Name: Sangre en el ruedo
Genre: Drama
Released: 1969-05-19
Duration: 1 h 40 min
Rating: 5.6
Cast: Alberto Closas, Ángel Teruel, Francisco Rabal

Sentimental melodrama about a ¨matador¨who managed to become one of the most famous representatives of international bullfighting

Acceptable and decent melodrama about the bullfighting world dealing with a young son (Angel Teruel as Juanito Carmona 'Manuel Montes' ) of another great Torero , Juán Carmona (Francisco Rabal) , who goes to big city to achieve big success as a matador . Along the way , Juanito is training and practicing at Capeas , the reason for he wants to be a great bullfighter . Meantime , Juán Carmona remembers old times in which he was a successful bullfighter along with José Domínguez (Alberto Closas) , until he had a ¨Cogida¨(bull attack) who was really wounded and while another Torero called José Domínguez left him . That's why Juán has an extreme hating to Domínguez . Nowadays, Juán Carmona and José Domínguez are wealthy entrepreneurs but both of whom have themselves a deep hateful . The movie gives a nice description about the culture of Spain surrounding the age old traditions of the Matador, inside and outside of the bullfighters ring , in which Toreros are really submitted to nerves during slaughter. Later on , Juanito Carmona 'Manuel Montes' finds difficulties but also love , as he falls for Paloma Domínguez (Cristina Galbó) , José Dominguez's daughter , whom he meets while hitch-hiking when her car is broken . At the beginning Juanito flees from his wealthy father Juán Carmona (Francisco Rabal) for the broader horizons of the big city . The flick deals with the relationship between man and society , between man and glory hunger . It describes the hardship existences of the newcomers Toreadores practicing in ¨Capeas¨. As thanks to an old bullfighting expert , Rafael (José Bódalo) , Juanito starts his career in art of Toreo and finally he gets his dream : to be a successful bullfighter . At the same time it deals with Spanish-style bullfighting , it is called Corrida De Toros (literally "running of bulls") or la fiesta ("the festival"). As Juanito is a simple but honest boy who finds patronage to become a great Torero -bullfighter- thanks to an ¨Apoderado¨ he gets to be famous ., getting fame nad fortune .

This is a bullfighting drama about a notorious Torero , narrating his raise , in which he will learn to overcome difficulties and penury . The film has great interest for fans of bullfighting because being a summary of the typical and well built screenplay upon a bullfighter who emerges from anonymity, seeking his opportunity, in ¨Capeas¨ and including rushing for spontaneous , this is a person who illegally jumps into the ring to fight the bull . This film belongs to bullfighting sub-genre , whose main big hit was ¨Currito De La Cruz¨ silent version (1925) that determined the successive renditions , as ¨Currito De La Cruz¨(1965) by Rafael Gil , and other movies as ¨El momento de la verdad¨ by Francesco Rossi , ¨Aprendiendo a morir¨ , ¨El Litri y su sombra¨, ¨Chantaje a un torero¨ , with appearance of notorious Toreros : Miguel Mateo 'Miguelín' , Pedro Basauri 'Pedrucho' , Luis Miguel Dominguín , El Litri , Manuel Benitez el Cordobes , Sebastian Palomo Linares , and Angel Teruel , and several others. This is a colorful recounting thanks to the solid direction by Rafael Gil , adding an excessive melodrama , a strong battle of wits between two old Toreros and a youthful romance . The film gives a real description about ¨Bullfighting¨ art , as the bull is released into the ring, where he is tested for ferocity by the matador and Banderilleros with the magenta and gold Capote ("Cape"). The ancient Toreo art-form is described with unflinching and fetching realism , it is the story of bullfighters against brave beasts . This is the first stage, the Tercio de Varas ("the lancing third"). The matador confronts the bull with the Capote, performing a series of passes and observing the behavior and quirks of the bull . Next, a picador enters the arena on horseback armed with a Vara (lance). In the next stage, the Tercio De Banderillas ("the third of Banderillas"), each of the three Banderilleros attempts to plant two Banderillas, sharp barbed sticks, into the bull's shoulders . In the final stage, the "the third of death" , the matador re-enters the ring alone with a small red cape, or Muleta, and a sword .The picture gives a spectacular as well as bustly portrayal of the bullfighting party or Fiesta . It is described in semi-documentary style , including : Stockbreeding of brave bulls or ¨Reses Bravas¨ , corridas , Tientas and other bullfight related traditions are shown . Regular acting by Angel Teruel as a honest boy finds patronage by a veteran trainer : José Bódalo and an Apoderado : José Sazatornil 'Saza' to become himself a Torero -bullfighter- , in fact , Angel Teruel was a real ¨Matador¨ . They are well accompanied by a fine support cast , such as : Guillermo Marín , Mary Begoña , Arturo López , Luis Barbero , Fernando Sanchez Polack , Alfonso del Real , Fabian Conde , Erasmo Pascual , Goyo Lebrero , Alberto Fernández and Rafael Hernández , among others .

It contains an evocative but sad musical score by Angel Arteaga . As well as a colorful cinematography by the prestigious Michel Kelber . Being shot on location in various places as El Escorial, Somosaguas, Valdemoro , Cercedilla, Madrid, Ocaña, Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha , Saelices, Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain .The motion picture produced by Filmax /Andres Velasco productions was professionally directed by Rafael Gil . And it was Winner : Prize of the National Syndicate of Spectacle Best Actor 1969 to José Bódalo . Rafael Gil was one of the best filmmakers from Spanish cinema . He was a great director and writer, specially known for Teatro Apolo (1950), La calle sin sol (1948) and La guerra de Dios (1953). And directing several classic movies , such as : ¨Don Quijote De La Mancha¨ , ¨El Clavo¨ , ¨La Fe¨ , ¨La Señora De Fatima¨, ¨Aventuras De Juán Lucas¨, ¨La Reina Santa¨ , ¨Mare Nostrum¨, ¨La vida nueva de Pedrito de Andía¨ , ¨La reina de Chantecler¨, ¨Samba¨, ¨La casa de Troya¨, ¨El Litri y su sombra¨, ¨El Beso De Judas¨ , and several others. Rating : 6/10 . Essential and indispensable watching for bullfighting lovers .

Spanish-language cinema across Spain and Latin America is united by its engagement with history, cultural identity, and social transformation. In Spain, films often balance artistic experimentation with popular genres while reflecting on memory, politics, and family. In Latin America, cinema has been deeply tied to questions of colonial legacy, resistance, and community resilience, ranging from intimate dramas to bold political allegories.

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The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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Sangre en el ruedo

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