• Berlanga’s 16th film and it starts with just pages and pages of title card prologues (not a good sign usually if you have to explain that much)
  • Still, it is clearly made in the Placido (1961- his best work) tradition breakthrough style—it is auteur cinema– a roving ensemble comedy, political, capturing frenetic dialogue in longer takes
  • One example is at the 34-37 minute mark, there are at least 14-15 people talking, a total of 40 or more in the frame in one shot, characters usher each other around blocking each other—dialogue flying
  • Literally uses toilet humor- haha, and it is right next to a political satirical joke
  • Berlanga has been doing this for exactly 40 years at this point, and he’s nearly 70 (he’d only make one more film)—many in the cast are old-timers as well
  • Another one of these longer takes—about 2 ½ minutes long at the 50-minute mark in the prison yard. Berlanga is sort of passing the baton of dialogue—six speaking parts with 50 people in the background
  • A prison riot- big ensemble
  • Recommend but not terribly close to the top 10 of 1993