Name: Luto riguroso
Genre: Drama
Duration: 1 h 41 min
Rating: 5.6
Cast: Rafael Arcos, Carlos Ballesteros, Mercedes Borqué

In the last remaining hours of the Cinema of Spain viewing challenge on ICM,I wanted the final viewing to be something a bit special. After seeing a work of his from the Arrow set, I checked his credits,and was surprised to find that along with his last movie, there appeared to be no print of El fin de la inocencia (1977) around,and whilst it has been reviewed on other sites, nothing on this site for Luto riguroso (1977). Being lucky to find one of these titles with English subtitles,I decided to fill in a gap.

Note:Some spoilers in review.

View on the film:

Starting a occasional partnership that would last until the Goya (1985) TV mini-series, writer/directing auteur Jose Ramon Larraz & cinematographer Fernando Arribas twirl the motifs and themes displayed in the surrealist Horror stylisation they later gave The Coming of Sin, (1978-also reviewed) into a fantastic,brooding Gothic Drama atmosphere.

Larraz holds the ghostly memory of the father to hang over the isolated family home/mansion,as Larraz stylishly hovers the camera above all the surviving family members who can't free themselves from the long shadow of the past hanging over them.

In a family where personal secrets hold them together, Larraz returns to his chilly countryside backdrop to touch on the recurring theme of abuse taking place in the outdoors when Loli is attempting to return from her secret escapade, which Larraz breaks with close-ups on Loli's face and bruised legs,that brings out a new level of compassionate family support in elegant dissolves over Piedad.

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.

Ana Torrent in The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)

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.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

After the death of his father, Piedad directs her family life by virtue of tradition and moral values in a small town in the provinces.

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Luto riguroso

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