"Usted puede ser un asesino" (translation: "You Might Be A Murderer") is one of the best plays written by that genius called Alfonso Paso. It was turned into a fine film in 1962 by José María Forqué (starring Alberto Closas and José Luis López Vázquez) and there were two good adaptations for TV in the 60s-70s, the first one in black and white and the second one in colour, both starring Jesús Puente and Pablo Sanz. This new version, which made part of a failed attempt of "resurrecting" dramatic programmes in TVE, is simply a disaster. We could compare it to the damage done in the late 80s to another fabulous play of the same author, "Enseñar a un sinvergüenza" (starring José Sancho and Virginia Mataix), which left virtually nothing of the original text. Here it happens the same. The dialogue has been turned upside down, there are many "contemporary" references that are completely out of place, the setting is horrible and the performances are awful (who has told Isabel Ordaz she is an actress, for God´s sake?). Mr. Méndez-Leite, who usually writes about films made by other people and has no pity with them, proves once more that most critics are frustrated directors. There has been certainly a murder here... and the play has been the victim.
