Sotto la pelle del lupo

It is not accurate to call the main character a brute. Acts of tenderness: He spares the wolf who sneaks up on him to tell him that something is wrong at home. He caresses a small goat. He nurses his wife back to health. He helps his wife carry her bag up the mountain. He prepares breakfast for his wife when he learns that she is pregnant. He builds, not one but, two cribs. There are many more examples!

This film blew me away. Not only was the cinematography exceptional, the score lent itself perfectly to the stark yet beautiful surrounds. Mario Casas played the mountain man perfectly, an uncultured and uncouth brute who intimidates all who come before him. A man out of time living in tune with wild nature. The film evokes the sense that the modern world is a veil, and that nature is a brutal yet beautiful mistress, it resonated with me because modern people have forgotten what is necessary to survive within the natural world. His constant work, his constant prowling, he leaps off the screen part animal and part man. He could be the earliest homo sapien living in the Paleolithic.

Yet in his one true friend in the village, in his small acts of affection, in his final act of mercy, and in his rare emotions, the viewer glimpses something which is uniquely human, both of nature and set apart from it. Despite his wild and solitary nature, his true heart is revealed in subtle and clever ways. Both director and actor carry this off masterfully. The only reason I don't give this 10/10 is because I thought that even a mountain man would recognize that verbal communication and affection were important, a small oversight in the screenplay imo, but all in this was a thought provoking, and quite touching insight into the human condition. If you enjoy thought provoking, beautifully shot and acted films which evoke real feeling, I recommend this.

Amazing movie which deserves much more recognition. Protagonist who is Half human half animal just like we all are . Sound mix is really well and very important part of the movie .

Please stop including a time period in your reviews. I'm not quite sure why this bothers me so bad. I know they don't state a specific time period throughout the movie. HOWEVER, two obvious things place the movie in either just before the outbreak of the Spanish civil war or a few years post Spanish civil war period. That version of the Spanish Mauser he uses was not invented pre twentieth century. Also, look at the clothes his two wives wear! They are definitely from the 1930s. Check out his second wife's shoes, as she walks up the mountains. They are most certainly from fashions beyond the 1920s. Rural European mountain villages in the early to mid twentieth century may not have women sporting the latest fashions. It could be the 1940s and the women are wearing dresses that look from the 1930s. Definitely not from the 19th century!

If you're looking for an action packed film with a happy ending this movie is not for you. It has a slow pace with very little dialogue. To really appreciate this film you have to be willing to slow down and watch carefully. Many reviews have made the main character, Martinon out to be a villain, uncaring and a beast of a man without a compassionate bone in his body. He is direct and needs a lesson in table manners and general social skills but underneath all that, if you take the time to really watch and understand this man and his experiences, it's evident that he can be gentle and kind and capable of great love if anyone had given him a chance. I don't write reviews very often but I felt strongly enough about this one that I just couldn't help myself.