinema wise, at least not in Spain, less so in England or I'd say even France... This was done in 1952, released next year!

If Billy Wilder had filmed this, it would have fitted in with the rest of his films, but, bad luck, Berlanga did it first!

I didn't give this film 10 stars because of the musical numbers, which I think are a bit too many and long. Although they've got their place in the story and there's a reason why they're there, this film isn't a music film, and I think them excessive.

This movie is well considered all over the world and it is not difficult to see why. It was made in 1952 but it still remains as one of the truly classic movies of Spanish cinema.

Of course its cinematographic values are impressive. From the very beginning the techniques used in this film are different from those used in American cinema of the same time, a narrator introduces the small town and the characters to the audience, he seems to know everything about them, he is capable of stop the movement and take out the people of the screen. An audacious resource from one of the main directors in Spanish cinema history, Luis García Berlanga. This beginning is modern for the time and it can be linked to the European cinema of the era.

On one hand, we are about to see a description of Spanish traditions and characters depicted with lots of humor and irony. On the other hand, we see a critic of some of these statements and mentalities of Spanish people and institutions. This critics is plenty of melancholy in some cases and plenty of humor in other cases. Just about the end of the film, there are several dream scenes that satirizes some of the American cinema of the era and some American traditions and characters (as those of the Western movies).

The script is superb, the actors are very well chosen for their roles, the cinematography is excellent and so is the photography, direction is extraordinary taking into account that this is one of the first movies by Berlanga.

Finally, I have to say that this is a Spanish classic movie and one of my must sees.