309:
Carvalho to the conclusion that it was an insignia of a harmonica he was wearing on his lapel that helped the killer find his target in the dark. Esparza Julvé, a protégé of both
Garrido and Santos, has been experiencing severe economic hardship, and while on a trip to Germany was contacted by CIA agents who hired him to kill the communist leader for money. Carvalho confirms the identity of the killer, forcing the handicapped man to reveal what he knows by filling his mouth with bullets and pushing his wheelchair out into the street among traffic. He whispers the name to Carvalho, after having swallowed the bullets out of fear.
545:. Victoria Abril had already been chosen to starred on that project, it was more convenient to move her part from one project to the next. Victoria Abril, on her third collaboration with Aranda, plays Carmela a militant communist who serves as Carvalho's driver. Like in other films directed by Aranda, this minor role was expanded for her. There were not collaboration with Vázquez Montalbán, who was surprised with the selection of Patxi Andion as the protagonist.
313:
apartment, stopping the questioning. Carvalho unmasks
Esparza Julvé as the killer. At a new meeting of the Central Committee, Esparza Julvé is cast aside by the members of the Communist Party who are now aware of his culpability. Esparza Julvé tries to leave the building, but he is killed at the door by those who had hired him to assassinate Garrido. Carvalho, with his mission accomplished, heads to the airport driven by Carmela.
296:
Sepúlveda, Esparza Julvé, Pérez
Montesa, Leverder and Ordoñez. The detective questions them one by one. Ordoñez, the eldest among them, is quickly discarded by both Fonseca and Carvalho and so is Leverder. While following Leverder to a public reading, Carvalho is seduced by a journalist. This is actually a trap and Carvalho is drugged and beaten by
533:. All those present at the congress are suspects. Aranda combines two elements: the detective investigation and the chronicle of a historical period. The story is told from Carvalho's perspective. The director included many comic elements. There were many people who found the film funny, but not the majority.
463:
Aranda was not interested in the political intrigue of the book or in the character of the detective himself. He found the protagonist of the novel very unpleasant: "I detest
Carvalho's morals, his cynicism, the use he makes of women.. ". Aranda also added: " He only interest me from the point of
524:
Aranda omitted all the part that occurred in
Barcelona, starting the film with the arrival of the detective at Madrid's airport. Aranda's idea was to portrait Madrid of the transition. The communist leader killed at the opening the film, Garrido, is an alter ego of the then President of Spain's
459:
was published with popular success, Carlos Duran suggested to make a film adaptation of the novel in the belief that the film would be as successful. Even though Aranda had his doubts, he went ahead with the project. The film was shot in Madrid with a budget of 36.778.549 pesetas. It was made by
282:
During a meeting in Madrid of the
Central Committee of Spain’s Communist Party, there is a brief power outage. The lights are back on a few seconds later, but in that short span of time the Secretary General, Fernando Garrido, is killed, stabbed in the chest. The government asks Fonseca, a rabid
295:
Those sharing the podium with the slain
Garrido could have killed him only by stabbing him in the back so they are discarded as possible suspects. Because the crime took place in a short period of time and in darkness, Carvalho's suspicions quickly narrow to five members of the Communist Party:
287:
to take on the case. Carmela, a militant communist, is assigned to work as his driver and assistant. Carvalho and
Fonseca meet to exchange ideas about the case on which both are working. They utterly dislike each other since in the past, Fonseca persecuted leftists like Carvalho. Their parallel
308:
SepĂşlveda has the theory that the killer found his way to
Garrido in the darkness thanks to the smoke of his cigarette. However, Santos confirms that Garrido was not smoking when he was killed. Garrido's last photograph and the examination of the items he was carrying when he was killed leads
312:
All along, Carvalho has been flirting with
Carmela. She invites him to her apartment while her husband and her son are away. As they begin to kiss, they are interrupted by the KGB agent, who presses Carvalho once again about his investigation. At that very moment Carmela's husband enters the
256:
agent, who travels from Barcelona to Madrid to discover the identity of the assassin of the leader of the Spanish Communist Party who was stabbed during a blackout while presiding over a meeting of the party's Central Committee. The film is a thriller with ironic political overtones.
479:
in power. Therefore, the film is framed in this very concrete period." I don't know if that makes the film dated or rather makes it an interesting reportage of its time", Aranda explained. "I have made two films about the transition: one, an intimate story,
521:, this was a film about extremist coming together in a democracy, in this case in order to solve a crime. Whodunnit ? it does not matter. As the interior minister exclaims: In the same way that we’ve had to forget everything, you should to the same”
506:
Much of the film’s action is filtered through headlines and television reports in imitation of the way in which the Spanish public lived the transition. The televised funeral of the Communist leader is a sly montage of mourners at the funeral of
283:
anti-communist, to find out who committed this crime. Santos, the interim new leader of the Communist Party, calls in a private investigator, Pepe Carvalho. A witty and cynical hard-boiled detective, Carvalho arrives from
464:
view that he drives the narration. Practically nothing happens to him throughout the film, he is watching what happened to others ". Hence Aranda's detective differs greatly from Vázquez Montalbán's Carvalho.
300:
agents who want to know what he has found out, but Carvalho still has no answers to give them. Released by his captors, Carvalho returns to his hotel's room. A central European female agent, working for the
561:. Aranda chose Patxi Andi for economical and practical reason. Like Victoria Abril, he had been already signed for a project that fell through, and they were just incorporated into Aranda subsequent film.
515:(the legendary Spanish Communist leader who passed dictatorship in exile in the Soviet Union) appears as a senile old dear who sits next to the victim but does not even realize he is dead. Like
40:
572:
premiered in Madrid on 16 August 1982. It was coldly received by film critics and audiences showed little interest on the film. It made only 30.933.857 pesetas at the box office.
493:. I am not aware of more films of this period which I find very interesting. There is a kind of collective amnesia about this era", Aranda commented. As in
17:
1191:
292:
chief who is severely handicapped after losing his arms and legs in Vietnam, but the wheelchair-using old man refuses to co-operate.
869:
455:
with screenwriter collaborator Carlos Duran, but they could not get the needed financing backing for this project. When the book
1181:
1012:
476:
503:. He gave the film a different tone from the novel, opting for a mixture of political thriller and a comic strip tone.
274:
was Aranda’s first work shot in Madrid instead of his native Barcelona. The film received a cold commercial response.
824:
810:
796:
782:
270:
517:
549:
was who Vázquez Montalbán imagined as Carvalho. The detective has been played previously by Carlos Ballesteros in
1196:
1032:
434:
created in 1981. One of its owners also presided over the publishing house Planeta which was about to publish
439:
261:
78:
982:
1186:
952:
862:
482:
305:, is waiting for him. She is also interested in finding the culprit through Carvalho, who flirts with her.
1122:
1002:
1092:
922:
902:
495:
442:. Aranda had been approached, shortly before, about adapting another novel by Vázquez Montalbán:
467:
The director's idea was to use the plot as a chronicle of the transition, the period during which
1022:
855:
1132:
546:
444:
260:
The script was written by director Vicente Aranda. It was based on a book of the same name by
912:
342:
106:
1112:
1102:
1062:
264:, one of a series of novels that featured the character of a hard-boiled detective called
120:
8:
1176:
1072:
1052:
391:
1042:
992:
932:
842:
820:
806:
792:
778:
526:
354:
110:
1142:
972:
892:
588:
584:
508:
472:
223:
558:
530:
327:
245:
98:
39:
879:
348:
336:
249:
241:
102:
63:
53:
847:
1170:
1152:
942:
529:. The crime is set on the style of the British murder mystery made famous by
512:
475:'s dictatorship, after his death, until the first free election that put the
331:
265:
237:
500:
233:
1082:
448:, but he declined. At that time, Vicente Aranda was working in a comedy:
836:
550:
284:
288:
investigations take different routes. Carvalho interviews a former
252:. The plot follows a private detective, an ex-communist and former
430:
was the first film that Aranda made with the production company
268:. It was adapted for the screen the year after its publication.
777:. Huelva, XX Festival de Cine Iberoamericano de Huelva, 1994,
468:
460:
Morgana films in 50%, Lola films 30%, and Acuarius film 20%.
541:
The casting of the film was linked to Aranda failed project
557:, in 1977 and in the series on Spanish television by actor
671:
669:
655:
653:
395:
302:
297:
289:
253:
750:
737:
401:
Jorge Bosso as Latin American spy, expert in torturing.
708:
695:
666:
650:
601:
1168:
877:
583:is available in Region 2 DVD. The film is in
863:
726:
724:
619:
617:
639:
637:
635:
633:
870:
856:
38:
721:
614:
499:, Aranda was stylistically influenced by
787:Cánovás, JoaquĂn (ed.). Varios Autores:
630:
791:. Murcia: Universidad de Murcia, 2000,
789:Miradas sobre el cine de Vicente Aranda
682:
14:
1169:
732:Contemporary Spanish film From Fiction
625:Contemporary Spanish film From Fiction
851:
775:Vicente Aranda: El Cine Como PasiĂłn
453:(Dos una pareja, tres una multitud)
321:
24:
773:Alvarez, Rosa & Frias, Belen.
487:(La Muchacha de las bragas de oro)
25:
1208:
1013:El Lute II: Tomorrow I'll be Free
830:
1192:Films directed by Vicente Aranda
518:La Muchacha de las Bragas de Oro
489:, the other with a wider scope,
483:The Girl with the Golden Panties
477:Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
379:Juan Jesus Valverde as the Major
963:Murder in the Central Committee
838:Murder in the Central Committee
819:. Ediciones J.C, Madrid, 1989,
581:Murder in the Central Committee
570:Murder in the Central Committee
491:Murder in the Central Committee
428:Murder in the Central Committee
219:Murder in the Central Committee
575:
457:Asesinato en el comite central
436:Asesinato en el comite central
410:Juan José Otegui as Lecumberri
407:Rosa Maria Mateo as Newscaster
271:Asesinato en el Comité Central
229:Asesinato en el Comité Central
74:Asesinato en el Comité Central
33:Asesinato en el Comité Central
18:Asesinato en el Comité Central
13:
1:
767:
543:Two are company three a crowd
450:Two are company three a crowd
422:
404:Carlos Tristancho as Militant
363:Carlos Plaza as PĂ©rez Montesa
1182:1980s Spanish-language films
953:Girl with the Golden Panties
564:
7:
382:MarĂa Rubio as Soviet Agent
360:José Cerro as Esparza Julvé
10:
1213:
1003:El Lute: Run for Your Life
536:
376:Aura Maria Rojas as Gladys
923:The Blood Spattered Bride
886:
805:. Cátedra, Madrid, 1986,
438:, a new novel written by
388:Palmiro Aranda as Ordoñez
369:Francisco Vidal as Cerdán
366:Miguel Rellán as Leverder
207:
199:
191:
183:
173:
150:
142:
134:
126:
116:
94:
88:José Antonio Perez Giner
84:
69:
59:
49:
44:Theatrical release poster
37:
32:
594:
440:Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
262:Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
159:16 August 1982
79:Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
1133:The Maidens' Conspiracy
1023:If They Tell You I Fell
983:Captain Sánchez's Crime
316:
277:
1197:Spanish thriller films
547:Jean-Louis Trintignant
227:
913:The Exquisite Cadaver
756:Alvarez & FrĂas,
743:Alvarez & FrĂas,
714:Alvarez & FrĂas,
701:Alvarez & FrĂas,
675:Alvarez & FrĂas,
659:Alvarez & FrĂas,
607:Alvarez & FrĂas,
1187:1982 thriller films
1073:The Turkish Passion
1053:The Bilingual Lover
385:Ramón Durán as Mir
1033:Riders of the Dawn
933:Clara is the Price
893:Brillante Porvenir
801:Colmena, Enrique.
343:Conrado San MartĂn
107:Conrado San MartĂn
1164:
1163:
527:Santiago Carrillo
525:communist party,
419:
418:
215:
214:
121:José Luis Alcaine
27:1982 Spanish film
16:(Redirected from
1204:
1157:
1147:
1137:
1127:
1117:
1107:
1097:
1087:
1077:
1067:
1057:
1047:
1037:
1027:
1017:
1007:
997:
987:
977:
973:Fanny Straw Hair
967:
957:
947:
937:
927:
917:
907:
897:
872:
865:
858:
849:
848:
761:
754:
748:
741:
735:
728:
719:
712:
706:
699:
693:
686:
680:
673:
664:
657:
648:
641:
628:
621:
612:
605:
473:Francisco Franco
322:
166:
164:
42:
30:
29:
21:
1212:
1211:
1207:
1206:
1205:
1203:
1202:
1201:
1167:
1166:
1165:
1160:
1150:
1140:
1130:
1120:
1110:
1100:
1090:
1080:
1070:
1060:
1050:
1040:
1030:
1020:
1010:
1000:
993:Time of Silence
990:
980:
970:
960:
950:
940:
930:
920:
910:
900:
890:
882:
876:
833:
815:Vera, Pascual.
770:
765:
764:
755:
751:
742:
738:
729:
722:
713:
709:
700:
696:
687:
683:
674:
667:
658:
651:
642:
631:
622:
615:
606:
602:
597:
578:
567:
559:Eusebio Poncela
539:
531:Agatha Christie
425:
420:
319:
280:
176:
169:
162:
160:
153:
109:
105:
101:
89:
76:
45:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1210:
1200:
1199:
1194:
1189:
1184:
1179:
1162:
1161:
1159:
1158:
1148:
1138:
1128:
1118:
1108:
1098:
1088:
1078:
1068:
1058:
1048:
1038:
1028:
1018:
1008:
998:
988:
978:
968:
958:
948:
938:
928:
918:
908:
898:
887:
884:
883:
880:Vicente Aranda
875:
874:
867:
860:
852:
846:
845:
832:
831:External links
829:
828:
827:
817:Vicente Aranda
813:
803:Vicente Aranda
799:
785:
769:
766:
763:
762:
758:Vicente Aranda
749:
745:Vicente Aranda
736:
720:
716:Vicente Aranda
707:
703:Vicente Aranda
694:
690:Vicente Aranda
681:
677:Vicente Aranda
665:
661:Vicente Aranda
649:
645:Spanish Cinema
629:
613:
609:Vicente Aranda
599:
598:
596:
593:
577:
574:
566:
563:
538:
535:
445:The South Seas
424:
421:
417:
416:
412:
411:
408:
405:
402:
399:
389:
386:
383:
380:
377:
372:
371:
370:
367:
364:
361:
358:
355:HĂ©ctor Alterio
352:
346:
340:
337:Victoria Abril
334:
320:
318:
315:
279:
276:
250:Victoria Abril
242:Vicente Aranda
213:
212:
209:
205:
204:
201:
197:
196:
193:
189:
188:
185:
181:
180:
177:
174:
171:
170:
168:
167:
156:
154:
151:
148:
147:
144:
143:Distributed by
140:
139:
136:
132:
131:
128:
124:
123:
118:
117:Cinematography
114:
113:
111:HĂ©ctor Alterio
103:Victoria Abril
96:
92:
91:
86:
82:
81:
71:
67:
66:
64:Vicente Aranda
61:
57:
56:
54:Vicente Aranda
51:
47:
46:
43:
35:
34:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1209:
1198:
1195:
1193:
1190:
1188:
1185:
1183:
1180:
1178:
1175:
1174:
1172:
1155:
1154:
1153:Luna Caliente
1149:
1145:
1144:
1143:Lolita's Club
1139:
1135:
1134:
1129:
1125:
1124:
1119:
1115:
1114:
1109:
1105:
1104:
1099:
1095:
1094:
1093:The Naked Eye
1089:
1085:
1084:
1079:
1075:
1074:
1069:
1065:
1064:
1059:
1055:
1054:
1049:
1045:
1044:
1039:
1035:
1034:
1029:
1025:
1024:
1019:
1015:
1014:
1009:
1005:
1004:
999:
995:
994:
989:
985:
984:
979:
975:
974:
969:
965:
964:
959:
955:
954:
949:
945:
944:
943:Change of Sex
939:
935:
934:
929:
925:
924:
919:
915:
914:
909:
905:
904:
899:
895:
894:
889:
888:
885:
881:
878:The films of
873:
868:
866:
861:
859:
854:
853:
850:
844:
840:
839:
835:
834:
826:
825:84-85741-46-3
822:
818:
814:
812:
811:84-376-1431-7
808:
804:
800:
798:
797:84-607-0463-7
794:
790:
786:
784:
783:84-87737-04-8
780:
776:
772:
771:
759:
753:
746:
740:
733:
727:
725:
717:
711:
704:
698:
691:
685:
678:
672:
670:
662:
656:
654:
646:
640:
638:
636:
634:
626:
620:
618:
610:
604:
600:
592:
590:
586:
582:
573:
571:
562:
560:
556:
552:
548:
544:
534:
532:
528:
522:
520:
519:
514:
513:La Pasionaria
510:
504:
502:
498:
497:
492:
488:
485:
484:
478:
474:
470:
465:
461:
458:
454:
451:
447:
446:
441:
437:
433:
429:
415:
409:
406:
403:
400:
397:
393:
390:
387:
384:
381:
378:
375:
374:
373:
368:
365:
362:
359:
356:
353:
350:
347:
344:
341:
338:
335:
333:
332:Pepe Carvalho
329:
326:
325:
324:
323:
314:
310:
306:
304:
299:
293:
291:
286:
275:
273:
272:
267:
266:Pepe Carvalho
263:
258:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
238:thriller film
235:
231:
230:
225:
221:
220:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
172:
158:
157:
155:
149:
146:Morgana Films
145:
141:
137:
133:
129:
125:
122:
119:
115:
112:
108:
104:
100:
97:
93:
87:
83:
80:
75:
72:
68:
65:
62:
60:Screenplay by
58:
55:
52:
48:
41:
36:
31:
19:
1151:
1141:
1131:
1121:
1111:
1101:
1091:
1081:
1071:
1061:
1051:
1041:
1031:
1021:
1011:
1001:
991:
981:
971:
962:
961:
951:
941:
931:
921:
911:
903:Fata Morgana
901:
891:
837:
816:
802:
788:
774:
757:
752:
744:
739:
731:
715:
710:
702:
697:
689:
684:
676:
660:
644:
624:
608:
603:
580:
579:
569:
568:
554:
542:
540:
523:
516:
505:
501:comic strips
496:Fata Morgana
494:
490:
486:
481:
466:
462:
456:
452:
449:
443:
435:
431:
427:
426:
413:
357:as SepĂşlveda
328:Patxi AndiĂłn
311:
307:
294:
281:
269:
259:
246:Patxi AndiĂłn
240:directed by
228:
218:
217:
216:
211:₧ 30.933.857
203:₧ 36.778.549
175:Running time
152:Release date
99:Patxi AndiĂłn
90:Carlos Durán
73:
1083:Libertarias
591:subtitles.
576:DVD release
471:moved from
392:Jack Taylor
244:. It stars
138:Manuel Camp
130:Teresa Font
85:Produced by
50:Directed by
1177:1982 films
1171:Categories
768:References
587:, without
551:Bigas Luna
432:Lola films
423:Production
351:as Fonseca
339:as Carmela
208:Box office
179:95 minutes
163:1982-08-16
565:Reception
553:'s film,
349:José Vivó
345:as Santos
285:Barcelona
236:Spanish
127:Edited by
1113:Mad Love
1103:Jealousy
1063:Intruder
760:, p. 139
747:, p. 256
734:, p. 388
730:Deveny,
718:, p. 132
705:, p. 136
692:, p. 133
679:, p. 130
663:, p. 129
647:, p. 119
627:, p. 386
623:Deveny,
611:, p. 255
511:, while
192:Language
135:Music by
95:Starring
70:Based on
643:Stone,
589:English
585:Spanish
555:Tatuaje
537:Casting
232:) is a
224:Spanish
195:Spanish
184:Country
161: (
1156:(2009)
1146:(2007)
1136:(2006)
1126:(2003)
1123:Carmen
1116:(2001)
1106:(1999)
1096:(1998)
1086:(1996)
1076:(1994)
1066:(1993)
1056:(1993)
1046:(1991)
1043:Lovers
1036:(1990)
1026:(1989)
1016:(1988)
1006:(1987)
996:(1986)
986:(1984)
976:(1984)
966:(1982)
956:(1980)
946:(1976)
936:(1974)
926:(1972)
916:(1969)
906:(1965)
896:(1964)
823:
809:
795:
781:
688:Vera,
509:Franco
414:
200:Budget
595:Notes
469:Spain
398:agent
187:Spain
843:IMDb
821:ISBN
807:ISBN
793:ISBN
779:ISBN
317:Cast
278:Plot
248:and
234:1982
841:at
396:CIA
394:as
330:as
303:KGB
298:CIA
290:CIA
254:CIA
77:by
1173::
723:^
668:^
652:^
632:^
616:^
226::
871:e
864:t
857:v
222:(
165:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
