Belle Epoque (film)
Encyclopedia
Belle Époque is a 1992 Spanish film directed by Fernando Trueba
. The title derives from the period in French history known as the Belle Époque
(“The Beautiful Era”).
and Traditionalists and on the verge of the Spanish Second Republic. Fernando, a young soldier, deserts his duty. He befriends Manolo, an old man with a large house in the country. Fernando meets and is enchanted by Manolo's four daughters. As he meets each of the first three one by one, he falls in love and has sex with each of them, determining to marry, but with each one a complication arises: Clara (a widow who only recently lost her husband and who seeks solace with Fernando); Violeta (a lesbian
who is only attracted to Fernando when he is dressed as a woman for a costume ball); and Rocío (a social climber who is about to marry into a royalist family for the security it would provide, and who only momentarily succumbs to Fernando's charms). Heartbroken each time, the father of the girls encourages him to have patience. Each of the daughters is beautiful, and represents a different aspect of feminine sexuality. The youngest of the family, Luz, represents naïveté. While Fernando is pursuing her sisters, Luz gets progressively more angry and jealous, but eventually Fernando realizes that she is the best one of the four to marry.
Fernando Trueba
Fernando Trueba is a Spanish book editor, screenwriter, film director and producer.Between 1974 and 1979 worked as a film critic for Spain's leading daily newspaper EL PAIS. In 1980, founded the monthly film magazine CASABLANCA, which he edited and directed during its first two years...
. The title derives from the period in French history known as the Belle Époque
Belle Époque
The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque was a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. Occurring during the era of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, it was a period characterised by optimism and new technological and medical...
(“The Beautiful Era”).
Plot
The year is 1931. Spain is politically divided between RepublicansSecond Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
and Traditionalists and on the verge of the Spanish Second Republic. Fernando, a young soldier, deserts his duty. He befriends Manolo, an old man with a large house in the country. Fernando meets and is enchanted by Manolo's four daughters. As he meets each of the first three one by one, he falls in love and has sex with each of them, determining to marry, but with each one a complication arises: Clara (a widow who only recently lost her husband and who seeks solace with Fernando); Violeta (a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
who is only attracted to Fernando when he is dressed as a woman for a costume ball); and Rocío (a social climber who is about to marry into a royalist family for the security it would provide, and who only momentarily succumbs to Fernando's charms). Heartbroken each time, the father of the girls encourages him to have patience. Each of the daughters is beautiful, and represents a different aspect of feminine sexuality. The youngest of the family, Luz, represents naïveté. While Fernando is pursuing her sisters, Luz gets progressively more angry and jealous, but eventually Fernando realizes that she is the best one of the four to marry.
Cast
- Jorge SanzJorge SanzJorge Sanz is a Spanish actor and is one of the most prominent actors of the Spanish cinema since the 1980s. He is known to international audiences for his roles in the films: Amantes by director Vicente Aranda and Fernando Trueba’s Belle Époque .-Early life :Jorge Sanz Miranda was born on August...
as Fernando - Fernando Fernán GómezFernando Fernán GómezFernando Fernán-Gómez was a Spanish actor and director. He was born in Lima, Peru as his mother, Spanish actress Carola Fernán-Gómez, was making a tour of Latin America. Inheriting his surname as a stage name, he moved to Spain in 1924.After the Spanish Civil War he began a study of Law but...
as Manolo - Miriam Díaz Aroca as Clara (as Miriam Díaz-Aroca)
- Ariadna GilAriadna GilAriadna Gil i Giner is a Spanish actress. She is known for her expressive acting in films such as Belle Époque or Lagrimas Negras.-Career:Bigas Luna discovered her for the 1986 movie Lola...
as Violeta - Maribel VerdúMaribel VerdúMaribel Verdú is a Spanish actress. She is known to English-speaking audiences for playing Luisa in the 2001 film Y tu mamá también and Mercedes in Guillermo del Toro's 2006 film Pan's Labyrinth. In Spain she is known for films such as Belle Époque, Tetro, and Huevos de oro.Verdú was born María...
as Rocío - Penélope CruzPenélope CruzPenélope Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón , to critical acclaim...
as Luz - Gabino DiegoGabino DiegoGabino Diego is a Spanish actor, born on 18 September 1966 in Madrid. He was educated at Runnymede College, in Madrid.His credits include: ¡Ay Carmela! and Belle Époque.-Awards:*Goya Awards**1999 - Nominated - Best Actor for La hora de los valientes...
as Juanito - Michel GalabruMichel GalabruMichel Louis Edmond Galabru is a French actor born on 27 October 1922 in Safi, Morocco.-Career:Over the course of his career, Galabru appeared in over 200 movies and worked with such renowned directors as Bertrand Blier, Costa-Gavras, Luc Besson , and Jean-Luc Godard...
as Danglard - Agustín GonzálezAgustín GonzálezAgustín González Martínez, was a Spanish actor.- Biography :He was brother of Manuel González, one of the members of Los Brincos....
as Don Luis - Chus LampreaveChus LampreaveChus Lampreave is a Spanish actress.She started in movies in 1958, but she became internationally known thanks to her roles in films by Pedro Almodóvar, where she plays old ladies with maternal or pastoral traits.- Filmography :...
as Doña Asun - Mary Carmen Ramírez as Amalia
- Juan José Otegui as Soldier (El cabo)
- Jesús Bonilla as Soldier (El número)
- María Galiana as La Polonia
- Joan Potau as Paco (as Juan Potau)
Awards
- 1993 Goya AwardsGoya AwardsThe Goya Awards, known in Spanish as los Premios Goya, are Spain's main national film awards, considered by many in Spain, and internationally, to be the Spanish equivalent of the American Academy Awards....
- Best Film (Mejor Película)
- Best Director (Mejor Director) - Fernando TruebaFernando TruebaFernando Trueba is a Spanish book editor, screenwriter, film director and producer.Between 1974 and 1979 worked as a film critic for Spain's leading daily newspaper EL PAIS. In 1980, founded the monthly film magazine CASABLANCA, which he edited and directed during its first two years...
- Best Lead Actress (Mejor Actriz Principal) - Ariadna GilAriadna GilAriadna Gil i Giner is a Spanish actress. She is known for her expressive acting in films such as Belle Époque or Lagrimas Negras.-Career:Bigas Luna discovered her for the 1986 movie Lola...
- Best Supporting Actor (Mejor Actor de Reparto) - Fernando Fernán GómezFernando Fernán GómezFernando Fernán-Gómez was a Spanish actor and director. He was born in Lima, Peru as his mother, Spanish actress Carola Fernán-Gómez, was making a tour of Latin America. Inheriting his surname as a stage name, he moved to Spain in 1924.After the Spanish Civil War he began a study of Law but...
- Best Supporting Actress (Mejor Actriz de Reparto) - Chus LampreaveChus LampreaveChus Lampreave is a Spanish actress.She started in movies in 1958, but she became internationally known thanks to her roles in films by Pedro Almodóvar, where she plays old ladies with maternal or pastoral traits.- Filmography :...
- Best Original ScreenplayScreenplayA screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
(Mejor Guión Original) - Rafael AzconaRafael AzconaRafael Azcona Fernández was an awarded Spanish screenwriter and novelist who has worked with some of the best Spanish and international filmmakers. Azcona won five Goya Awards during his career, including a lifetime achievement award in 1998.He was born in the northern Spanish city Logroño on...
, José Luis García SánchezJosé Luis García SánchezJosé Luis García Sánchez is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer. He has directed 30 films since 1968. He wrote for the 1973 film Habla, mudita, which was entered into the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival...
, Fernando TruebaFernando TruebaFernando Trueba is a Spanish book editor, screenwriter, film director and producer.Between 1974 and 1979 worked as a film critic for Spain's leading daily newspaper EL PAIS. In 1980, founded the monthly film magazine CASABLANCA, which he edited and directed during its first two years... - Best CinematographyCinematographyCinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
(Mejor Fotografía) - José Luis AlcaineJosé Luis AlcaineJosé Luis Alcaine is a Spanish born cinematographer. He was educated in Tangier's French Lycee Regnault and in the Spanish Institute. He was the first cinematographer to use fluorescent tube as key lighting in the 1970s. He has worked on films such as Belle Époque Blast from the Past, and Two Much... - Best Production Design (Mejor Dirección Artística) - Juan BotellaJuan BotellaJuan Botella Medina is a former Mexican diver.He competed for Mexico at the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy where he won the bronze medal in the men's springboard event.-References:*Sports-Reference...
- Best Editing (Mejor Montaje) - Carmen Frías
- 1993 - OscarAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Foreign Language Film - 43rd Berlin International Film Festival43rd Berlin International Film FestivalThe 43rd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 11 to 22, 1993.-Jury:* Frank Beyer * Juan Antonio Bardem* Michel Boujut* François Duplat* Katinka Faragó* Krystyna Janda* Naum Kleiman* Brock Peters...
- Golden BearGolden BearAccording to legend, the Golden Bear was a large golden Ursus arctos. Members of the Ursus arctos species can reach masses of . The Grizzly Bear and the Kodiak Bear are North American subspecies of the Brown Bear....
(nominated)
- Golden Bear