La aldea maldita

In continuing to talk about those special silent Spanish films, this aristocrat thought that it was time to rant about a unique, silent film of interest made in that country … the exception that proves the rule… that film is "La Aldea Maldita", directed by Herr Florián Rey.

The film was made in the "talkie" year of 1930. Florian Rey had made a sound version of "La Aldea Maldita" that had even more success in France, where were shot a few scenes of said talkie. However, that sound version of "La Aldea Maldita" is lost forever. Last but not least, Herr Florián Rey made a remake of the film ten years later, a film that can't compare with the original, silent one. So to consider this film as one of the better Spanish silent film made at such late time, only proves the scarce interest or merits of early silent Spanish silent film productions; most of them full of tearful film serial-like folk and picturesqueness in which, obviously, avant-garde experiments had no place.

Herr Florián Rey had the original story of the film in his Spanish head during years but after having seeing a Russian film (an audacity, certainly), he decided to put in images from the story of a Castilian damned village. There the people must to emigrate in order to prevent hungry and misery due to the bad weather that spoils the harvest year after year.

Having in mind this communist point in the filming of "La Aldea Maldita", the longhaired might think that Soviet silent influences can be seen in the film. It's more evident in the story and concept itself, certainly, but for this German Count there is even more obviously the influence of German Expressionism. This occurs in the atmosphere, darkness and stylistic merits that made this film a remarkable one.. (There is even a scene that copied a shot from Herr Murnau's "Nosferatu" in where a shadow-hand grasps the heroine's heart.) Even the religious themes, so usual in almost every Spanish silent production, fits perfectly in a story in where codes of honour, traditions and respect must prevail among earthly subjects. The result is an oeuvre full of beautiful and at the same time sombre shots in where desperation prevails with no future and hopeless pervades the scenery as well as the main characters of this excellent film.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must to return to Deutschland.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

The English speaking world's knowledge of Spanish film before the death of Franco is pretty well zip - Bardem and Berlanga, Saura and, for the intrepid, Paul Naschy. There is a similar gap in knowledge of the Italian film, ending with WW2. You could say the same thing about many foreign language cinemas - notably Asian - but it does demonstrate the limitations of conventional film history and suggest the pattern it follows.

Out of this void comes LA ALDEA MALDITA. When a storm destroys the crops and plunges the village into even more misery,the people make a mass ox cart exodus. Arrogant farmer Larrañaga gets into a fight and is detained but wife Viance leaves. In more prosperous times, he retrieves her from degrading city work but continues to humiliate her.

Commentators home in on it's treatment of the oppressed state of women facing Castillian macho. It is alarming to notice how good a match it is with YOL, made in a totally different culture decades later. Rey was considered to be sympathetic to the Communist point of view but rather more interesting are the places where the film departs from cliché. Viance abandons her young child, blind father-in-law and jailed husband for the bright lights. The local money lender is shown as benevolent and more able to accept her faults than the town gossips - who are men.

Striking images of broad hat men in black, in the crumbling stone building community, are enlivened by touches like the kitten entering the door hole in the middle of the demo or the comic letter writing.

La ALDEA MALDITA comes late in the history of Spanish silent films. It is the work of possibly their most respected director of the day and it is certainly impressive. A sonorised version was prepared but has (probably fortunately) been lost and a somewhat battered copy of the silent film remains. The Filmoteca Espagnol copy has no translation.

A story about poverty, honour and forgiving in a small village in deep Castilla (Spain). In a time that women had no rights at all to live their own life, without the protection of men. To understand this movie, you'll have to transport your mind-set to the values of the 1920's – 1930's.

A dramatic experience of the capabilities of the human mind in a time that the concept of honour was completely determined by the grade of submission of your wife. I personally had quite a hard time trying to not hate the main male character.

The runtime of just under 1 hour is sufficient to tell this story, although you'll find some scenes not really fitting into the sequence of the story-telling.