This extraordinary flick spells through intricate patterns of frames, sets, sound and color containing an interesting screenplay by the director himself. After the production problems of his first film: El Espiritu De La Colmena (Spirit of the beehive 1973), - suspension of filming a week before and use of some essential shots from other productions - and ten years in silence, Victor Erice directs this film based on the homonymous novel by Adelaida Garcia Morales to make her second movie, for the producer Elias Querejeta. The screenwriter and director Erice writes and directs a magnificent and long script articulated in two complementary parts. The first one was developed around La Gaviota's house , located on the outskirts of a city in northern Spain and narrates the complex relationships between Estrella, an 8-year-old girl, her father (Omero Antonutti) , a doctor with a mysterious past, and her mother Julia (Lola Cardona), within the context of the post Spanish Civil War. And the second part is set in a town in Andalusia, revealing the mystery of his father in his relationship with the actress Irene Rios (Aurora Clement), however this second part is never filmed and the film remains unfinished.
This is a brooding and thoughful film dealing with the world of adolescence, the complex relationships of an only daughter with her father, the fascination created by cinema, life in a lost town during the post-war years and the reflection of the south through the brief presence of the old maid -Rafaela Aparicio- and the grandmother. As well as the discovery of two other very young actresses, Sonsoles Aranguren, who almost never makes films again, and Iciar Bollaín, who began a promising career that even led her to direct, are also the main discoveries of this excellent film. This is a sensational film that dispenses a thought-provoking plot and considered to be one of the best Spanish films , in fact was voted sixth best Spanish film by professionals and critics in 1996 Spanish cinema centenary , while ¨El Espiritu de la Colmena¨ was voted third best Spaniard movie. But Erice considered his film El sur (1983) an unfinished work, as producer Querejeta really likes the script but he finds a 3-hour film unthinkable and Erice reduces it to just over two. Once the montage of the film located in the North is finished, while the shooting of the southern part is being prepared, in view of the edition Querejeta says he won't shoot it and adds a background voice, belonging to the character of Estrella, but located in the distant past, that fills in the narrative gaps as much as possible . Thus the film turns out to be a fragment of an ambitious failed project, and for many it is a true masterpiece, as proven by the many awards won. So producer Elías Querejeta suspended the project in the middle of the shooting due financial reasons. According to Erice, Querejeta promised him that he would be allowed to shoot the rest of the screenplay if he agreed to edit the filmed material. However, after the film premiered in competition at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival, Querejeta never fulfilled his promise.
It displays luxurious photography by magnificent cameraman José Luis Alcaine, as well as evocative musical score by Luis de Pablo. The motion picture was well directed by Victor Erice. He's one of the best Spanish directors , known for El sur (1983), El espíritu de la colmena (1973) y El sol del membrillo (1992). Erice was set to write and direct El embrujo de Shanghái (2002), based on a novel written by Juan Marsé. Although Marsé praised Erice'screenplay producer Andrés Vicente Gómez rejected it. After some rewrites, also rejected by the producer, Erice chose to leave the project and he was replaced by Fernando Trueba. Rating El sur(1983) : 7.5/10.
This is a brooding and thoughful film dealing with the world of adolescence, the complex relationships of an only daughter with her father, the fascination created by cinema, life in a lost town during the post-war years and the reflection of the south through the brief presence of the old maid -Rafaela Aparicio- and the grandmother. As well as the discovery of two other very young actresses, Sonsoles Aranguren, who almost never makes films again, and Iciar Bollaín, who began a promising career that even led her to direct, are also the main discoveries of this excellent film. This is a sensational film that dispenses a thought-provoking plot and considered to be one of the best Spanish films , in fact was voted sixth best Spanish film by professionals and critics in 1996 Spanish cinema centenary , while ¨El Espiritu de la Colmena¨ was voted third best Spaniard movie. But Erice considered his film El sur (1983) an unfinished work, as producer Querejeta really likes the script but he finds a 3-hour film unthinkable and Erice reduces it to just over two. Once the montage of the film located in the North is finished, while the shooting of the southern part is being prepared, in view of the edition Querejeta says he won't shoot it and adds a background voice, belonging to the character of Estrella, but located in the distant past, that fills in the narrative gaps as much as possible . Thus the film turns out to be a fragment of an ambitious failed project, and for many it is a true masterpiece, as proven by the many awards won. So producer Elías Querejeta suspended the project in the middle of the shooting due financial reasons. According to Erice, Querejeta promised him that he would be allowed to shoot the rest of the screenplay if he agreed to edit the filmed material. However, after the film premiered in competition at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival, Querejeta never fulfilled his promise.
It displays luxurious photography by magnificent cameraman José Luis Alcaine, as well as evocative musical score by Luis de Pablo. The motion picture was well directed by Victor Erice. He's one of the best Spanish directors , known for El sur (1983), El espíritu de la colmena (1973) y El sol del membrillo (1992). Erice was set to write and direct El embrujo de Shanghái (2002), based on a novel written by Juan Marsé. Although Marsé praised Erice'screenplay producer Andrés Vicente Gómez rejected it. After some rewrites, also rejected by the producer, Erice chose to leave the project and he was replaced by Fernando Trueba. Rating El sur(1983) : 7.5/10.