Spanish Cinema During The Dictatorship

Spanish photographic strike During The DictatorshipSpanish motion-picture show was highly affected by the effects of the elegant warfare private investment in the production of commercial take aims fell drastically. The outlandish was divided in two areas which were facing the effects of having military forces. This stain was reflected specially in the movie effort because at the time no-one wanted to invest in round(prenominal) innovative projects. Nevertheless(prenominal), movie theatres in the whole country were doing extremely well all through the war they were screening local productions as for example, Florin Reys clichd Morena Clara (1936) and in like manner, they were importing popular American productions. The Re popularan, who had the control oer the principal centres of urban movie-making, gave authorization for the production of more than 200 pullulates during the conflict. However, at the beginning of 1938 it started to be perceived that the Republican gover nment was dismissal to be defeated and in that respectfore several members of the strike industry started to organize their departure al intimately of them were Republican supporters.The theater directors Luis Alcoriza, Luis Buuel, Carlos Velo, etc also many another(prenominal) actors as for example, Jos Luis Baviera, muck upgarita Xirgu, Ana Mara Custodio, Alberto Closes, Rosita Daz Gimeno, Carmen Amaya accompanied by a huge group of technicians such as the editor Jos Caizares, the camera operator Jos Mara Beltrn and the majority of the team members who were in charge of Andr Malrauxs Lespoir Sierra de Teruel, migrated from Spain to countries such as France, Argentina and Mexico. These were countries in which Spanish plowers had the opportunity to continue their work in the film industry. The director Buuel was the perfect example of someone that was able to adapt to a life forced out of Spain. afterwards he was exiled in 1946 he headstrong to go to Mexico and in 1949 be came a Mexican citizen. However a large list of film makers who had started their careers low the Republicans and were sympathizers of the democratic government stayed at Francos side for example, Juan de Ordua, Antonio del Amo, Benito Perojo, Florin Rey, Edgar Neville, Eduardo Garca Maroto, Rafael Gil, etc. The civil war finally ended on April 1939 afterwards Spain assumed a military one-man rule with General Franco in command.Obviously, the in the raw management of the Spanish cinema industry during the dictatorship had a genuinely negative repercussion on the film industry and could only lead to the beaver opportunity for those who were in the situation to commit several crimes such as fraud, patronage, use of favours etc.It is important to highlight the fact that in 1940 three main official regulations were established and then submitted leading to the Spanish film industry to suffer the side effects of these intransigent regulations for many years.These regulations wereC ompulsory dubbing prescribed state newsreelFilm security reviewSpanish Cinema during the dictatorship Film CensorshipFilm security review had been presented to Spain when the country was still facing the civil war in 1938 then in 1939 during the dictatorship of Franco it was stipulated all through the nation. During this period all film scripts had to endure a pre-censorship, shooting scripts had to be ap proved and Spanish films were required to have an exhibition licence, changes to image and sound tracks, cuts in completed movies were as well imposed and there was authorization of dubbing and subtitling.Film censorship was characterised for its inefficiency, for not be consistent when making decisions, and also for being arbitrary in its choices. Nevertheless it is difficult to establish if censorship ca utilise the same impact on Spanish cinema as compulsory dubbing.Compulsory dubbing into Spanish and the taxation of all films that were imported from foreign countries were in troduced by the industry and commerce ministry in April 1941. These two measures are normally seen as a consequence of Axis satisfactory results during the Second World War. However it seems to have more connection with Francos immutable attempts to Hispanicize Spanish culture. At this time over 50% of the public couldnt read or write and most of Spain only spoke Spanish and didnt speak any other language and therefore Spanish film viewers soon got used to watching foreign films in dubbed Spanish. The film industry quickly make that they could produce more profit from dubbed films than from using subtitles in films as a result it was easier for censors to manipulate soundtracks and images. Nevertheless, compulsory dubbing drastically affected the country economically and industrially. It caused a great damage to Spanish film productions the main reason was that Foreign and Spanish films were in a position of equal accessibility to Spanish sense of hearings and thus distributors a nd exhibitors abandoned essential elements in the effort to defeat foreign competition. Furthermore, the importation of international productions for distribution and flush for exhibition was determined by the giving up of import licences to national film producers. These licenses were addicted by official organisations to national film makers depending on the ideology of their productions.It was typical that the producers who supported Francos politics who behaved in a moderate and morally acceptable way would obtain three or five import permits. However, there were some films for example El davo (1944) enjoin by Rafael Gil and El escndalo (1943) order by Jos Luis Senz de Heredia that won fifteen licences. Then these were s obsolete for a lot of money, normally through the illicit b miss market, in the main to distributors from America who were based in Spain. The Spanish audience seemed to prefer foreign productions and therefore producers became very rich from selling imp ort permits. This was also true for the distributers and exhibitors who also became very wealthy from screening foreign movies. As a consequence of this, for a cycle ten years, the Spanish film industry was only used as a simply way of making very good profits from selling import licences.Spanish industry started suffering the consequences of a new jurisprudence compulsory official newsreels commonly recognised as NODO which was presented in December 1942 and had to be screened in all cinemas in Spain. This was basically semipolitical publication propaganda used by the regime that had as its main purpose to influence Spanish people by the use of inaccurate information. NO-DO which is the acronym for Noticieros y Documentales Cinematograficos was used instead of the Italian and the German newsreels in cinemas in Spain and was compulsory until 1976. Unluckily, the mandatory introduction of NO-DO newsreels in Spain efficiently excluded a large number of teenageder national film-make rs from presenting their work to the public such as, animation, documentaries or shorts and this certainly discouraged others to study in these areas.To lessen the gravity of the disastrous effects of the NO-DO policy, the regime presented a list of new protectionist measures that benefited the Spanish film industry. The follo cowcatcher are some of these measuresRevised classification schemes, screen quotas (initially one week of Spanish film for every six of a foreign film).Official loans with which to finance up to 40 per cent of a film budget.Official prize of 400.000 pesetas.National amuse awards for deserving films.Until about 1945, the regime of General Franco had its favourite film genres, especially one called cine de cruzada or films inspired by war, which also commemorated the Franco regimes victories in the civil war, disapproved the defeated Republican and celebrated the power of the armed forces, the unearthly, and colonialist values of the new people who ruled the c ountry by that time. These films include Escuadrilla (1941), Boda en el infierno (1942) and Los ltimos de Filipinas (1945), all directed by Antonio Romn. Harka (1941) directed by Carlos Arvalo, El crucero Baleares (1941) directed by Enrique del campo and Juan de Orduas A m legin (1942). There was especially one film called Raza (The Race) (1942) directed by Jos Luis Senz de Heredia which was without doubt one of the more significant films for the genre. Towards the end of 1940 and As the nation came to terms with the dramatic repercussions of the bloody civil war that had just ended, and temporary hookup the rest of Europe engaged in its have devastating conflict, Franco found the time to write a brief novella entitled Raza. Published under the pseudonym Jaime de Andrade, Raza was structured like a screenplay and clearly intended to be made into a film a semi autobiographical film, reflecting aspects of Francos real life.In 1945 with the foreseen defeat of the Axis, the descent in influence of Falange (Political organisation) and the ideology adopted by Franco of National Catholicism, the principles of the cine de cruzada was transformed into different nationalist genres. These also contained the period drama, the folkloric comedy, the historical movie, and the religious film.Comedies seemed to be preferred by the box office, the reason being this genre of film was the most popular and therefore the most profitable especially films directed by Edgar Neville, Rafael Gil and Jos Luis Senz de Heredia who produced many clichd, bullfighting films and folkloric musicals. These types of films were characterised for their poor quality and being cheerful in nature and having low production values. However, these films were produced for easy viewing also, audience had the opportunity to participate. These were vehicles which were created around the best singers of that time, for example, Juanita Reina, Carmen Sevilla, Lola Florez, Paquita Rico, Currito de la Cruz, and Conchita Piquer as in Florin Rey La Dolores (1940). Yet in a time in which international closing off and repression for its fascist supporters was very common, the regime encouraged film producers to use the great national symbols of old and resist using anti-Spanish symbols in a series of immense over produced biopics, commemorating distinguished Catholic heroines as in Juan de Ordua Locura de Amor (Love Crazy) (1950) and La Leona de Castilla (The Lioness of Castille) (1951), and Reina Santa (1947) a film about a virtuous Spanish princess who becomes the mogul of Portugal directed by Rafael Gil. Along with these theatrical and historical films, we also see a strong Catholicism and missionary colonialism theme running through the cinema at this time, such as Misin blanca (1946) directed by Juan de Ordua, and then there were the prototypes for the sentimental, religious dramas of the early mid-fifties with films like Balarrasa (Reckless) (1951), A mans harrowing fix in war which turns him to God for salvation and he becomes a Priest) directed by Jos Antonio Nieves Conde.It is worth mentioning that the same Falangist director, Jos Antonio Nieves Conde, directed Surcos (Furrows) (1951), dealing with the fatal repercussions of leaving the old country and implications of migrating to the city. This film seemed to symbolise the realist cinema which was more relative to daily life in Spain and to the Spanish people, issues of lower orders, and presenting social problems that were entirely absent from Spanish cinema screens. Surcos was also the cause of strong disagreements between Falangism and conventional Catholicism because in 1951 Jos Mara Garca Escudero who was the General Director of Cinema at the time, denied to give the national interest award to Juan de Orduas Alba de America (Dawn of America) (1951) as he preferred Surcos instead. As a consequence of this, Escudero had to leave his position as General Director of Cinema and Orduas historical epic was aw arded instead. This was an indication of the regime position towards film makers who had the courage to defy the regime baring the less appealing, problematic side of social issues in Francos dictatorship. Realism had gradually returned into Spain through the weird example of Italian neo-realism and soviet cinema at the end the 1940s, it had sneaked into university film programmes. These types of films found great acceptance among some disillusioned Falangist film makers in the new, official film school, which was created by the regime and founded in 1947.Originally, the regime permitted the establishment of the Instituto de Investigaciones y experiencias cinematogrficas (Institute for Film Research and Experiment) by means of forcing control on professional access to the film industry. In 1962 its name was changed to Escuela Oficial de Cine (Official Film School) and represented its programme on the curriculum for the Italian Centro Sperimentale in Rome. The IIEC was known for its lack of good teaching standards, and poor resources. However, the IIEC acquired 109 students just in the starting year of its foundation many of these pupils vie important roles in the film industry movements in the 1950s and events which were organized to manifest cultural and also political opposition to Francos regime.Spanish Cinema during the dictatorship Neo-Realism (1952-1961)Neo-Realist ideology started to be more pellucid throughout the film industry in Spain almost immediately, not only in films by the young forthcoming directors but also in those by followers of Franco such as Jos Antonio Nieves Conde, who with his controversial film Surcos, let Spaniards see some of the unpleasant aspects of urban life.Luis Garca Berlanga and Juan Antonio Bardem were two disillusioned Falangists who studied at IIEC, they two were very important individuals in the attempt to renew Spanish cinema. These two men worked together with their own production company called UNINCI and in 1951 made Esa Pareja Feliz (That Happy Couple) (1953). The story was based on dreams of the working class about the improvement of the economy with parodies of CIFESAs (Compaa industrial Film Espaol S.A.) epic cinema and also the escapism of romantic comedies from Hollywood. Berlanga and Bardem proceeded with the same satirical style in the respected Spanish parody Bienvenido Mister marshal (Welcome Mr. Marshall) (1953).This production had a very noviceal edge and for that reason it obtained a very positive international recognition. Nevertheless, it was publicly and officially disapproved in Spain. Although the critics of his movies were softened by the parody and comic tone, Berlanga frequently had censorship and poor distribution issues. Juan Antonio Bardem was part of the illegal Communist Party and also one of the organizers of the Salamanca Film Conference in 1955. His career in the film industry in the 50s and 60s was interrupted with periods of imprisonment due(p) to his polit ical actions against the regime. Among his works were Cmicos (Actors) (1953) and Muerte de un ciclista (Death of a Cyclist) (1955) in which Bardem emphasises in a critical perception of the bourgeoisie in Spain and showed some short images of people living in extreme poverty in Spain, this film gave Bardem substantial international recognition (Winner of the 1955 FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival).The introduction of new ideas from international lands caused great fervour and strong feelings of change among filmmakers and the general public alike. Public discussions were due for the first time in Spains old University City Salamanca lead by Basilio Martn Patino and sponsored by the Universities film club, the first National cinematographic conversations called the attention of professionals in the Spanish film industry, scholars, critics and writers who were there to represent a vast range of ideologies, these conversations took place between 14th and 19th of May in 1955. There was an open up document declaring the meeting which was signed by directors such as Bardem, Patino, Muoz Suay, etc these recognised personalities of the film industry along with many others discussing a number of topics, for example the censorship criteria, film distribution, and protection quotas. They also mentioned that it was crucial to include a member of the film industry in the censorship team and wanted that point to be considered.The discussions in Salamanca caused a minimum reaction for which many of their supporters thought the dialog had been a failure. The fascist government opposition said the talks were an opportunity given to the regime by a bourgeois organization to sharpen its manipulation by the use of censorship criteria. Conservatives said the talks were proof that communist were infiltrating some other people said that the discussions were clear evidence that the film industry in Spain was in its infancy, but for others of its history and maturity. Nev ertheless it is important to say that the talks had helped the awareness of Spanish cinema on a national level and due to some insecurity in the government eleven months after the Salamancan talks the general director of film and theatre was substituted by Jos Muoz Fontn (Whose career would later be destroyed by Buuels controversial Viridiana (1961)). The most obvious evidence of official reactions was that the film industry was in complete silence following the talks and the Franco Government quietly turned its back. Although censorship had caused an artistic leisure in Spain, the new emerging and inspiring ideas being introduced into Spain had created new blood with young home grown directors such as pioneers Luis Garcia Berlanga and Juan Antonio Bardem (Who both helped to create la esttica franquista, a film style which ironically defined Spanish film during Francos reign).Spanish Cinema during the dictatorship New Spanish Cinema (1962-1968)Spain made its first attempt to be par t of the European common market in 1962 the country wanted to prove that Spain was not the fascist, retrograde it used to be Spain was going through a new phase of liberalization. The moderate Garca Escudero who was disregard 10 years before for supporting the film Surcos was brought back to accompany the director of cinematographic and theatre position. Garcia participated in the discussions in Salamanca and was aware of the disappointment and frustrations of those people who were attempting to make films during the dictatorship of General Franco and therefore when the repression caused by the use of censorship temporally subject the pressure on the film industry in 1962, Jos Mara Garca Escuderos started to revise the points discussed in Salamanca which after seven years had not been even considered.One of the hardest aims for Garca Escudero to achieve was to update the censorship system. In this attempt he was attacked by constant criticism, especially by members of the church a nd the right wing who accused him of being a repulsive freak of a promoter. Forth revised codes were stipulated in 1963, which were strongly attacked with the only purpose of bringing back many of the strictly controlled measures.Although several of the new film makers were clearly part of the opposition, the dictatorship found the way to silence their voices. Jos Garca Escudero did not find enough political support to cause any serious alteration to the censorship system however, in 1962 he managed to create a new category for special interest films. This category was very significant for new professional film makers from The Escuela Oficial de Cinematografa (EOC), to work in a film industry in which they had never been allowed to be involved in unless they were only apprentices.As a consequence of the special interest category a new genre in the film industry appeared. This new genre was films that showed the problems of Spain, especially with criticism towards the social situatio n of the country, for the first time realistic narratives of Spain were screened in cinemas along the country. This type of cinema was called by critic Juan Francisco de Lasa as New Spanish Cinema.The new cinema in Spain was known for its use of metaphor showing social criticism which was prominent in the 1950s especially by directors Luis Garca Berlanga and Juan Antonio Bardem who were well respected at the time and classed as the best of their era and genre. Nevertheless new directors focused more on the 1890s literary generation. Spanish writers like the likes of Antonio Machado, Miguel de Unamuno and Po Baroja were attempting to find answers to national issues in its literary, historical and also geographical sometime(prenominal), the new directors in the mid-sixties were more interested in analyzing and criticizing social traditions in Spain in an attempt to form an image of Spain in which the country is seen for what it really is, instead of for what it was in the past or peo ple thought it would be in the future.Despite the special category which allowed new Spanish productions to work as films of special interest, young Spanish film makers were still being attacked by censorship, as seen in Miguel Picazos La tia Tula (1964), that had a cut of over four minutes and then there was the confiscation of certain scenes from Carlos Sauras Llanto por un bandido (1964) which were eventually destroyed by the censors. Manuel Summers Juguetes rotos (1964) recalls the heroics of a boxer, a bullfighter, and a soccer player, showing the contrast between the opportunities of youth and the loneliness of forward-moving age still had its problems with the censors with the director receiving a long list of prohibited shots, including the following.A child beggingA group of girls in bikinisDialogue proverb Cualquier Espaol puede ser torero (Any Spaniard can be a bullfighter)These frequent restrictions caused an enormous frustration among many promising film makers. When the regime realised that the new Spanish cinema was being used in opposition, the government designed a system which allowed control over film distribution, making sure that these films were seen only by a elect few new Spanish films were screened exclusively in a system of art theatres for a very small educated audience.The arte y ensayo system started in January 1967 with the following restrictions380 theatresOnly in urban areas (cities of over 500,000 inhabitants)Cannot seat more than 500 (By law)The distributors at first thought it was great to be able to domiciliate films shown for the first time in Spain but because the audiences were small, exhibitors advertised promising them fruto prohibido (films prohibited or censored elsewhere). While this was correct, most of the public had misinterpreted it and would come looking for salacious material. Most previously censored films were not necessarily sexually explicit, censored more for political or social reasons such as Jean-Go dards A bout de souffl (1960), Luis Buuels Exterminating Angel (1962) and Ingmar Bergmans Persona (1966). The public became totally disillusioned and because of the years of censorship was completely unprepared for the new developments in films. By 1972 the art theatre ceased because it proved to an unsuccessful experiment. The special theatres were created not so much for the benefit of the Spanish film industry but so that foreign tourists in Spain could see movies in their native language. The New Spanish Cinema was being exhibited mostly in the art theatres but after a mere five years, Spains New Cinema did not have an audience in its own country and they were all abolished. The whole movement had attracted nothing but problems from the start due to the total lack of film culture in Spain. Directors of New Spanish Cinema created films which felt out of date to the foreign audiences. Basilio Martn Patinos Nueve cartes a Berta (1966) was entered into Cannes by Jos Mara Garca Escud ero but truthful away rejected Patinos honest and naive film felt dated to an international audience with their advanced taking into custody of cinema. To be fair to Garca Escudero he had accomplished a lot between 1962 and 1966, over forty new directors had made their first film. This wasnt enough for him to harbor his position of director general of Cinematografia y Teatro, and he was dismissed for the second time in his career. There were two reasons given, the first was economic the second was for The Primeras Jornadas Internacionales de Escuelas de Cinematografa (First International Film Schools Discussions) and his lack of control over a new and important presence in the Spanish film world, a group of students and young directors who were presided over by the respected film critic Ramn Gubern and in part by directorJoaquim Jord who is quoted sayingToday is impossible to speak freely of reality in Spain, so we are trying to describe its imaginary life*This group organized th e only public discussion of film in Spain for the farthermost twelve years. These discussions were held between 1st and 6th of October 1967 in the Catalan beach town of Sitges. Attended by students, critics and young filmmakers, the Sitges conference provided a unique space for anti-Franco protesters, revolutionaries and supporters of experimental film. The Catalonian film director, Jord presented a manifesto for the Barcelona School that became widely known as the Sitges Manifesto. This manifesto provided a clear focus for debates on questions of film principles and political ideals, as well as new ideas for production and exhibition of work outside Francos restrictive regime. Jords drafted the manifesto with a loss tone and could not be further from the New Spanish Cinema if it tried, with demands to end all censorship and state subsidies of any kind. Furthermore it called for the replacement of the Sindicato Nacional de Espectculo (State sport Union) which would be able to sup ervise the production, distribution and exhibition of film. The Sitges manifesto rejected any possibility of working with the system and would only agree to a film industry totally independent of the state. By the time the Franco regime noticed what was going on in Sitges the conference was coming to a close. Nevertheless practice of law interrupted the end of the event and arrested participants. Jord sought refuge in Rome and classes were briefly suspended at the National Film School. Garca Escudero was finally dismissed in November 1967. After the regimes reaction to the conference in Sitges, the Spanish film directors union (Agrupacin Sindical de Directores-Realizadores Espaoles de Cinematografa (ASDREC)) was planning to continue the debates at their own convention, schedule on the 23rd of November in 1969. A group of professional directors proposed that they carry out a study of the main problems of Spanish film and publish the findings. some(prenominal) of these findings, inc luding eliminating film censorship, had been taken from Sitges. Officially the ASDREC convention was prohibited due to its controversial tone, but this didnt stop them. After many preliminary talks between directors discussing the topics most relevant to the industry, the main meeting was eventually held in March 1970.* Higginbotham, V. (1988). Spanish Film Under Franco. Texas University of Texas Press. p66Spanish Cinema during the dictatorship The decade of Francos cobblers last (1969-1975)With the end of Garca Escudero and the New Spanish Cinema and the breakup of School of Barcelona with its avant garde views, Spanish movie screens were full of foreign Spy movies and spaghetti westerns. The decade of Francos death (November 20th 1975) had started sternly for Spanish film, with huge debts for the industry and the best of its new films were hardly shown on Spanish cinemas screens. 20 percent of world cinema had been banned in Spain since the well-mannered War and by the 1970s i t had risen to over 50 percent of films made abroad that couldnt be seen on Spanish screens. If most of the worlds greatest films couldnt be seen in Spain, at least it wasnt being so strong on letting them be filmed there, even if it brought controversy. One of the most important (and controversial) events for Spanish film during the later years of Francos reign was Buuel being granted permission to film Tristana (1970) in 1969. Tristana, definitely one of Buuels finest, is a great example of why his films, although banned and not well known to the Spanish people, were considered by Spanish Directors in the know as National treasures. In total contrast to most of the Spanish films made during the dictatorship, Buuels vision of Spain seemed and felt more authentic. With the use of real people where possible as in Viridiana (1961) where he selected a group of beggars straight from the streets of Toledo and Madrid, and then there is the title character from Nazarin (1959) who is a typi cal anarchistic Spanish clergyman (many were murdered on the suspicion of being Communist sympathizers during the genteel War). Buuels return to Spain was also the start of a new era in Spanish film, in the next five years leading up to Francos death there were some great films to come out of Spain. Carlos Saura (after Buuel is Spains most important director during the post-war era) managed to create some great films even though his films were criticized by both right and left wing equally. He had the power to irritate and inherited Buuels ability to cause trouble and whose films also managed to disturb the uneasy calm of the Franco camp. Films included Los golfos (1959), Ana y los lobos (1972), La prima Angelica (1973) and Cria cuervos (1975) the title in Spanish stems from the phrase Raise ravens and theyll pluck out your eyes and the equivalent phrase in English would be you reap what you sow. Filmed the year before Francos death, it makes clear how the regime, through an out of date religious education, making certain that the young do not grow into cuervos (ravens) and rebel the fascist myth.Last but definitely not least is the most highly acclaimed film in the history of Spanish cinema, El espritu de la colmena (Spirit of the Beehive) (1973) one of the most beautiful and poetic films ever filmed, a film which has been haunting audiences both Spanish and abroad since it first premiered in Madrid in October 1973. A young Victor Erice (he was 33 years old when he directed his master piece, 3 years junior than Orson Welles when he directed Citizen Kane (1941)) was in search of new myths and turned to classic horror films for inspiration and he found Frankensteins monster to represent Spain and its problems. After seeing James Whales Frankenstein (1931) for the first time, seven year old Ana becomes fascinated with the monster, she becomes obsessed with finding him, and transfers this onto a wounded army deserter, who she is convinced is the monster. As a m etaphor for Spain, the monster is a ghoulish collage of a man, a monstrous figure constructed by the sinister creator, Dr. Henry Frankenstein. Even the Doctors name sounds very much like Franco. With its reference to the myth of Frankenstein, Erice found an uncanny metaphor for Francos Spain. The monster was re natural and had no memory like a new born baby, he has no moral sense and so can behave kindly, then kill (by accident or otherwise). Frankensteins monster being a literary myth himself suitably represents the final result of the so called Franco myth.Chapter ThreeSpanish Cinema back to DemocracyGeneral Franco died on the 20th November 1975, and with his death died 46 years repression, a new phase of history was about to be born in Spain. It was the time for freedom which would give strength and new mainstay to the Spanish cinema. It was as if Spain finally had democracy, liberalism, explicitness and experimentation all at once. Directors were now creating without the pressu re of all those previous prohibitions. Franco before he died had designated as his successor Juan Carlos of Bourbon, who was the grandson of the last king of Spain. For the first time in over 40 years, a free election took place on June 15, 1977 and