National Heritage (Rétrospective Berlanga)

Description

National Heritage Patrimonio nacional Espagne 1981 | vostang | 112' | De : Luis García Berlanga | Avec : Luis Ciges, Luis Escobar, Agustín González ?-? Compétition officielle, Cannes 1981 The Leguineche family leaves their estate 'Los Tejadillos' after the death of General Franco after having been voluntarily exiled there for decades. The old marquis and his son decide to settle in an old palace in Madrid, located in the centre of the capital, in order to actively participate in the social events of the aristocracy and approach the circle closest to the Spanish monarch. « Berlanga's sequence shots are just like dreams full of humour. He, in his flirtatious way, always said that he made films this way because he was lazy, or because he got bored of editing. But no lazy director would organise incredibly long camera choreographies with a multitude of actors and intertwined subplots, crossing enormous spaces, going up stairs and in and out of windows just to have, at the end of day four, five, six or even nine minutes of film. (...) The film, just like Berlanga's previous ones, had the undeniable support of the critics and most avid cinema­goers, but this time it attracted massive crowds, generating never­ending queues at the cinemas, and it was the biggest selling film of that year. » (Miguel Albaladejo)