Sangre y arena

The first movie version of Ibanez's BLOOD AND SAND was a Spanish production that was released in 1917. Ibanez wrote and co-directed the film. The print I saw, derived from the Filmoteca Valenciana, was in very good shape, although I don't think I've seen a movie tinted almost entirely in orange before.... meant to be blood red, I'm sure. The actors are obscure to this American, but the only one with more than one IMDb credit is José Portes; this was his first screen role, and he appeared in about twenty more movies over the next quarter of a century.

This version lacks the glamor of the better known versions of the movie. Bullfighting is viewed by the insiders as a tough, dangerous job, and glory is fleeting at best, and the money doesn't last. The audience is there for blood, and if it isn't the bull's, the fighter's will serve as well.

In common with other epics of this era, this makes use of the "illustrated text" method: first the title appears, then the performers act it out. The subplot of Plumitas the bandit is given a lot more coverage in this version, serving as a useful parallel to Gallardo's story. Street scenes set in the cities are a nice touch, as is the Easter Night Procession.

The IMDb lists the original run time at 66 minutes. This one came in at 59 minutes, alytough running speed may have had an impact. Certainly the story seemed complete, if a bit episodic. This was a very successful movie in Spain, which may have been the reason that Niblo made his 1922 version. It's very much a movie of its moment, with problems caused by the lack of innovation in moviemaking in the millieu. Still, it's nice to have this version which is truer to the author's intention.