El Verdugo

While a lot of cinefiles have a high opinion of this dark screwball comedy, I found it hard to place. For me, darker elements of the story and farce comedy didn't mix well. Admittedly, I dislike farce overall. There are some interesting scenes, in particular that part where unwilling executioner gets dragged by the guards to do his job while condemned is content with his fate struck me as a high point of the film. Not as good movie as they say it is.

It concerns an undertaker who marries the executioner's daughter and then gets reluctantly roped into becoming an executioner himself. Reading comments by others, it seems that it's supposed to be a sharp critique of the death penalty. As an American viewer in 2009 I didn't get that from it, but in hindsight I can see it. It doesn't really change my opinion of the film either way. I thought it was very entertaining and the characters were quite funny, especially José Isbert as the elder hangman.

A very good dark comedy about a gravedigger who falls in love with an executioner's daughter. At times it gets a little repetitive but some sharp wit and criticism makes it worthwhile.

A powerful tragicomedy, which, while Spanish-speaking, was co-penned by Ennio Flaiano and stars Nino Manfredi - enough to make it barely distinguishable from Italy's cinema of that era. A profound yet very subtle existential and political subtext is present.

A very dark comedy, to the point where you start wondering whether you're supposed to laugh at all. And that's when the absurdity of the entire premise creeps in and gets under your skin. And somehow the humor just makes the darkness even thicker.

One of the darkest and funniest dark comedy screenplays I’ve ever seen transcribed to the screen. Great balance between theatrical and cinematic, the frantic fluctuations of the protagonist equip the lead actor and cameraman with great potential for performance and blocking - and the potential is maximized. The simple linear story accumulating to the final desperate attempts to claw out of unintended life circumstances brought A Serious Man to mind. Mix that with some Bunuel and Kafka…

Viewing of this hampered somewhat by a poor English subtitle translation, so based on other comments, I’m assuming the screenplay is far more clever and witty in its native language; it’s still clear that this is a film interested in the bleak ironies and despair of its leading characters. Dips into hectic farce a little too often to be satisfying overall, but the finale at least has a nice dark kick to it. Would be worth a revisit with a better English translation.

# 358

Interesting and unusual black (semi-)comedy. I liked it well enough, yet at the same time was a bit disappointed. Think I might've been missing some things due to the language barrier.

Opinión personal: 7 Actores: 7.5 Guión: 7.5 Fotografía: 7 BSO: 6 Otros:7 Iluminación: FX: Director:7 Humor:5 Vestuario/caracterización: Ritmo:8 Total: 71

277

This is repeatedly considered to be one of the greatest Spanish films for reasons which escape me completely. Of course, there are the obvious interesting juxtapositions; an executioner's daughter giving birth - to the child of an undertaker being forced unwillingly into giving and taking lives. Aside from this, the direction is merely adequate with only a couple of shots standing out, the acting mediocre and it fails as both screwball and dark comedy. Interesting on paper, but not worth 87mins.

More like "El Cocker Spaniel arms"

If Gogol lived in Franco's Spain . . . a dark comedy involving bureaucracy, real estate fraud, and the people that are stuck doing the dirty jobs. There are some amazingly staged scenes and emotional gut punches. José Isbert is retiring from his exectioner job, but needs his reluctant son-in-law to claim his mantle to score a sweet government apartment. When the old man compares the Spanish garrote to the barbaric American electric chair, there's some serious professional pride on display.

304

Amusing and mostly entertaining satire of life and values in Spain at this time and capital punishment.

#323