Le Moment de la vérité

Bullfighting never was a sport I had an interest in, but I figured it would make for a compelling drama. If nothing else, this film is as real as it gets. There are a bunch of major sequences that pits the main character against raging beasts. These scenes aren't staged or faked with trick photography of any kind; the players seriously put their lives on the line to confront real bulls on screen. They come dangerously close to getting mauled and gored, as they gracefully maneuver and evade the animals. Perhaps most shocking of all is that the bulls themselves are hurt on-screen, often soaked in blood, and the camera lingers on their agony.

There is a basic narrative at work; it's generally the same formula that goes into movies like Gladiator or Rollerball, for these are all movies where some dude gets involved with a deadly sport and proves to be so good at it that he's pushed to the top. The Moment of Truth is a more original feature though, with characters that look and act quite realistic. The film boasts some intriguing parallels to the politics of the time, but even on its own, the plot is not bad. My only complaint is that it's pretty dry in between the more exciting scenes.

The film has a look and style that's at least halfway like a documentary. Photography tends to be rather pedestrian-looking, and there are a lot of distant shots. It looks quite gritty and real this way, but I think it also distances the viewer a bit, and I think the film could have been more effective if the camera could be closer to the action. Editing is pretty rough for this film as well. Acting and writing tends to be understated, and appears authentic that way. This production uses some very real-looking sets, props, costumes, and locales. There is no music score.

This film reveals a lot: it shows the valor, courage, and skill of bullfighters, but also the bloody brutality and mortal danger of it all. If you have the stomach for it, it is worth seeing at least once.

4/5 (Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good)

This splendid picture concerns the rise and fall of a known Torero , Miguelin (Miguel Romero 'Miguelín') , inside and outside of the bullfighters ring . At the beginning he flees from his impoverished countryside origin , Jaen , for the broader horizons of the big city . This is a good film about a young who emigrates to big town , Barcelona , like many others ; however , he finds exploitation and hardworking ,and finally he gets his dream : to be a successful bullfighter . At the same time it deals with Spanish-style bullfighting , it is called Corrida De Toros (literally "running of bulls") or la fiesta ("the festival").

Neo-realist yarn talks about a young peasant goes to big city to achieve great success as matador . Along the way he finds distresses , penury and hard as well as part-time jobs . The flick deals with the relationship between man and society , between man and glory hunger . It describes the hardship existences of lower classes on countryside as well as big cities where a lot of people working for nothing in short wages and precarious works . Director Francesco Rosi attempts to reflect Spanish life of the past sixties , including social habits , as there appears ¨Holy Week¨ Procesiones , religious parades , San Fermin parties , Flamenco dancing , among others . Evocative and sensitive original musical score by Piero Piccioni and atmospheric songs of Saetas , Andaluz Cante , Flamenco and religious music . Colorful cinematography by Pasqualino De Santis , though a perfect remastering being necessary .

The film gives a real description about ¨Bullfighting¨ art , as the bull is released into the ring, where he is tested for ferocity by the matador and Banderilleros with the magenta and gold Capote ("Cape"). This is the first stage, the Tercio de Varas ("the lancing third"). The matador confronts the bull with the Capote, performing a series of passes and observing the behavior and quirks of the bull . Next, a picador enters the arena on horseback armed with a Vara (lance). In the next stage, the Tercio De Banderillas ("the third of Banderillas"), each of the three Banderilleros attempts to plant two Banderillas, sharp barbed sticks, into the bull's shoulders . In the final stage, the "the third of death" , the matador re-enters the ring alone with a small red cape, or Muleta, and a sword .

The motion picture was well directed by Francesco Rosi . Francesco Rosi was born (1922) in Naples , Campania, , location where he often shoots his films . Rosi is a very good Italian filmmaker whose themes are always more or less the same : the relationship between man and society , between man and power . Most of his films deal with controversial issues and have political messages . It includes terrorism issues , political murders , Mafia and policy . He tried to reflect a little of Italian life of the past fifty years , using Italy as the context ,all the problems that come from the oppression of people by power , whether it's economic power , military power , political power, or the power of the Mafia . Rossi was a writer and director, known for ¨Salvatore Giuliano¨ (1959) , "Hands Over the City" (1963), ¨Case Mattei¨ (1972) , ¨Lucky Luciano¨ (1973) , "Illustrious Corpses" (1976) , Carmen by Bizet (1984) , "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" (1987) and ¨Truce¨ (1997) .

This is not a movie about bull fighting .This is a movie which depicts bygone days ,when Spain was under a dictatorship and if you did not want to starve ,you had two possibilities: either become a bull fighter-remember this line :" who was Manuel Benitez before he became El Cordobes?/He was like us,he was starving" or a flamenco singer (The most famous was Joselito Jimenez ).Miguel,a peasant ,leaves the impoverished country for the broader horizons of the town like many others .But poverty awaits on them all,and he realizes he's working for nothing.Then he tries to become El Cordobes .It's the rise and fall of a bull fighter in the sixties,but once again,even if the bullfights are well filmed (if you like this kind of show,personally,I don't) the main thing is the depiction of Spanish life at a time when Western Europa's economy was expanding rapidly,leaving-temporarily- Spain and Portugal by the wayside .The best scene which perhaps sums up the whole movie is Miguel's return in his old home ,when his brand new car belts along the road across the fields where animal traction remains.

Even if Miguel became a rich man ,he would never be part of the folks on the hill;during the party,these posh people have not the slightest idea of the risks their "idol" has to take.

That a Spanish director would have been allowed to film such a subject was unthinkable ;it's one of Italian Francesco Rosi's most overlooked movies along with "Uomo Contro" .People generally know much better such movies as "Salavatore Giuliano" "Il Caso Mattei" "Cadaveri Eccelenti" or " Cristo Si E Fermato A Eboli" .His admirers could do worse than give a chance to "Il Momento Della Verità".

Rosi does not forget the prominent part played by religion .The movie begins and ends with this procession during The Holy week with its hooded penitents .The people seem imprisoned in these celebrations which frame the movie like safeguards.The main character does not appear in the first ten minutes .A short scene shows the bull fighter praying Virgin Mary before his last Corrida.

To make a good movie about bull fighting one should first contract a great matador: and Miguel Mateo Miguelin could hardly be braver or more graceful. I saw the movie despite my modern distaste for that ahem sport: and was at least semi-converted. In ancient northern religions, with their male animal gods, the animal god presents himself to the people to be ritually slaughtered. The ritual must be beautiful. The ritual must be risky: potentially fatal for the killing-man-priest as well as for the animal-god. Migueline shows how it's done when it's done right.

Bullfighting is not a field for which I will ever have any respect. A so-called sport where they kill an animal who doesn't know what the "game" is all about can't get called civilized.

Nonetheless, "Il momento della verità" ("The Moment of Truth" in English) is a fine movie. Francesco Rosi's look at a man's efforts to become a bullfighter has the feel of a documentary. It shows everything, right up to the grotesque stuff; animal rights activists will probably find some of the scenes despicable.

But no matter what you think, you can't ignore the effort that they put into this movie. I watched the Criterion DVD's interview with Rosi where he explains the production. While I did throw out rude comments at the movie - mostly referencing the cartoon where Bugs Bunny ends up in a bullfight - I still recommend it.

So, with apologies to Harry Belafonte, I do mat-adore her.