Belle Epoque (1992)

A 1931 Spanish military deserter finds himself on a lonely farm until the farmer's four daughters pay a visit and he falls for all of them.

Director:

Fernando Trueba

Writers:

Rafael Azcona (screenplay), Rafael Azcona (story)

Stars:

Fernando Fernán Gómez, Jorge Sanz, Penélope Cruz

Won 1 Oscar. Another 24 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Penélope Cruz	...	Luz
Miriam Díaz-Aroca	...	Clara
Gabino Diego	...	Juanito
Fernando Fernán Gómez	...	Manolo
Michel Galabru	...	Danglard
Ariadna Gil	...	Violeta
Agustín González	...	Don Luis
Chus Lampreave	...	Doña Asun
Mary Carmen Ramírez	...	Amalia
Jorge Sanz	...	Fernando
Maribel Verdú	...	Rocío
Juan José Otegui	...	El cabo
Jesús Bonilla	...	El número
María Galiana	...	La Polonia
Joan Potau	...	Paco (as Juan Potau)

Storyline

In 1931, a young soldier (Fernando) deserts from the army and falls into a country farm, where he is welcomed by the owner (Manolo) due to his political ideas. Manolo has four daughters (Rocio, Violeta, Clara and Luz). Fernando likes all of them and they like him, so he has to decide which one to love.

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Plot Keywords:

man dressed as woman | woman dressed as man | lingerie slip | suicide | dead husband | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

When accepting his Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, director (Fernando Trueba) said: "I would like to believe in God in order to thank him for this prize, but I only believe in (Billy Wilder), so... Thank you, Mr. Wilder!". Wilder himself reportedly phoned Trueba a few days later for acknowledgment and told him: "Hello Fernando, I'm God".

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Goofs

Amalia sings "En un pais de fábula" from Pablo Sorozábal's zarzuela "La tabernera del puerto". The situation of the movie is in early 1930s, whereas this zarzuela was first staged in 1936.

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Quotes

Juanito:

• You know what? We don't have to get married. In the Republic there will be free love.

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Connections

Referenced in ¿Qué fue de Jorge Sanz?: ¿Qué fue de Jorge Sanz? Buena racha (2017)

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Soundtracks

En un país de fábula
(from La tabernera del puerto)
Written by Pablo Sorozábal (as Pablo Sorozabal), Guillermo Fernández Shaw and Federico Romero
Performed by Mary Carmen Ramírez

User Reviews

Indescribably delicious

"Belle Epoque" is a light-hearted comedy romp which tells of the goings-on at a Spanish villa (circa 1931) involving a patriarch, his four beautiful and amorous daughters, and a wayward young man who can't say "no". Fanciful, warm, fun, and sexy, this Oscar winning film flows like honey as it aims for the heart, not the crotch or head, and hits the mark. Most likely to be appreciated by more seasoned viewers with an interest in Europics. (A-)

Note - This film has considerable dialogue making for significant subtitle reading for non-Spanish speakers.

Details

Country:

Spain Portugal France

Language:

Spanish French

Release Date:

25 February 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Belle Epoque

Filming Locations:

Arruda dos vinhos, Lisbon, Portugal

Box Office

Gross USA:

$5,418,216

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,418,216

Company Credits

Production Co:

Animatógrafo, Eurimages, Fernando Trueba Producciones Cinematográficas

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1