Soldados de Salamina (2003)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

David Trueba

Writers:

Javier Cercas (novel)
David Trueba (writer)

Release Date:

10 September 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

When the professor and writer Lola Sánchez is assigned to write a column in the newspaper about the Spanish Civil War...

Plot Keywords:

Spanish Civil War | Based On Novel

Awards:

12 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

Ariadna Gil	...	Lola
Ramon Fontserè	...	Rafael Sánchez Mazas
Joan Dalmau	...	Miralles
María Botto	...	Conchi
Diego Luna	...	Gastón
Alberto Ferreiro	...	Joven miliciano
Luis Cuenca	...	Padre de Lola
Lluís Villanueva	...	Miquel Aguirre (as Lluís X. Villanueva)
Julio Manrique	...	Pere Figueras
Ivan Massagué	...	Quim Figueras (20 años)
Bruno Bergonzini	...	Daniel Angelats (20 años)
Joaquín Notario	...	Capitán Collell
Merche Mar	...	Luz
Eric Caravaca	...	Camarero Dijon
Vahina Giocante	...	Asistente Social Dijon

Also Known As:

Salamina Soldiers (Australia) (TV title)
Soldiers of Salamina (International: English title)

Runtime:

119 min | Canada:118 min (Festivalissimo Montreal)

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish | Catalan | French

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Certification:

Spain:T | Norway:11 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Dijon, Côte-d'Or, France

Company:

Lolafilms

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Salaminos (2003) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Suspiros de España

Search For The Truth When The Answer Is Nothing

Trueba's 'Soladados de Salamina' is an interesting interpretation of the Spanish Civil War. The story is about a professor/writer who's in search of facts regarding a particular event that took place during the war. Her initial curiosity turns into determination to find the information. The film starts off a little slow but picks up in the second half. Some of the war scenes are shown as live footage which adds an authenticity. I wonder why Trueba chose to execute the entire film with washed out colour? Some of the locales, which would have looked great in colour, look pale. Pretty much everything looks gloomy and lacking in colour. The score is smooth and used efficiently. The cinematography excels in places. Ariadna Gil does a terrific job in portraying Lola. The character itself isn't very likable as is evident in her interaction with others, especially Concha. But by the end we see that she has gone through a transformation and Gil does that wonderfully. She is further brilliantly supported by Maria Botto and Diego Luna. Even though 'Soldados de Salamina' is a little tedious in the beginning, the story has heart and in the end, the viewer is moved by it's spirit.