Bad Education (2004) La mala educación (original title)

Director:

Pedro Almodóvar

Writer:

Pedro Almodóvar

Release Date:

19 March 2004 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Plot:

An examination on the effect of Franco-era religious schooling and sexual abuse on the lives of two longtime friends.

Plot Keywords:

School | Teacher | Catholic | Sexual Abuse | Screenplay

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 12 wins & 30 nominations

Cast

Gael García Bernal	...	Ángel / Juan / Zahara
Fele Martínez	...	Enrique Goded
Daniel Giménez Cacho	...	Padre Manolo
Lluís Homar	...	Sr. Manuel Berenguer
Francisco Maestre	...	Padre José
Francisco Boira	...	Ignacio
Juan Fernández	...	Martín
Nacho Pérez	...	Ignacio (as Ignacio Pérez)
Raúl García Forneiro	...	Enrique (as Raúl Gª Forneiro)
Javier Cámara	...	Paca / Paquito
Alberto Ferreiro	...	Enrique Serrano
Petra Martínez	...	Madre
Sandra
Roberto Hoyas	...	Camarero
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Agustín Almodóvar	...	Enrique's pool attendant (uncredited)
Pedro Almodóvar	...	Pool cleaner (uncredited)
Sara Montiel	...	Soledad (archive footage) (uncredited)
Pau Poch	...	Niño (uncredited)
Leonor Watling	...	Mónica (uncredited)

Directed by
Pedro Almodóvar

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Pedro Almodóvar

Produced by
Agustín Almodóvar	....	producer
Pedro Almodóvar	....	producer
Esther García	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Alberto Iglesias

Cinematography by
José Luis Alcaine

Film Editing by
José Salcedo

Casting by
Joserra Cadiñanos

Art Direction by
Antxón Gómez

Set Decoration by
Pilar Revuelta

Costume Design by
Paco Delgado
Jean-Paul Gaultier

Makeup Department
Juan Casado	....	additional hair stylist: second unit
Rosa Castillón	....	additional hair stylist: second unit (as Rosita Castillón)
Vicent Gaya	....	additional hair stylist: Valencia (as Vicenta Gaya)
Pepito Juez	....	hair stylist
Ana Lozano	....	makeup artist
Carolina López	....	second assistant makeup artist
María Carmen López	....	additional makeup artist
Natalia Montoya	....	additional makeup artist
Mariló Osuna	....	additional makeup artist
Peter Owen	....	wig maker
María Elena Pérez	....	additional hair stylist
Suzanne Stokes-Munton	....	wig maker
Karol Tornaria	....	assistant hair stylist (as Carolina Tornaria)
Karol Tornaria	....	assistant makeup artist (as Carolina Tornaria)
Caroline Turner	....	wig maker
Jessica Williams	....	wig maker

Production Management
Susana Asenjo	....	assistant production manager
Sergio Díaz	....	assistant production manager
Verónica Díaz	....	assistant production manager
Concha Fontenla	....	assistant production manager trainee
Esther García	....	unit production manager
Toni Novella	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alicia Fdez. Alberdi	....	trainee assistant director (as Alicia Fernández)
Adolfo Bellido	....	third assistant director
Jorge Dorado	....	second assistant director (as Jorge C. Dorado)
Ainara Gamero	....	second assistant director (as Ainhara Gamero)
Patricia Guadaño	....	third assistant director
David Martínez	....	assistant director

Art Department
Inés Aparicio	....	assistant decorator
Jordi Carrasco	....	props: Valencia
Enrique Chirivella	....	props: Valencia
Gabriel del Boca	....	assistant graphic designer: Studio Gatti
Vicent Díaz	....	property master
M.A. Faura	....	property master: Barcelona
Alexandra Fernández	....	assistant set decorator: Galicia
Toni Fuertes	....	property master: Valencia
Toni Fuster	....	assistant property master: Valencia
Federico García Cambero	....	set decorator coordinator
Enrique García	....	construction coordinator
Joseba Garmendia	....	second assistant set decorator: second unit
Juan Gatti	....	graphic designer
Joxean Goya	....	props: second unit
Carlos Grané	....	props: second unit
Quique Gutiérrez	....	props (as Enrique Gutiérrez)
Mikel Izaguirre	....	props
Rafa Jannone	....	assistant set decorator: Valencia (as Rafael Jannone)
Mara Matey	....	assistant set decorator
Mónica Monedero	....	assistant set decorator: second unit
Alejandro Pavón	....	props
Rubén Rivas	....	graphic designer
Iñaki Rubio	....	property master
Germans Salvador	....	upholstery: Barcelona (as Germáns Salvador)
Juan E. Sánchez	....	assistant graphic designer: Studio Gatti (as Juan Sánchez)
Alberto Sánchez-Cabezudo	....	storyboard artist (as Alberto Sánchez Cabezudo)
Juan Ignacio Viñuales	....	props

Sound Department
José Antonio Bermúdez	....	sound mixer
Manuel Corrales	....	sound effects (as Manolo Corrales)
Jaime Fernández-Cid Buscató	....	boom operator (as Jaime Fernández-Cid)
Diego Garrido	....	assistant sound editor
Diego Garrido	....	assistant sound mixer
Manolo Laguna	....	assistant sound editor (as Manuel Laguna)
Ruth Márquez	....	assistant boom operator
Rosa Ortiz	....	sound editor
Joaquín Pizarro	....	sound mixing assistant
Miguel Rejas	....	direct sound
Iván Mayoral	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Mónica Alarcón	....	special effects makeup: DDT Efectos Especiales
Xavi Bastida	....	special effects makeup: DDT Efectos Especiales
Félix Cordón	....	special effects: F&P, S.L.
David Martí	....	special effects makeup: DDT Efectos Especiales
Montse Ribé	....	special effects makeup: DDT Efectos Especiales

Visual Effects by
Sara Alavés	....	visual effects producer
Nike Alonso	....	visual effects producer
Jorge Calvo	....	visual effects supervisor
Juanjo Carretero	....	scanner operator
María Carretero	....	digital artist
Óscar Cerdán	....	optical effects
Bruno de la Calva	....	visual effects: post-production
Eduardo Díaz	....	visual effects: post-production
Juancho Fernández	....	visual effects: post-production
Tomás González	....	visual effects: post-production
Iván López	....	visual effects: post-production
Carlos Martínez	....	optical effects
Johnny Raphael	....	digital artist (as Johnny Raphael Sardi)
Rubén Rivas	....	digital artist
Rubén Sanz	....	visual effects producer
Jesus Lavin	....	digital effects artist: MadPix (uncredited)
Luisma Lavin	....	digital effects artist: MadPix (uncredited)
Pablo Urrutia	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jorge Asenjo	....	additional electrician
Fernando Beltrán	....	gaffer
Silvia Camacho	....	video technician
Miguel Ángel Cano	....	additional electrician
Albert Carreras	....	camera operator: second unit (as Alberto Carreras)
Natalia Cedres	....	video technician: second unit
Roberto Cuadrado	....	electrician trainee: Galicia unit
José Ramón Delgado	....	assistant camera
Alfredo Díaz	....	key grip
Carlos García	....	additional electrician
Toni García	....	assistant camera: second unit
Juan Carlos Gorriz	....	assistant camera: second unit
Luis Lattanzi	....	camera trainee
Diego López Calvin	....	still photographer
Diego López	....	still photographer
Joaquín Manchado	....	camera operator
Raúl Manchado	....	second assistant camera
José Molero	....	grip
José Morales	....	electrician trainee: Galicia unit
Juan Pompas	....	additional electrician
Enrique Pérez	....	electrician
Fernando Requera	....	electrician trainee
Antonio Rodríguez	....	second assistant camera: second unit (as Toni Rodríguez)
Albert Roige	....	camera operator: second unit
Marcelino San Eugenio	....	electrician (as Marcelo San Eugenio)
Gemma Silvestre	....	video technician: second unit
Alberto Sánchez Beltrán	....	electrician (as Alberto Sánchez)
César Villalba	....	second assistant camera: second unit

Casting Department
Ana Sanz	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ana Cuerda	....	costume supervisor
Sonia Isla	....	wardrobe
Pepe Reyes	....	costume supervisor
Macarena Ribera	....	additional wardrobe: Valencia
Marina Rodríguez	....	wardrobe: second unit
Paola Torres	....	second costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Felisa Catalinas	....	negative cutter
Yolanda Cáceres	....	color timer
Diego Garrido	....	assistant editor
Lionel Hustaix	....	color timer
Manolo Laguna	....	assistant editor (as Manuel Laguna)
Ascen Marchena	....	post-production
Noemí Dulau	....	assistant colorist: scanner (uncredited)
Noemí Dulau	....	digital intermediate colorist assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
Tito Alcedo	....	musician: guitar
Chris Barrett	....	assistant music recording engineer
Óscar Boada	....	chorus director
Javier Casado	....	musician: piano
Javier Crespo	....	musician: guitar
José Luis Crespo	....	music mixer engineer
José Luis Crespo	....	music recording engineer
Ángel Crespo	....	musician: percussion
Luis Augusto Da Fonseca	....	musician: counterbass
Alejandro Domínguez	....	musician: violin
Arnau Farré	....	musician: organ
Pavel Gomziakov	....	musician: cello
Alberto Iglesias	....	conductor: London Session Orchestra
Sonia Lozano	....	assistant music producer
Ara Malikian	....	musician: violin
Julia Malkova	....	musician: viola
Víctor Merlo	....	musician: counterbass
Teresa Pont	....	musical agent
Raúl Quilez	....	additional music mixer
Raúl Quilez	....	additional music recordist
Jordi Rigol	....	musician: piano
Lluís Rigol	....	musician: piano
José Miguel San Bartolomé	....	musician: trumpet
Bob Sands	....	musician: saxophon (as Bob Sands)
Zograb Tatevosyal	....	musician: second violin
Tibor Toth	....	musician: counterbass
Martín Verde	....	music copyist
Gavyn Wright	....	musician: concertino (as Gavin Wright)

Transportation Department
Miguel Antequera	....	transportation coordinator: Valencia
Antonio Barrio	....	driver: director
Ángel Megino	....	transportation coordinator (as Megino)

Other crew
Rosa María Aznar	....	runner (as Rosa Aznar)
Alberto Barrera	....	location manager: Valencia
Nuria Benito	....	administration staff: Galicia
Óscar Benito	....	administration staff: Galicia
Luiso Berdejo	....	script trainee
Yuyi Beringola	....	script supervisor
Alejo Bruna	....	runner: second unit
Rubén Bueno	....	set runner trainee: Galicia unit
Raquel Castillero	....	production assistant: Barcelona
Luz Chouza	....	production assistant: Galicia
Cristina Cordero	....	administration staff: Galicia unit
Pepe Cruz	....	laboratory director (as José Cruz)
Alberto Cuesta	....	runner
Adela Donamaría	....	production secretary
Concha Doñaque	....	coach: Spanish
Daniel Díaz	....	runner: second unit
Verónica Díaz	....	production assistant
Xabier Eirís	....	location manager: Galicia unit (as Xavier Eiris)
Teresa Elías	....	administration staff: Galicia unit
Luis Fabregas	....	runner: second unit
Mariola Fuentes	....	acting coach
Covadonga R. Gamboa	....	production coordinator
Carlos García	....	additional production assistant: Valencia unit
Lola García	....	executive assistant to director
Lola García	....	head production office
Mauricio Diaz Ginato	....	coordinator to executive producer (as Mauricio Díaz Ginato)
Javier Giner	....	assistant to director
Antonio González	....	additional production assistant: Valencia unit
Beatriz Gordo	....	payroll
Antonio Goyanes	....	story manager
Israel Goyanes	....	story manager
Iván Gómez	....	location manager: Barcelona unit
Javier Hernanz Zajara	....	engineer
Rafael Hostelería	....	caterer
Esther Jiménez	....	additional production assistant: Valencia unit
José Lozano	....	additional production assistant: Valencia
Javier López	....	engineer
Christain Mallol	....	runner: second unit
Pere Molero	....	additional production assistant: Valencia
Yuriria Montero	....	production secretary
Roberto Murillo	....	religious advisor
Francisco Navarro	....	additional production assistant: Valencia
Josep Oliver i Valls	....	gardener: Barcelona
Rafael Pajares	....	production assistant
Diego Pajuelo	....	financial advisor
Marc Pastor	....	additional production assistant: Valencia unit
María de los Angeles Paul	....	additional production assistant: Valencia unit (as María Ángeles Paul)
Bárbara Peiró	....	public relations: international (as Bárbara Peiró)
Tato Perdiguero	....	location manager
María Elena Piquer	....	additional production assistant: Valencia
Carlota Planas	....	legal advisor
Norman Portell	....	runner: second unit
Santiago Ramírez	....	additional production assistant: Valencia
Laura Ripio	....	administration staff: Galicia
Alfredo Robles	....	runner
Federico Rozadillas	....	production assistant
Javier Ruiz	....	administrative assistant
María Paz Sancho	....	receptionist
Silvia Sancho	....	payroll assistant
Sandra	....	coach
Abel Sellares	....	runner: second unit
Rosa María Serrano	....	press assistant
Xabier Soler	....	runner: second unit
Paz Sufrategui	....	press attache
Daniel Thomas	....	runner: second unit
Lluís Thomas	....	runner: second unit
María Isabel Toribio	....	additional production assistant: Valencia
Max Trullas	....	runner: second unit
Carlos Uceda	....	set runner trainee: Galicia
Óscar Valero	....	financial director
Jordi Villagras Creus	....	gardener: Barcelona
Arancha Yusti	....	financial assistant
John Charles	....	software engineer: Sony DAC (uncredited)
Michelle Dunton	....	script researcher (uncredited)

Thanks
Guillermo Alonso del Real	....	thanks
Antoni Andreu	....	thanks
Gisele Arce	....	thanks
Javier Benito	....	thanks
Gene Cabaleiro	....	thanks
Paco Casado	....	thanks
Beatriz Fernández Castro	....	thanks
Pedro Costa	....	thanks
Francisco Delgado	....	special thanks
Adolfo Domínguez	....	thanks
Pedro Díaz	....	thanks
Natacha Fernández	....	thanks (as Natacha Fernández Galindo)
Juan Flahn	....	special thanks
Joan Garcés	....	thanks
Carlos García Cambero	....	special thanks
Esther García	....	special thanks
Lola García	....	special thanks
Juan Gatti	....	special thanks
Mauricio Diaz Ginato	....	special thanks (as Mauricio Díaz)
Javier Giner	....	special thanks
Julia Goytisolo	....	thanks
Amalia Hermo	....	special thanks
Rosario Herraz	....	thanks
Lala Huete	....	thanks
Fernando Iglesias	....	special thanks
Manuel Jodar	....	thanks
José Luis López-Linares	....	special thanks
Javier Marco	....	thanks
Javier Mariscal	....	thanks
Teresa Mateos-Cañero	....	thanks
Víctor Molero	....	special thanks
Francis Montesinos	....	thanks
Sara Montiel	....	thanks
José Luis Muñoz	....	thanks
Joaquín Notario	....	special thanks
Francisca Pajuelo	....	special thanks
Luis Pardo	....	thanks
Lola Redolli	....	thanks
Jesús Robles	....	special thanks
Amparo Sanmartín	....	thanks
Mariano Sastre	....	thanks
Jesús Silva	....	thanks
Blanca Sánchez	....	thanks
Beatriz Uría Gutiérrez	....	thanks
Ana Vilches	....	thanks
Leonor Watling	....	special thanks
Felipe Álvaro	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Canal+ España
• El Deseo S.A.
• Televisión Española (TVE)

Distributors

• Warner Sogefilms S.A. (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2004) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• EDKO Film (2004) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• GAGA (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2004) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2004) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Pathé (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• TOBIS Film (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Quality Film Collection)
• Encuentro (2012) (Argentina) (TV)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Gutek Film (2004) (Poland) (all media)
• Medyavizyon (2004) (Turkey) (all media)
• Nederlandse Programma Stichting (NPS) (2007) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Paradise Group (2004) (Russia) (all media)
• Prisvídeo - Edições Videográficas (2004) (Portugal) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• F & P S.L.

Other Companies

• 2001  extras casting
• Amalgama  electrical equipment
• Cinetel  electrical equipment
• Cornejo  costumes
• Cámara Rent Internacional S.A.  camera equipment
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Enelmo  generator
• Estudios Cinearte  sound editing
• London Session Orchestra, The  orchestra
• Molinare  visual effects

Also Known As:

"La mala educación" - Spain (original title)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for a scene of explicit sexual content

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish | Latin

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-15 | Mexico:C | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Poland:15 | Singapore:R21 (cut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:NC-17 | USA:R (special edition) | Iceland:16 | Taiwan:R-18 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Germany:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Brazil:18 | Hungary:16 | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Denmark:11

Filming Locations:

Escuela Pías de Alella, Alella, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Canal+ España

Trivia:

The ending of the film was only resolved in the editing suite. An alternate ending (which only resolves the film-within-the-film) is available as a "deleted scene" on the DVD.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When young Ignacio is singing to Father Manolo as a birthday present his lips move a little before we hear the lyrics

Quotes:

Ignacio:I think I've just lost my faith at this moment, so I no longer believe in God or hell. As I don't believe in hell, I'm not afraid. And without fear I'm capable of anything.

Movie Connections:

References The Adultress (1953)

Soundtrack:

Quizás, Quizás, Quizás

From mellowing to melodrama

Spoilers

Since 'Hable con ella' ('Talk to her', for which my summary line was 'Almodovar mellowing?') which some consider Almodovar's best, his fans have been looking forward to his next one with great expectation but also some apprehension as to how could he possibly tope it, in the sheer ingenious creativity, if nothing else. Bound for Cannes release, Bad Education soon demonstrated that the apprehension is not unfounded. It is, after all, not easy to surpass the achievement of Hanle con ella. Undoubtedly still Almodovar, Bad Education however is Almodovar melodrama, a little short of Almodovar masterpiece.

The film opens with attention grabbing, definitive music (regardless of what mood) that is Almodovar's hallmark. Similarly, we see the inimitable Almodovar feuding colours. Homosexuality and fetishism you'll almost always expect in an Almodovar film but there is less extreme perversity and violence compared with some of his other pictures.

And here comes the plot. The story of the young altar boys is told in a manuscript of a book entitled 'The Visit', which is used by one of the grown-up boys Ignacio, now a transvestite called Zahara, as a tool for blackmailing Father Manolo. But wait, all this is just in a screenplay. The story of Father Manolo and the altar boys however is real. The real Ignacio is the screenplay writer, who is trying to get Enrique the film director, another grown-up altar boy, to produce the film. But wait again, Ignacio doesn't want to be called Ignacio, claiming that he is now a fully transformed person called Angel, an actor trying very hard to get to play the part Zahara. Having fun yet? There's more. Enrique becomes suspicious if Ignacio/Angel is really the Ignacio he knew as a kid, and embarks on an investigation. Meanwhile, Father Monolo jumps out of the screenplay, materialising as a real person. And all these stories within stories are told jumping back and forth between past and present, fiction and reality. Enough? There's more, a lot more.

In the end, Bad Education, while enormously entertaining, stops at being just that instead of moving further into the realm of depth of emotion and breadth of creativity we see in Talk to Her and All About Mother. However, in addition to the entertainment, there is one particularly bright spot, one Gael Garcia Bernal (playing Angel and all the rest of them) who first served notice in the brilliant Mexican film Amores perros (2000) that he has to be reckoned with. I just can't wait to see him play Cuban revolutionary icon 'Che' Geuvara in Motorcycle Diaries (2004).