Marshland (2014)

Two cops lost in the deep south of Spain. One serial killer to catch. A lot of secrets and lies to disclose.

Director:

Alberto Rodríguez

Writers:

Rafael Cobos, Alberto Rodríguez

Stars:

Javier Gutiérrez, Raúl Arévalo, María Varod

60 wins & 42 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Javier Gutiérrez	...	Juan Robles
Raúl Arévalo	...	Pedro Suárez
María Varod	...	Trinidad
Perico Cervantes	...	Padre Trinidad
Jesús Ortiz	...	Andrés
Jesús Carroza	...	Miguel
Salva Reina	...	Jesús
Antonio de la Torre	...	Rodrigo
Nerea Barros	...	Rocío
Ana Tomeno	...	Marina
Paula Palacios	...	Niña 1
Claudia Ubreva	...	Niña 2
Lucía Arias	...	Niña 3
Chelo Castro	...	Niña 4
Jesús Castro	...	Quini

Storyline

1980. In a little town close to Coto of Doñana (Andalusia, south to Spain), two teen girls have disappeared. The father of one of the girls, who have connections with important people in the forces of the law, gets that two police detectives of homicides from Madrid are assigned to the mission to find the girls if they are alive, or find the assassin if they appear died. The detectives are Pedro Suárez and Juan Robles. While that Suárez is a young, taciturn and circumspect agent in a Spain that it tries to find a new identity as democratic country after General Franco's death in 1975, Robles is a veteran, funny and expeditious agent, with a mysterious past as alleged member of Franco's Armed Police dismantled in 1978. Unable to reconcile one with each other, Suárez and Robles find trapped by the hostile environment of a place where the old Franco's methods and customs still alive, and where they two aren't welcome. When the girls appears died, the following investigation move the cops...

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Plot Keywords:

spanish police | female nudity | naked corpse | torture | nude photograph | 

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Taglines:

Nobody Talks... Everybody Have Something to Hide.

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Did You Know?

Trivia

Juan, according to the journalist, was a member of the Political-Social Brigade (Brigada Político-Social - BPS). This was a special branch of the plainclothes police.

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Connections

Featured in La isla mínima: Making of (2015)

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Soundtracks

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie
Written by Frank Dostal and Rolf Soja
© Magazine Music Verlag GMBH.
Authorised by Peermusic Española S.A.U.
Performed by Baccara
Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment España, S.L.

User Reviews

far from home

The time is the early eighties. Two detectives, a good-cop (Pedro) bad-cop (Juan) pairing, are sent to a remote region in Spain to investigate the disappearance of teenage sisters. They uncover a series of brutal murders that the tight-knit community may be complicit in. Set in a Spain slowly emerging from Franco's shadow, Marshland has a wonderfully political noir-ish tone. Opening with birds-eye shots of an other-worldy landscape, that the camera often returns to, the futility and inhumanity of the toils that take place on the ground is constantly invoked by the judicious shot choice. Pedro and Juan have personal concerns beyond the investigation. Pedro's wife is pregnant and not always trusting of him in their separation. Juan has failing health and may not be long for this world. They bring their past as well as their present: Juan was in Franco's Gestapo and may have carried out atrocities, Pedro is being punished for open criticism of the military. They deal with these issues as best they can while navigating local resistance to their investigation and their own wary sense of each other. The characters, setting, tone and pace are all compelling, and the overhead shots add wonder and mystery. There are hints of Mississippi Burning here, and also True Detective and Chinatown - a local oligarch seems amoral and ultimately goes unpunished. But the film wears these influences lightly and portrays its own authentic, self-contained world. This is a stylish thriller that comfortably meshes plot, politics and personal concerns.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

26 September 2014 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Marshland

Filming Locations:

Seville, Seville, Andalucía, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

EUR4,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,014,591

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atípica Films, Sacromonte Films, Atresmedia Cine

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1