Jarrapellejos is a 1987 Spanish film directed by Antonio Giménez-Rico and presented at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival. The film is an adaptation of the novel Jarrapellejos by Felipe Trigo, a writer whose naturalism was considered scandalous in his time. A melodrama on an early 20th-century theme with a strong social component. Set in 1912, Don Pedro Luis Jarrapellejos (Antonio Ferrandis) is the most powerful man in La Joya, Extremadura.
He controls people and estates and nothing happens without his knowledge or permission. However, not everything is under his control. The beautiful and humble teenager Isabel (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón) resists him and her parents (Juan Jesús Valverde, Lola Mateo) support her, but he cannot find a price for her love. One day, Isabel and her mother appear raped in their house. That's why Jarrapellejos does not stop until he finds the culprits, who turn out to be his own nephew and the Count of La Cruz. The chief is forced to cover up the perpetrators of the crime and puts into action his wide network of influences and manipulations to close the case even at the cost of innocent people paying.
Tenth film by Antonio Giménez Rico, who brings to the big screen, together with Manuel Gutierrez Aragón, the masterpiece of Felipe Trigo, a writer silenced for decades by the Franco dictatorship for his constant denunciations of injustice and due to the social burden of his works. The film deals with the caciquismo that existed in the first decades of the 20th century. It won a Goya for best adapted script and received three more nominations for best costume design, best lead actor (Antonio Ferrandis) and best artistic direction.
The cast includes top-notch actors who were not so popular at the time when it was filmed, but that are today, such as: José Coronado, Lydia Bosch and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, altogether with a lot of prestigious supporting actors, such as: Juan Diego, Amparo Larrañaga, Joaquín Hinojosa, Miguel Rellán, Carlos Tristancho, Florinda Chico, José María Caffarel, Carlos Lucena, José Vivó, Gabriel Llopart, Concha Leza, Juan Jesús Valverde.
We can find very engaging roles , all of them caricatures and mirrors of the Spanish society from the first decades of the 20th century , concerning the national reality at the time with a deep critical style and a lot of known interpreters who provided a considerable boost to the result . There is also an evocative cinematography, shot on location in Fregenal de la Sierra, Badajoz, and Zafra, Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. As well as good production design by Rafael Palmero, an adequate cinematography and a subtle, diverse and attractive music by Carmelo Bernaola.
The pic offers a colorful and evocative photography by illustrous cameraman José Luis Alcaine who was first cinematographer to use fluorescent tube as "key" lightning and deemed to be one of the best Spanish cameramen . Alcaine frequently works with Pedro Almodóvar , Bigas Luna and Vicente Aranda , as he has photographed ¨The skin I live in¨ , ¨The bad education¨ , ¨Volver¨ , ¨Women in the verge of a nervous breakdown¨, among others ; here he shows splendidly the enjoyable Extremadura exteriors. Atmospheric and stirring musical score by Carmelo Bernaola . The motion picture was decently directed by Antonio Giménez Rico , a director of great quality . Antonio Giménez Rico was born in Burgos , Castilla y León where he often shoots his films . He was a director and writer, especially known for ¨Tres Palabras¨ (1993) , ¨Hotel Danubio¨ (2003) and ¨Jarrapellejos¨ (1988) . He's an expert on dramas as ¨Forteen stations¨ , ¨Spanish soldier¨ and ¨Three words¨. His speciality turns out to be adaptations based on prestigious novelist Miguel Delibes as ¨ Portrait of family¨ (1976), ¨The vote of Mister Cayo¨ and ¨The rats¨ . He also directed TV Series as ¨Crónicas De Un Pueblo¨ (1971) , ¨Página Sucesos¨ , ¨Los Libros¨ and ¨Mascara Negra¨ . One of his best films results to be ¨Hotel Danubio¨ starring Santiago Ramos and Carmen Morales , a remake to classic ¨Los Peces Rojos¨ . Jarrapellejos rating: 6/10. Acceptable and passable thanks to the outstanding performances of the star-studded cast.
