El verdugo (1963)

Director:

Luis García Berlanga

Writers:

Rafael Azcona (story)
Ennio Flaiano (writer)

Release Date:

17 February 1964 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

An undertaker gets married to an old executioner's daughter and, although he doesn't like it, must continue the profession of his father-in-law after his retirement.

Plot Keywords:

Executioner | Undertaker | Retirement | Death Penalty | Book Writer

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Nino Manfredi	...	José Luis Rodríguez, el enterrador
Emma Penella	...	Carmen, la hija de Amadeo
José Isbert	...	Amadeo, el verdugo (as Jose Isbert)
José Luis López Vázquez	...	Antonio Rodríguez, el hermano mayor de José Luis (as Jose Luis Lopez Vazquez)
Ángel Álvarez	...	Álvarez, el enterrador (as Angel Alvarez)
Guido Alberti	...	Director de la prisión
Julia Caba Alba	...	Mujer visitante de la obra nº 2
María Luisa Ponte	...	Estefanía (as Maria Luisa Ponte)
María Isbert	...	Ignacia (as Maria Isbert)
Erasmo Pascual
Xan das Bolas	...	Guarda de la obra
José Orjas	...	Marqués testigo de la ejecución (as Jose Orjas)
José María Prada	...	Funcionario de prisiones (as Jose Maria Prada)
Félix Fernández	...	Monaguillo nº 2 (as Felix Fernandez)
Antonio Ferrandis

Also Known As:

La ballata del boia (Italy)
Not on Your Life
The Executioner (International: English title)

Runtime:

Italy:90 min | Spain:87 min | USA:90 min | UK:91 min | Argentina:91 min | West Germany:90 min

Country:

Spain | Italy

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

C.E.A., Ciudad Lineal, Madrid, Spain

Company:

Interlagar Films

Trivia:

Voted second best Spanish film by professionals and critics in 1996 Spanish cinema centenary.

Movie Connections:

References Ben-Hur (1959)

Soundtrack:

El verdugo

Masterpiece

Another lesson of Berlanga about how to criticize the society avoiding censorship. "El Verdugo" looks like a comedy, sounds like a comedy, tastes like a comedy... But it is actually a fierce critic of the death penalty. The final sequence of this movie is one of the most brilliant ever (you cannot tell who's the criminal and who's the executioner!!!).

And what to say about the great José Isbert?? He was a character himself, with that voice, and that physique. I don't know if he was a genius, I just can say that there will never be another actor like him.

Berlanga + Azcona: an unbeatable team.

*My rate: 10/10