Out in the Open

The film is good in general, but there is something specially remarkable: the way it depicts the post-war Spain. In the 1940s, the country is desolated by poverty and misery, and rural areas are some of the most disadvantaged parties amongst this general hardship.

The events are set in a village of rural Andalusia, though the action takes place in different places throughout the countryside. The sun heating all the time, water is scarce several times and many people dying of famine. The context of the film is just wonderfully portrayed.

The acting of Luis Tosar as an honest shepherd who is isolated from society is pretty good, and Jaime López as the kid does a good job too. The journey they make escaping from a cruel foreman played by Luis Callejo is at some moments slow, but the shocking image of a ruined rural Spain is still there bringing strong emotions to the viewer. The role played by the aforementioned Luis Callejo as a ruthless landowner is also fantastic, he makes you believe that this misery and unfairness actually happened in a devastated country just because of a senseless war.

The film might be slow at some points, and I strongly recommend having a little background about what happened in Spain during its civil war. Anyway, this movie is definitely worth a shot, as both the context and acting are great.