¡Ay, Carmela! (1990)

Paulino and Carmela are husband and wife, troubadours touring the countryside during the Spanish Civil War. They are Republicans, and with their mute assistant, Gustavete, they journey into... See full summary »

Director:

Carlos Saura

Writers:

Rafael Azcona, José Sanchis Sinisterra (play) (as Jose Sanchis Sinisterra)

Stars:

Carmen Maura, Andrés Pajares, Gabino Diego

22 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carmen Maura	...	Carmela
Andrés Pajares	...	Paulino (as Andres Pajares)
Gabino Diego	...	Gustavete
Armando De Razza	...	Teniente Ripamonte (as Maurizio De Razza)
José Sancho	...	Capitán (as Jose Sancho)
Mario De Candia	...	Bruno CTV 1º
Miguel Rellán	...	Teniente interrogador (as Miguel Angel Rellan)
Edward Zentara	...	Soldado polaco
Rafael Díaz	...	Centinela (as Rafael Diaz)
Chema Mazo	...	Alcalde
Antonio Fuentes	...	Alférez artillero
Mario Martín	...	Cacique (as Mario Martin)
Emilio del Valle	...	Cabo Cardoso
Silvia Casanova	...	Mujer presa
Alfonso Guirao	...	Campesino

Storyline

Paulino and Carmela are husband and wife, troubadours touring the countryside during the Spanish Civil War. They are Republicans, and with their mute assistant, Gustavete, they journey into rebel territory by mistake. They are arrested, fear a firing squad, and receive a reprieve from an Italian Fascist commander who loves the theatre. He arranges a performance for his troops, bargaining with Paulino to stage a burlesque of the republic in exchange for the actors' freedom. Will the fiery and patriotic Carmela consent?

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Plot Keywords:

spanish civil war | female nudity | lieutenant | civil war | spain | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

Spain Italy

Language:

Spanish Polish Italian

Release Date:

16 March 1990 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Ai, Carmela!

Filming Locations:

Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Gross USA:

$299,090

Company Credits

Production Co:

Iberoamericana Films Internacional,Televisión Española (TVE),Ellepi Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Embeded with prejudice, Carlos Saura didn't want to cast Carmen Maura as the lead, and he told her so. Instead of feeling bad, Maura decided to prove him wrong and gave such a powerful audition that the director casted her in the act.

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Connections

Referenced in La fiesta (2003)

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Soundtracks

¡Ay, Carmela!
(Battle of the Ebro version)
Unknown author

User Reviews

Prior Knowledge Helpful

OK, first of all, whoever said that "The Pianist" was a precursor to this movie must not have noticed that "Ay Carmela" was released 8 or so years before it. Also, you probably need to come into this one understanding some of the complicated precepts involved in the Spanish Civil War and how it was more complicated than just one enemy, and that the Republican army was not unified either. This film does a decent job of communicating that complexity and speaking to the ambivalence that the Spanish nation felt (and still feels) about this terrible period in their history. Lastly, as the protagonists are artists, it is important to remember that under Franco many of Spain's leading artistic figures were forced into exile and or shot (as in the case of Garcia Lorca). Expecting to get a history lesson from a movie seems like the wrong motivation altogether for me, I mean these are characters placed into a historical context. So therefore if you know absolutely nothing about this period it may be smart to learn a little first and then appreciate the film through the lens of that knowledge.