Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Holy Innocents

Original title: Los santos inocentes
  • 19841984
  • PGPG
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
4.1K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
23,849
2,522
Belén Ballesteros, Alfredo Landa, Terele Pávez, Francisco Rabal, Juan Sachez, and Susana Sánchez in The Holy Innocents (1984)
Watch Tráiler [OV]
Play trailer1:18
1 Video
97 Photos
Drama
Spain, 1960s. People from a very poor family work in the country, at the service of a rich family of landowners...Spain, 1960s. People from a very poor family work in the country, at the service of a rich family of landowners...Spain, 1960s. People from a very poor family work in the country, at the service of a rich family of landowners...
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
4.1K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
23,849
2,522
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Mario Camus
    • Writers
      • Miguel Delibes(novel)
      • Antonio Larreta(adaptation)
      • Manolo Matji(adaptation)
    • Stars
      • Alfredo Landa
      • Terele Pávez
      • Belén Ballesteros
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Mario Camus
    • Writers
      • Miguel Delibes(novel)
      • Antonio Larreta(adaptation)
      • Manolo Matji(adaptation)
    • Stars
      • Alfredo Landa
      • Terele Pávez
      • Belén Ballesteros
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 13User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
    • Awards
      • 6 wins & 4 nominations

    Videos1

    Tráiler [OV]
    Trailer 1:18
    Tráiler [OV]

    Photos97

    Francisco Rabal in The Holy Innocents (1984)
    The Holy Innocents (1984)
    The Holy Innocents (1984)
    The Holy Innocents (1984)
    The Holy Innocents (1984)
    The Holy Innocents (1984)
    The Holy Innocents (1984)
    The Holy Innocents (1984)
    The Holy Innocents (1984)
    Francisco Rabal in The Holy Innocents (1984)
    Francisco Rabal in The Holy Innocents (1984)
    Francisco Rabal in The Holy Innocents (1984)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Alfredo Landa
    Alfredo Landa
    • Paco, El Bajo
    Terele Pávez
    Terele Pávez
    • Régula
    Belén Ballesteros
    • Nieves
    Juan Sachez
    • Quirce
    Susana Sánchez
    • La Niña Chica
    Francisco Rabal
    Francisco Rabal
    • Azarías
    Ágata Lys
    Ágata Lys
    • Doña Pura
    Agustín González
    Agustín González
    • Don Pedro
    Juan Diego
    Juan Diego
    • Señorito Iván
    Mary Carrillo
    Mary Carrillo
    • Señora Marquesa
    José Guardiola
    José Guardiola
    • Señorito de la Jara
    Manuel Zarzo
    Manuel Zarzo
    • Don Manuel, el doctor
    Francisco Torres
    • Facundo
    Pepín Salvador
    • Obispo
    • (as José Salvador)
    José Manuel Sito
    • Señorito Lucas
    José Albiach
    • Ministro
    Rafael Serna
    • Marqués
    Maribel Martín
    Maribel Martín
    • Miriam
    • Director
      • Mario Camus
    • Writers
      • Miguel Delibes(novel)
      • Antonio Larreta(adaptation)
      • Manolo Matji(adaptation)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Three Years More
    8.1
    Three Years More
    El viaje a ninguna parte
    7.5
    El viaje a ninguna parte
    La vaquilla
    7.5
    La vaquilla
    Amanece, que no es poco
    7.4
    Amanece, que no es poco
    Barrio
    7.1
    Barrio
    Off Ice
    7.7
    Off Ice
    Butterfly
    7.6
    Butterfly
    Journey to a Mother's Room
    6.6
    Journey to a Mother's Room
    Lucky Star
    7.0
    Lucky Star
    El Bola
    7.3
    El Bola
    The Executioner
    8.0
    The Executioner
    Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead
    6.9
    Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The movie illustrates the extreme inequality and the relationship between landlords and peasants in rural Spain in the middle of XX century.
    • Quotes

      Azarías: ¡Milana bonita!

    • Connections
      Spoofed in No lo llames amor... llámalo X (2011)

    User reviews13

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Superb but brutal naturalist cinema
    The DVD I received from Corte Ingles includes a trailer for "Boda de Sangre" (Lorca) and this film is similar in spirit, but with even greater tension. This story is reminiscent of Cela's "Familia Duarte", and indeed the DVD includes a trailer to Cela's "Colmena" also, though I haven't seen that film.

    I agree with the strong evaluations and comments of other viewers. I'll add that I enjoyed the handling of time in the film, through intermittent flashbacks and juxtapositions of modern elements - e.g., the automobiles driven by the landowners - with the nearly stone-age level of the protagonist family.

    Yet for me, the level of dramatic tension became, frankly, too great to bear. I don't know how I could have handled it in a theater. Given I had mouse control, I interrupted it a few times for relief. Then, about two-thirds through, I forwarded the film to see the end. There are occasions when social realism can produce a tale of social horror harder to watch and bear than anything Hollywood's chainsaw boys ever dreamed of.

    The acting and cinematography are excellent. I can imagine viewers trying to laugh at Azarias' (Francisco Rabal) rustic charm. His performance is unforgettable - especially as he, like a hand of fate (azar) delivers the much-needed catharsis near the end - but I, and I presume most, will surely view him as a charming and touching victim, fleeing reality to the extent his old age permits - until a certain cruel act drives him to action.

    I would have preferred a balancing of the harshness of this film with more moments of beauty to serve as relief, as in the French Manon (e.g., Jean de Florette) films. But here, the actual social conditions were far harsher - "epoca negra" stuff at its worst - and I presume that to add such relief would have been untrue to history. For me, Familia Duarte and Boda de Sangre sufficed.

    I will conclude in recommending some of Delibes' recent works. He has a wonderful sense of humor and a great versatility of style that enables him to relate even everyday events in the most charming and entertaining way. It's hard to believe that the same man who wrote Santos Inocentes also wrote "Diario de un Jubilado" and "Mis Amigas las Truchas" or "Las Perdices de Domingo". And hard to believe how far Spain and Europe have come.
    helpful•5
    3
    • Oskado
    • Feb 5, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 4, 1984 (Spain)
    • Country of origin
      • Spain
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Die heiligen Narren
    • Filming locations
      • Alburquerque, Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain
    • Production companies
      • Ganesh Producciones Cinematográficas
      • Televisión Española (TVE)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1
      • 1.78 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Belén Ballesteros, Alfredo Landa, Terele Pávez, Francisco Rabal, Juan Sachez, and Susana Sánchez in The Holy Innocents (1984)
    Top Gap
    What is the German language plot outline for The Holy Innocents (1984)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    New & Upcoming Superhero Movies and Series
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Hollywood Romances: Our Favorite Couples
    See the gallery
    Back to top

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.