The Cuenca Crime

At the beginning of the XX century two men from the Spanish countryside were condemned for a crime they swore they hadn't committed. After endless sessions of torturing they confessed.

Though the most shocking thing about "El Crimen de Cuenca" (The crime of Cuenca) is the surprising ending, the sequences of the torture and of the interrogations are terribly hard. Pilar Miró perfectly portrayed how a scapegoat is made, how you can break anyone's will through the power of intimidation and pain, how to turn a man into something worst than a beast.

The cast gathered some of our best actors together: some from the theater (Dicenta, Mary Carrillo, Cervino), some from the cinema (Héctor Alterio -he's Argentinian, but has developed the most of his career in Spain-, Amparo Soler Leal, Fernando Rey)... this kind of cast would be just unthinkable nowadays.

PD: This movie was so controversial, and Miss Miró had to go through a military trial. The Guardia Civil (a police corps) was shown in a so bad light in "El crimen de Cuenca", dictator Franco had died a few years before the movie was released (in 1975), and the Guardia Civil was one of the most representative forces of his regime.

*My rate: 8/10

This is a shocking and showy film by Pilar Miró , also the producer , she made it in 1979 , it was scripted by Lola Salvador Maldonado , who also narrates the facts in a book published with the same name . The movie was initially banned in Spain and the director subjected to military martial courts . It happens on 21 August 1910, in the small town of Osa de la Vega, in the province of Cuenca , Jose Maria Grimaldos (Guillermo Montesinos) , known as «El Cepa», is seen on the road to the nearby village of Tresjuncos and then disappears . His family and mother (Mary Carrillo) fears foul play and reports it to the Guardia Civil (rural police) his disappearance and accusing two countrymen . In the subsequent judicial investigation the family and others express their suspicions that two men , Gregorio Valero (Daniel Dicenta) and Leon Sanchez (José Manuel Cervino) had killed him for his money . This first case was closed by a judge (Nicolás Dueñas) in September 1911 with no convictions . In 1913 a new , stiff and overzealous judge named Isasa (Héctor Alterio) arrives . Influenced by the local conservative congressman (a despot representative well played by Fernando Rey) , Judge Isasa decides to reopen the case . The two suspects are arrested by the Guardia Civil and under torture, confess to having killed the man and destroyed the body . The district attorney asks for the death penalty for both . Finally , on 25 May 1918 a popular jury convicted the two men of murder and they are sentenced to 18 years in prison . After serving eleven years, they are released under a general pardon on 20 February 1924 . Two years later, in early 1926 , it is discovered by chance that the reputed victim, Grimaldos, «El Cepa», was alive and had been living in a nearby town . The ugly truth is thus revealed and the innocence of the convicted men becomes evident . With many legal difficulties, the case is reopened and eventually reached the Supreme Court, where the convictions were overturned .

Based on actual facts , writer Ramón J. Sender, wrote the novel ¨The Place of a Man¨ in 1939 and later , in 1979, Pilar Miro directed the movie based on the story , while screenwriter Maldonado published her book . The movie contains intense drama , thrills , chills , brutal tortures and portentous interpretations . It is an attack against torture with scenes being depicted in great detail and crudity , though it results to be shocking and excessive , displaying a detailed exploitation violence . It is understood that the crime in the title is committed by the Guardia Civil in torturing the suspects . The meticulous and brutality description of tortures causes the U.C.D. (Union Centro Democratico ) government scares itself and then puts the film under military authority , being censored and kidnapped for long time and subsequently , Pilar Miró is judged by a military court , originating a great impact , including protests , strikes and manifestations . Being only movie prohibited from the democracy's foundation and elimination censorship (1977) . Finally , it is premiered in 1981 and under the restrictive anagram ¨S¨, created for erotic and super-violent pictures . As only in August 1981 was the film allowed to be shown in Spain where it was a box office hit . Main cast is pretty good and support cast is frankly excellent , such as Amparo Soler Lear , Francisco Casares , Eduardo Calvo , José Vivó , Mercedes Sampietro , Félix Rotaeta , Francisco Merino , Francisco Guijar , Guillermo Montesinos and many others . Colorful and appropriate cinematography by prestigious cameraman Hans Burmann . Evocative and rustic musical score by Anton Garcia Abril .

This stagy motion picture entitled The Crime of Cuenca was professionally directed by Pilar Miro , though resulted to be some violent and shocking . In 1982 Pilar was designated General Director of Cinema and from 1986 to 1989 was Directora General De RTVE . She was an expert filmmaker of Television chapters and occasionally for cinema . At the beginning she collaborates in Manuel Summers' screenplays , such as ¨Niña De Luto¨and ¨Juego De Oca¨. Her fetish actress , and alter-ego , was Mercedes San Prieto , whom directed in ¨Gary Cooper Que Estas En Los Cielos¨ and ¨Pajaro De Felicidad¨ , among others . Her film debut was ¨La Petición¨ , getting some successes such as ¨Hablamos Esta Noche¨ , ¨The dog in the manger¨ or ¨El Perro del Hortelano¨, ¨Beltenebros¨ , ¨The bird of happiness¨ , ¨Werther¨ , ¨Tu Nombre Envenena Mis Sueños¨ based on Joaquin Leguina novel and especially this ¨The Cuenca crime¨ . This one resulted to be a hit smash and got a lot of money at the Spanish box office , thanks to good cast , adequate set production and enjoyable atmosphere . Rating : Acceptable and passable .

The Crime of Cuenca is not an easy film to watch, nor does it intend to be. Its impact goes beyond the story it tells. It not only exposes one of the greatest judicial injustices in Spain but has also become a symbol of the fight against censorship. Pilar Miró, with her bold and uncompromising direction, immerses the viewer in an unsettling story where brutality and the absolute abuse of power are laid bare without filters.

But what unsettles the most is not just what it tells, but how it tells it. The film reconstructs the events with a rawness that remains shocking to this day. The performances of Daniel Dicenta and José Manuel Cervino are harrowing, and the relationship between their characters adds a level of humanity that makes their suffering even harder to endure. They are not just victims of justice but of a system corrupted by social pressure and impunity.

The torture scenes were, and still are, the most controversial aspect of the film. Miró does not hold back: she presents them in a stark and direct way, to the point of being almost unbearable. It is difficult not to look away, but that is precisely the point. It is not gratuitous violence but a way to expose the brutality of a system willing to create scapegoats just to close a case. However, the film does not dwell solely on violence. It goes further, focusing on the hypocrisy of a society that, without evidence, preferred to condemn rather than question.

On a technical level, the film stands out for its cinematography, which reinforces that feeling of suffocation and despair, and for Antonio García Abril's score, which accompanies the story without overemphasizing the tragedy. The supporting cast is also crucial, with names like Fernando Rey, Héctor Alterio, and Amparo Soler Leal, all of whom add depth and weight to the narrative.

Perhaps The Crime of Cuenca is not a perfect film. At times, its tone is too theatrical, and some scenes extend the suffering of its protagonists longer than necessary. But its significance goes beyond cinema. It is a necessary testimony, a reminder of how easy it is to fabricate truth through lies and the dangers of a justice system that seeks culprits rather than the truth.