¡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

Suspiros de España
Written by Antonio Álvarez Alonso
Performed by Carmen Maura

User Reviews

A human film

This is a film about human beings and how they cope with the nightmare of civil war. We are shown that people's reactions to this kind of ordeal are various. It is an extreme situation and this is conveyed very well by Carlos Saura - we watch people trying to forget where they are and enjoy themselves watching the antics of our variety troupe, only to be reminded of reality, as the sound of aircraft drowns out the performance. This theme of constantly being dragged back to the reality of war continues through the film. The acting is outstanding, Carmen Maura's in particular, and regardless of with whom our personal empathy may lie, Saura does not condemn individuals. Above all, the pain and sadness of a country at war with itself is expressed through the tortuous mental and emotional processes Carmela goes through.

This film brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion. It says much about the value of human life,and the bewildering horror and absurdity of civil war.