Law of Desire (1987) La ley del deseo (original title)

Director:

Pedro Almodóvar

Writers:

Pedro Almodóvar (screenplay)
Pedro Almodóvar (story)

Release Date:

5 March 1987 (Argentina)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

A film makers sexual disorientation jepordizes his latest project.

Plot Keywords:

Memory | Love | Gay | Actress | Letter

Awards:

9 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Eusebio Poncela	...	Pablo Quintero
Carmen Maura	...	Tina Quintero
Antonio Banderas	...	Antonio Benítez
Miguel Molina	...	Juan Bermúdez
Fernando Guillén	...	Inspector de policía
Manuela Velasco	...	Ada, niña
Nacho Martínez	...	Doctor Martín
Bibiana Fernández	...	Ada - madre (as Bibí Andersen)
Helga Liné	...	Madre de Antonio
Germán Cobos	...	El Cura
Fernando Guillén Cuervo	...	Policía, chico
Marta Fernández Muro	...	Una Groupi
Lupe Barrado	...	Enfermera
Alfonso Vallejo	...	Sargento
Maruchi León	...	Hermana de Juan
José Manuel Bello	...	Guardia joven
Agustín Almodóvar	...	Abogado
Rossy de Palma	...	Locutora tele (as Rosy Von Donna)
José Ramón Pardo	...	Policía (as José R. Pardo)
Juan A. Granja	...	Modelo Impo
Angie Gray	...	Chica
Hector Saurint	...	Periodista
José Ramón Fernández	...	Chico 1
Pepe Patatín	...	Dependiente tienda
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Victoria Abril	...	Girl with Juan (uncredited)
Pedro Almodóvar	...	Dependiente ferretería (uncredited)

Directed by
Pedro Almodóvar		(as Pedro Almodovar)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Pedro Almodóvar		screenplay
Pedro Almodóvar		story

Produced by
Agustín Almodóvar	....	associate producer (as Agustin Almodovar)
Miguel Ángel Pérez Campos	....	executive producer (as Miguel A. Perez Campos)

Cinematography by
Ángel Luis Fernández		(as Angel L. Fernandez)

Film Editing by
José Salcedo		(as Jose Salcedo)

Art Direction by
Javier Fernández		(as Javier Fernandez)

Set Decoration by
Ramón Moya		(settings)

Costume Design by
José María De Cossío		(as Cossio)

Makeup Department
Jorge Hernández	....	assistant makeup artist
Juan Pedro Hernández	....	makeup artist (as Juan P. Hernández)
Teresa Matías	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Federico Bermúdez de Castro	....	production manager
Esther García	....	production manager (as Ester García)
Rosa Menéndez	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Agustín Almodóvar	....	second assistant director
Rafael Monleón	....	assistant director

Art Department
Federico del Cerro	....	property master
Carlos García Cambero	....	assistant decorator (as Carlos G. Cambero)
Vázquez Hermanos	....	props

Sound Department
Luis Castro	....	foley artist
Jacinto Cora	....	sound mixer
Manuel Ferreiro	....	sound assistant
Antonio Illán	....	sound re-recordist (as A. Illán)
Jesús Peña	....	sound effects
Jim Willis	....	sound (as James Willis)

Special Effects by
Reyes Abades	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Pablo Núñez	....	opticals

Camera and Electrical Department
Jorge Aparicio	....	still photographer
Enrique Bello	....	lighting technician
Rafael Castro	....	lighting technician
Macusa Cores	....	assistant camera
Luis Domínguez	....	lighting technician
Francisco Durán	....	lighting technician
Saturnino Fernández	....	lighting technician
Rafael García Martos	....	chief electrician
Ángel Gómez Martín	....	key grip
Eduardo Martín	....	second assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Josune Lasa	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Manolo Laguna	....	assistant editor (as Manuel Laguna)
Antonio Pérez Reina	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Maysa Matarazzo	....	soloist

Transportation Department
Luis Martín	....	transportation
Ángel Megino	....	transportation (as Megino)

Other crew
Mauricio Díez	....	budget controller
Marisa Ibarra	....	script girl
Alfonso Jadraque	....	permissions (as A. Jadraque)
Pablo Núñez	....	title designer
Luis José Rivera	....	production assistant
Domingo Sánchez	....	production secretary
Juan Antonio Torrijos	....	location manager
Ceesepe	....	poster (uncredited)

Thanks
Antonio Alvarado	....	thanks
Ángela Arregui	....	acknowledgment (as Ángela Arregui Duo)
Dis Berlin	....	acknowledgment
Miguel Ángel Campano	....	acknowledgment (as Miguel A. Campano)
Juan Antonio Puertas	....	acknowledgment
Manolo Quejido	....	acknowledgment
Teresa Ramallal	....	thanks

Production Companies

• El Deseo S.A.
• Laurenfilm

Distributors

• Cinevista (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• The Other Cinema (1988) (UK) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm
• Mundial Filmes (Brazil) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Van Blad (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Trío Los Panchos  group performers
• Camera Rent  camera equipment provided by
• Cinetel  electrical material
• Ferretería Gran Vía  acknowledgement
• Legis Cine S.A.  insurance
• Perís Hermanos  wardrobe
• Story Film  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

"La ley del deseo" - Spain (original title)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for a scene of explicit sexual content

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:NC-17 | Iceland:16 | Italy:VM18 | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:III | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | West Germany:18 (f)

Filming Locations:

Conil, Cádiz, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

El Deseo S.A.

Trivia:

In the scene where Tina (Carmen Maura) washes dishes in Pablo's (Eusebio Poncela) kitchen, she wears an apron that has the logo for "¿Que He Hecho Yo Para Merecer Esto!!" The logo is the same one as the one used for the Spanish posters for that film.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Here's Looking at You, Boy (2007)

Soundtrack:

Guardo che luna

Excellent movie

One of director Almodovars early films--and one of his best. A gay writer is basically stalked by a psychopath. The films manages to weave together comedy, drama and tragedy and make them all work! Also it manages to work in fairly explicit gay sex scenes and male nudity without it being exploitative--it just fits the storyline and characters. The movie takes a serious misstep about halfway through, throwing in a murder, but manages to regain its footing. The acting is pretty good--not great. Antonio Banderas is so-so as the psycho. I give him credit for engaging in gay sex scenes with no hesitation (I'd love to know what he thinks about this movie now!). The best thing about the movie is the direction--even when the story bogs down in spots, there's always something to look at on screen. Almodovar knows how to make films look beautiful and he, somehow, manages to have the settings fit the tone of the scene. How many directors can you say that about. An excellent film--well worth seeing. But if you're offended by explicit gay subject matter, stay away.