Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Karra Elejalde | ... | Rogelio | |
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Pepa Aniorte | ... | Cipriana |
Carlos Areces | ... | Ermo | |
Mikel Losada | ... | Pedro Alberto | |
Andrés Herrera | ... | Luis | |
Jordi Sánchez | ... | Benito Muro | |
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Marcos Balgañón Santamaría | ... | Gabino niño |
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Juanlu Escudero | ... | Salvador |
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José Luis Esteban | ... | Eduardo |
Ramón Barea | ... | Don Eulogio | |
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Ylenia Baglietto | ... | Loreto |
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David Pinilla | ... | Doctor Maruri |
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Quique Gago | ... | Padre Gabino |
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Enriqueta Vega | ... | Madre Gabino |
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Azucena Trincado | ... | Hermana Gabino |
Near the end of the Spanish War, a "trigger happy" fascist soldier turns into a hermit and gets caught up in the care of a fig tree, after the look in a ten year old child's eyes, son of one of his victims, awakens a certainty that the child will kill him as soon as he reaches sixteen years of age. Written by Blogmedia
Technically "The Bastard Fig Tree" isn't horror, though there is some horrific actions taken on behalf of horrific ideology. Still thanks to some gothically framed characters, haunting and fantasy-like cinematography there is an air of dark fairytale inspiration enveloping the story. Despite the more dark dramatic style of story telling "The Bastard Fig Tree" is a beautifully tragic, and captivating film.
The acting is superb. The characters are layered and familiar. And the story, even as it is set in a historical point, is very relevant to now. Ana Murugarren is very direct in telling the story as a classic morality tale. The use on the antagonist as transformative, becoming the protagonist and caretaker of the story's heart is brilliant.
The horror elements happen within very dramatic, chilling scenes where sheer cruelty and calculative action of man's own ideology. Violence and social cleansing of people who's views differ with such finality is horrifying. Fascists, Nazis, Death Squads, White Supremacy, all terrifying and disturbing similar. This makes "The Bastard Fig Tree" recognizable and relevant today as it is to history. The film is subtitled, but it is definitely worth watching.