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El espinazo del diablo (2001)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
20 April 2001 (Spain)
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Tagline:
The living will always be more dangerous than the dead. more
Plot:
It is 1939, the end of three years of bloody civil war in Spain, and General Franco's right-wing Nationalists...
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Awards:
6 wins
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7 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(23 articles)
Decade in Review: 2001 Top Ten
(From FilmExperience. 17 November 2009, 8:41 PM, PST)
Updated: Eugenio Mira shooting baroque retro-futuristic thriller Agnosia
(From QuietEarth. 5 November 2009, 2:26 PM, PST)
(From FilmExperience. 17 November 2009, 8:41 PM, PST)
Updated: Eugenio Mira shooting baroque retro-futuristic thriller Agnosia
(From QuietEarth. 5 November 2009, 2:26 PM, PST)
User Comments:
A Beautiful, Bloody Ghost Story
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Marisa Paredes | ... | Carmen | |
| Eduardo Noriega | ... | Jacinto | |
| Federico Luppi | ... | Dr. Casares | |
| Fernando Tielve | ... | Carlos | |
| Íñigo Garcés | ... | Jaime | |
| Irene Visedo | ... | Conchita | |
| José Manuel Lorenzo | ... | Marcelo | |
| Francisco Maestre | ... | El Puerco (as Paco Maestre) | |
| Junio Valverde | ... | Santi | |
| Berta Ojea | ... | Alma | |
| Adrián Lamana | ... | Gálvez | |
| Daniel Esparza | ... | Marcos | |
| Miguel Ortiz | |||
| Juan Carlos Vellido | |||
| Javier Bódalo | ... | Búho (as Javier González Madrigal) |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
The Devil's Backbone (Europe: English title) (UK) (USA)
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MPAA:
Rated R for violence, language and some sexuality.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
106 min | Australia:108 min
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Netherlands:16 |
Argentina:16 |
Australia:MA |
Canada:13+ (Quebec) |
Canada:R (Ontario) |
Chile:14 |
France:-12 |
Germany:16 |
Japan:PG-12 |
New Zealand:R16 |
Norway:15 |
Peru:14 |
Singapore:PG |
Spain:13 |
Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) |
UK:15 |
USA:R |
Finland:K-15
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Was strongly inspired by the director's personal memories, especially his relationship with his uncle, who supposedly came back as a ghost.
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Quotes:
Soundtrack:
Besos Frios
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (140 total)
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The year is 1939. The Spanish Civil War is nearing its bloody end. Ten year old Carlos, the orphaned son of a slain Republican, is left by his tutor at an isolated orphanage for boys. The school is destitute, barely able to provide enough food for the children, but headmistress Carmen and Dr. Casares do the best they can. Carlos accepts his fate bravely, but there are still school bullies to contend with, an unexploded bomb sitting in the courtyard as a constant reminder of the war which still rages, and an abusive caretaker named Jacinto who has his own secret agenda. As if that were not enough, a ghost begins stalking Carlos, the ghost of a boy named Santi whose demise is shrouded in mystery and who solemnly warns Carlos that many will soon die. As the war begins closing in on the orphanage, violence erupts within and Santi's prediction comes sadly true. But the worst has not yet happened. The abandoned boys must band together if they hope to survive, and the dead will aid their cause if they are to be avenged.
This is a beautiful movie, absolutely gorgeous from start to finish. The dusty, isolated landscape is a ghost itself and the constant threat of violence - from the war, to the bullies and, of course, from the traitorous Jacinto - gives this film an unrelenting atmosphere of tension and dread. The acting is superb, from the children as well as the adults. Federico Luppi as Dr. Casares is superb, providing us with a true hero, a gentleman of class and compassion. Eduardo Noriega is perfectly cast as the despicable Jacinto, making you despise him more and more as the film progresses. This is not just a ghost story, though the figure of Santi is central and key to everything that happens. It is a tale of love and honor as well as horror and ruin. It is a coming of age story and an adult drama. It also manages to be scary as hell when it wants to be.
Guillermo del Toro has made a masterpiece with "The Devils Backbone." Ten stars for this hauntingly lovely epic.