Tesis (1996)

While doing a thesis about violence, Ángela finds a snuff video where a girl is tortured until death. Soon she discovers that the girl was a former student in her faculty...

Director:

Alejandro Amenábar

Writers:

Alejandro Amenábar (screenplay), Alejandro Amenábar (story),

Stars:

Ana Torrent, Fele Martínez, Eduardo Noriega

14 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ana Torrent	...	Ángela
Fele Martínez	...	Chema
Eduardo Noriega	...	Bosco Herranz
Xabier Elorriaga	...	Castro
Miguel Picazo	...	Figueroa
Nieves Herranz	...	Sena
Rosa Campillo	...	Yolanda
Paco Hernández	...	Padre Angela (as Francisco Hernández)
Rosa Ávila	...	Madre Angela
Teresa Castanedo	...	Presentadora T.V.
José Miguel Caballero	...	Conserje Videoteca
Joserra Cadiñanos	...	Vigilante
Julio Vélez	...	Encargado tren
Pilar Ortega	...	Encargada C. Ventas
Olga Margallo	...	Vanessa

Storyline

Why is death and violence so fascinating? Is it morally correct to show violence in movies? If so, is there a limit to what we should show? That's the subject of Ángela's examination paper. She is a young student at a film school in Madrid. Together with the student Chema (who is totally obsessed with violent movies) they find a snuff movie in which a young girl is tortured and killed. Soon they discover that the girl was a former student at their school...

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Plot Keywords:

violence | film school | torture | mutilation | man with glasses | 

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Taglines:

Me llamo Ángela. Me van a matar. [English Tagline: My name is Angela. They're going to kill me.]

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong and perverse violent content, brief strong sexuality and strong language

Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

12 April 1996 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Thesis

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

€721,214 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Las Producciones del Escorpión S.L., Sogepaq

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min 118 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film had a relatively small budget of P116 million - equal to about 696,000 EUROS.

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Goofs

In the final garage scene, the height of the camera has changed from approximately waist level to head height.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Title Card: WARNING: The following scenes may hurt the viewer's sensibility.

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Connections

References Of Mice and Men (1992)

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Soundtracks

"Máquinas en Celo"
Written by Ingresó Cadáver
Performed by Ingresó Cadáver

User Reviews

If it were in English, it would have made millions

Tesis is one of the finest Spanish films of the last 10 years. God help us if Tom Cruise remakes this first Amenabar gem as he has Abre los ojos> Vanilla Sky coming soon, blech! Using the iconic gaze of Ana Torrent--see her at 6 in Spirit of the Beehive or at 10 in Cria!-- Amenabar makes an obvious but still gripping statement about modern society's facination with violence in the media. Using phenomenal tracking shots, cross-referenced pov and suspenseful tension to maximum effect, he and his cast convert what could have been a hack DePalma style Hitchcock ripoff into art. An awareness of contemporary Spain certainly helps, as much that we Americans consider passe was fairly new over there at the time (not in 2001, alas.) Fele Martinez at his best, too.