L'arbre de Guernica (1975)

The Spanish Civil War, as experienced by the town of Villa Ramiro. The local count and his Fascist nephews ally with the rebels; the count's son, indifferent to politics at the outset, ... See full summary »

Director:

Fernando Arrabal

Writers:

Fernando Arrabal, Francesco Cinieri (collaborating writer)

Stars:

Mariangela Melato, Ron Faber, Cosimo Cinieri

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mariangela Melato	...	Vandale
Ron Faber	...	Goya
Cosimo Cinieri	...	Rafael
Rocco Fontana	...	Antonio
Franco Ressel	...	Onesimo
Mario Novelli	...	Ramiro
Cirylle Spiga	...	Angel (as Cyrille Spiga)
Diego Bardon	...	Toreador
Adriano Cornelli	...	Soldier
Luigi D'Ecclesia	...	Soldier
Domenico Imperato	...	Soldier (as Mimmo Imperato)
Franco Doria	...	Soldier
Salvatore Furnari	...	Soldier
Bento Urago	...	Count Cerralbo
Antonio Epifania	...	Gomez

Storyline

The Spanish Civil War, as experienced by the town of Villa Ramiro. The local count and his Fascist nephews ally with the rebels; the count's son, indifferent to politics at the outset, later makes a choice; the town's teacher, Antonio Garcia, a pacifist, tries not to take sides but to inspire the children with ideas; a beautiful eccentric woman, Vandale, brings leadership and strength to the town; dwarfs long for equality. The fictive story of Villa Ramiro is inter-cut with archival footage of the war itself. The town is near Guernica, and the local Republicans draw inspiration from its freedom tree.

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Plot Keywords:

spanish civil war | fascist | dwarf | archival footage | teacher | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 May 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Guernica Tree

Filming Locations:

Matera, Basilicata, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Babylone Films, Ci-Le Films, Les Productions Jacques Roitfeld

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

User Reviews

Excellent surrealism

I got a chance to see a rare copy of this film, and if you can find it, I recommend seeing it. Arrabal condenses the entire Spanish Civil War into the fictional events around and in Villa Rimira. He masterfully illustrates the social relationships between the different classes while creating a fascinating piece. Very visual. Very metaphoric. A must see.