Cría Cuervos (1976)

Three orphaned sisters under the custody of their stern aunt and their handicapped grandmother will have to acclimatise to the new conditions of their shared life, overcome life's constant impediments, and in the process, grow up.

Director:

Carlos Saura

Writer:

Carlos Saura (screenplay)

Stars:

Geraldine Chaplin, Mónica Randall, Florinda Chico

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Geraldine Chaplin	...	María / Ana
Mónica Randall	...	Paulina
Florinda Chico	...	Rosa
Ana Torrent	...	Ana niña
Héctor Alterio	...	Anselmo
Germán Cobos	...	Nicolás Garontes
Mirta Miller	...	Amelia Garontes
Josefina Díaz	...	Abuela
Conchita Pérez	...	Irene
Mayte Sanchez	...	Maite (as Maite Sánchez)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Juan Sánchez Almendros

Storyline

In Madrid, the orphan sisters Irene, Ana and Maite are raised by their austere aunt Paulina together with their mute and crippled grandmother after the death of their mother and their military father Anselmo. Ana is a melancholic girl, fascinated by death, after seeing her mother having a painful death and her father dead in bed.

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Plot Keywords:

flashback | francoist spain | poison | childhood fantasy | childhood trauma | 

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Taglines:

Raise Ravens and they'll Peck out Your Eyes.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

18 May 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cría Cuervos

Filming Locations:

15 Calle de María de Molina, Madrid, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Elías Querejeta Producciones Cinematográficas S.L.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa # 46112.

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Quotes

Rosa: Your poor mother wanted to breastfeed you, but she was too pale and delicate. So I was the one who really nursed you.
Ana: Did you breastfeed me?
Rosa: Heavens, no. I gave you a bottle.
Ana: You've got big breasts. Will you show me?
Rosa: What do you think this is, a circus?
Ana: Come on, show me! I'll close my eyes and count to five... Oh! They're so big!

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Connections

Featured in Zomergasten: Episode #7.4 (1994)

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Soundtracks

Por que te vas
Written by José Luis Perales
Performed by Jeanette

User Reviews

Morbid Recollections of a Dark Childhood

In Madrid, the orphan sisters Irene (Conchota Pérez), Ana (Ana Torrent) and Maite (Maite Sánchez) are raised by their austere aunt Paulina (Mônica Randall) together with their mute and crippled grandmother after the death of their mother (Geraldine Chaplin) and their military father Anselmo (Héctor Alterio). Ana is a melancholic girl, fascinated by death, after seeing her mother having a painful death and her father dead in bed.

"Cria Cuervos" is a beautiful and sad movie of Carlos Saura that can be watched in two levels: in the first plane, it is a film that recalls the style of the family dramas of Ingmar Bergman. However, in a deeper level, the story is actually a metaphor of the recent Spanish political history, and each character represents a segment of their society: Ana's father represents the military dictatorship of Franco; her dying mother, the republic; her grandmother, those who miss the republic; Ana is probably the youth with a sad childhood surrounded by deaths. The conclusion is a message of hope for the people. I believe that those familiarized with the Spanish history would find many other elements, but in both levels this movie is wonderful. The title is a reference to the Spanish proverb "Cría cuervos y te sacaran los ojos" which means "Raise the ravens, and they will remove your eyes". Ana Torrent shows her amazing talent in the beginning of her successful career. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Cría Cuervos…" ("Raise Ravens…")