El mar (2000)

Two young men and a woman who shared the same traumatic childhood experience during the Spanish Civil War are reunited years later at a hospital for tuberculosis treatment.

Director:

Agustí Villaronga

Writers:

Antoni Aloy, Blai Bonet (novel)

Stars:

Roger Casamajor, Bruno Bergonzini, Antònia Torrens

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roger Casamajor	...	Ramallo
Bruno Bergonzini	...	Manuel
Antònia Torrens	...	Sor Francisca
Hernán González	...	Galindo
Juli Mira	...	Don Eugeni
Simón Andreu	...	Alcántara
Ángela Molina	...	Carmen
David Lozano	...	Manuel Tur, nen
Nilo Zimmerman	...	Andreu Ramallo, nen (as Nilo Mur)
Tony Miquel Vanrell	...	Paul Inglada, nen
Victoria Verger	...	Francisca, nena
Sergi Moreno	...	Julià Ballester, nen
Llorenç Santamaria	...	Falangista (as Llorenç Santamaría)
Maria del Mar Bonet	...	Mare Manuel
Blai Llopis	...	Pare Manuel

Storyline

Two boys (Ramallo and Manuel) and a girl in the Spanish Civil War are involved in the death of other two boys, one killed, the other suicided. This terrible secret will be with them for all their lives. Years pass and they meet in a hospital for tuberculosis treatment. She is now a nun, Ramallo is a thief and Manuel is obsessed by religion. Reality is too hard to feel, only the sea should be the best place, where all is quiet...

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Plot Keywords:

male pubic hair | male frontal nudity | male full frontal nudity | tuberculosis | trauma | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Unrated

User Reviews

Secrets of the past

"El Mar" directed by Catalonian director Agusti Villarona, and based on the novel by Blai Bonet, offers a glimpse of the Spanish history as seen by a Balearic author that takes the viewer back to the days of the civil war in that country. The movie concentrates on three friends, and follows them from those early days during the onset of the war in Majorca, to a few years later as two of those friends meet again when they are at a sanatorium, lost in the countryside.

We first meet three boys that are playing happily. Not everything is what it seems. The tragic death of one of them points out about the cruelty of the one that commits the evil deed. The boys have excluded a young girl, about their age, from taking part in their games.

When we meet the adult Ramallo again, he is on his way to a sanatorium. He seems to be suffering from tuberculosis. To his surprise, Manuel Tur, one of his boyhood friends is also being treated, and the young girl that was not welcomed to participate in their games is now one of the nuns that supervise their health care. It is obvious that Tur looks at Ramallo in a way that only means he is in love with the tough bully. Their relationship will have devastating consequences.

Roger Casamajor does a good job with portraying the older Ramallo. Bruno Bergonzino makes an impression as Tur, the vulnerable youth. Antonia Torrens plays Sor Francisca with conviction. Angela Molina, puts an appearance as Carmen, the wife of the caretaker of the institution. Simon Andreu is perfect as Alcantara.

"El Mar" is a dark film that clearly shows Agusti Villarona's talents in making the novel come alive for the viewer.

Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Catalan

Release Date:

14 April 2000 (Spain)

Also Known As:

El mar

Filming Locations:

Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1