Surcos
Encyclopedia
Furrows (1951
) is a Spanish
film
directed by José Antonio Nieves Conde, and written by him in collaboration with Gonzalo Torrente Ballester
, Eugenio Montes, and Natividad Zaro. It provides an unsettling portrait of post-Civil War
Madrid
while dictator Francisco Franco
was in power.
films from the era when the style was being created and popularized in Italy
. The picture only escaped censorship because José María García Escudero, Spain's Chief of Cinematography, was progressive enough to value the film for its artistic merit.
The film dealt with issues virtually unseen during Franco's rule, including rural immigration into the cities, poverty, prostitution, unemployment, and class conflicts. Surcos is a view of the contradictions found in Franco's regime. The Catholic Church considered the film "deeply dangerous," yet political observers labeled the drama of "national interest." The film was not released until its controversial ending was removed.
Nominations
1951 in film
The year 1951 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:...
) is a Spanish
Cinema of Spain
The art of motion-picture making within the nation of Spain or by Spanish filmmakers abroad is collectively known as Spanish Cinema.In recent years, Spanish cinema has achieved high marks of recognition as a result of its creative and technical excellence...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by José Antonio Nieves Conde, and written by him in collaboration with Gonzalo Torrente Ballester
Gonzalo Torrente Ballester
Gonzalo Torrente Ballester was a Spanish Galician writer in Spanish language. He was born in Serantes, Ferrol, Galicia, and received his first education there, subsequently attending the universities of Santiago de Compostela and Oviedo.Although primarily a novelist, he also published journalism,...
, Eugenio Montes, and Natividad Zaro. It provides an unsettling portrait of post-Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
while dictator Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
was in power.
Plot
Surcos follows the struggles of a Spanish family as it emigrates from the country to Madrid circa 1950. Facing difficulties in finding housing and employment, several family members turn to illegal or immoral activities in order to make ends meet, and the traditional family structure disintegrates.Cast
- Luis PeñaLuis PeñaLuis Peña was a Spanish actor.Peña came from a family of actors and performed in films and theater. In 1946, he married Luchy Soto; the two formed a stage company. He worked on filmed plays for television which were shown on TVE in the 1960s...
as El Mellao - María AsquerinoMaría AsquerinoMaría Asquerino is a Spanish film actress.-Selected filmography:- External links :...
as Pili - Francisco Arenzana as Pepe
- Marisa de Leza as Tonia
- Ricardo Lucía as Manolo Pérez
- José Prada as Manuel Pérez
- Félix Dafauce as Don Roque, "el Chamberlain"
- María Francés as La madre
Background
Surcos is considered one of the very few Spanish neo-realistNeorealism (art)
In art, neorealism was established by the ex-Camden Town Group painters Charles Ginner and Harold Gilman at the beginning of World War I. They set out to explore the spirit of their age through the shapes and colours of daily life...
films from the era when the style was being created and popularized in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The picture only escaped censorship because José María García Escudero, Spain's Chief of Cinematography, was progressive enough to value the film for its artistic merit.
The film dealt with issues virtually unseen during Franco's rule, including rural immigration into the cities, poverty, prostitution, unemployment, and class conflicts. Surcos is a view of the contradictions found in Franco's regime. The Catholic Church considered the film "deeply dangerous," yet political observers labeled the drama of "national interest." The film was not released until its controversial ending was removed.
Awards
Wins- Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain: CEC Award; Best Film; Best Supporting Actor, Félix Dafauce; Best Supporting Actress, Marisa de Leza; 1953.
- National Syndicate of Spectacle, Spain: 3rd place Prize of the National Syndicate of Spectacle; 1953.
Nominations
- 1952 Cannes Film Festival1952 Cannes Film Festival-Jury:The jury at this festival was all French.*Maurice Genevoix *Tony Aubin*Mme. Georges Bidault*Pierre Billon*Chapelain-Midy *Louis Chauvet *A...
: Grand Prize of the Festival; José Antonio Nieves Conde; 1952.
External links
- Surcos film clip