Blancanieves (2012)

A twist on the Snow White fairy tale that is set in 1920s Seville and centered on a female bullfighter.

Director:

Pablo Berger

Writer:

Pablo Berger

Stars:

Maribel Verdú, Emilio Gavira, Daniel Giménez Cacho

48 wins & 56 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Giménez Cacho	...	Antonio Villalta
Ramón Barea	...	Don Martín
Inma Cuesta	...	Carmen de Triana
Ángela Molina	...	Doña Concha
Ignacio Mateos	...	Fotógrafo plaza
Maribel Verdú	...	Encarna
Carmen Belloch	...	Enfemera mayor
Teresa Soria Ruano	...	Enfermera joven
Sofía Oria	...	Carmencita
Lito	...	Gallo Pepe (as Lito y Tomás)
Tomás	...	Gallo Pepe (as Lito y Tomás)
Pere Ponce	...	Genaro
Carmen Segarra	...	Milagros
Pep Ferrer	...	Pintor
Manel Castillejos	...	Fotógrafo entierro

Storyline

A band of bullfighting dwarfs save the life of a young woman with amnesia. They end up taking her under their wing when they find out that she has seemingly natural skills as a bullfighter, upon which they can capitalize not only for their act but for her own personal gain. As she does not know her name or background, the dwarfs coin her Blancanieves, after the famed fairy tale. What they are all unaware of is that she is really Carmen, the daughter of the once great matador, Antonio Villalta. On the day Carmen was born, her father suffered a career ending accident, and her mother died in childbirth. Her father quickly remarried his nurse, the evil Encarna. Although raised by her grandmother during her early years, Carmen, following the death of her grandmother, went to live with Encarna while an adolescent, Encarna who treated her as a slave. Carmen eventually found her disabled father, who was hidden away and treated poorly by Encarna. In the meantime, Encarna was cavorting with the...

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Plot Keywords:

grande dame guignol | matador | dwarf | bullfighting | murder | 

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Taglines:

You've never heard the tale quite like this.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violent content and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Spain] Official site [France]

Country:

Spain Belgium France

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

28 September 2012 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Snow White

Filming Locations:

Sevilla, Andalucía, Spain

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$25,264, 31 March 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$279,735

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,585,522

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arcadia Motion Pictures, Sisifo Films AIE, Nix Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White Color (opening sequence)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot on color film stock and desaturated to black & white in post-production.

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Quotes

Antonio Villalta: [to Carmen de Triana] For you, and for our unborn child!

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Connections

References What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

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Soundtracks

Arena
Written by Chicuelo (as Juan Gómez "Chicuelo")
Performed by Chicuelo (as Juan Gómez "Chicuelo") and Isaac Vigueras (as Isaac Vigueras "El Rubio")

User Reviews

Mesmerizing Modern Silent Film

One of the latest fashions to appear during this new modern century-and it is a trend that is certainly celebrated by this German count- is the rescue from oblivion of the art of the silent film, an art that has been in eclipse since those new technologies of ancient times helped silent actors to .. tsk, tsk… speak.

Last year a good example of what this Herr Von is talking about was the premiere of Herr Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist" (2011), a French homage to the Amerikan silent film industry and by extension to the Silent Era in general. This modern silent enjoyed considerable success and internationally good reviews.

"Blancanieves" ( Snow White ) (2012),a film directed by Herr Pablo Berger, is also a modern silent but, due to problems with financing such a bizarre film project, "The Artist" won the race to movie theaters. No doubt the two films will be compared in lengthy discussions complete with boring controversies which this Herr Von will leave to those interested in such trivial subjects.

"Blancanieves" is certainly a fascinating, mesmerizing, modern silent film, and is inspired by the famous German fairy tale collected by Brothers Grimm; Herr Berger transfers the story to Spain during the 20s of the last century.

The film is primarily influenced by European masters, notably German Expressionism, and is full of astonishing aesthetics and visual techniques and creates a magical and dark atmosphere that suits perfectly the strange and sad story wherein our heroine will suffer the abandonment by her father and the anger of a stepmother, all against a background of the world of bullfighting and its many peculiar characters. Herr Berger's film is not a simple tribute to the Silent Era but is original and modern, a bold update of silent pictures. It is no mere pastiche.

Deep Spain, namely the Andalucía region, is the setting and we have a star bullfighter who will die tragically, six dwarf toreadors in a travelling show, a wicked stepmother ( great Frau Maribel Verdú ) and a helpless heroine who is looking for protection and love ( what a sad ending, MEIN GOTT!! ), By a twist of fate, "Blancanieves" is the best Spanish silent film ever made.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must wave his cape in front of a dangerous Teutonic rich heiress.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com