Bigas Luna critiques Spanish machismo in "Huevos de Oro" [1993 Spain]

Whether or not we like the early works of Catalan director Bigas Luna, one thing we have to give him credit for is his determination to never pussy-foot around what he's trying to say. There is no polite-talk, no 'birds and bees' euphemisms - he just drives home the message in a no uncertain manner, even crudely if necessary. His 1993 drama "Huevos de Oro" [Eng. Title: Golden Balls] may not be as testosterone-laden as his earlier film, Jamón Jamón, but is nevertheless all to do with 'balls'!

Storyline:
Benito González is our man with the 'golden balls' - he's a hilariously drawn caricature of your everyday Spanish stud. He dreams of becoming a property tycoon, building a high-rise tower with swimming pools and topless bars, owning gold Rolex watches, and trophy women ideally weighing less than 47KG (apparently because of the way he 'moves'). To complete the picture, dear Benito also loves to sing along to cheesy tunes. I could't help thinking I've seen at least a handful like him in my local pub on Friday nights - okay they might not particularly pick a Julio Iglesias song, a Tom Jones perhaps. After army service, he returns to mainland Spain to get working on his dream. He befriends a banker and marries his lovely and cultured daughter Marta (45 KG) to get his 'González Tower' started, whilst retaining girlfriend Claudita (52 KG) whom he occasionally uses to close deals with clients and partners. Marta soon catches whiff of Benito's ongoing affair with Claudia and even ends up striking an unlikely friendship with her. The three of them live happily together until tragedy strikes and his fortunes are turned to the worse in the most spectacular fashion. Dumped by his wife, Benito will soon find himself in Miami, forced to share the waitress he brought along - Ana (don't ask a woman her weight), with his gardener. Talk about a full circle..!

I simply can't see Luna pulling this off without the astonishing talents of Javier Bardem who plays Benito - Bardem surely must share a fair chunk of the credit for Benito's characterisation. The film is intentionally over-the-top, and meant to talk to people quite unlike Benito, which I'm sure it does splendidly - right from the choice of locations (Melilla in the Spanish territory of Africa, Benidorm in Spain, and Miami in the US of A), to the language used, and not least the focus on the construction industry (the bubble that has come to haunt Spain today), Luna has crossed all the t's and dotted the i's with panache. This may not be a cerebral film, but he has admirably pulled no punches in critiquing Spanish machismo, and for that reason, it is Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon.com DVD Link
My recommended DVD from the transfers currently available

 

Compilation: Elisa Tovati, Maribel Verdú, Maria de Medeiros, and Raquel Bianca
Some additional scenes from the film have not been included - just an editorial choice.



Scene Guide:

• Benito had 'fallen in love' with Rita (47 KG) - a waitress at a bar in Melilla, but who obviously seems to be drawn more towards his pal despite being promised a personal bath and bidet if she accompanies him back to mainland Spain. Rita is played by a curvy Elisa Tovati, and the pal's woman by Stella Condorelli.
• After returning his hometown (alone), Benito meets and is drawn towards Claudia, even if she's a few pounds above his 'ideal' woman. This is a long scene where Benito also asks her to sleep with his banker in order to get a loan approved. Maribel Verdú is fabulous, witty and sexy as ever as she plays the part of Claudia. If you can follow the dialogues, you'll see the scene is actually quite funny.
• Benito weds Marta - daughter of his banker, she's played by the lovely doe-eyed Maria de Medeiros. Culturally refined Marta couldn't believe she'd married and even fallen in love with a bloke like him - but does it surprise anybody else..!
• Marta's discovery of Benito's affair with Claudia, followed by their outrageously forcible introduction by Benito, and an unexpected chemistry between the two women that results in a ménage à trois - this is possibly the most erotic scene in the film. What's it about two women kissing that turn men on so much - I haven't figured it out yet, and no sociologist or anthropologist has given me a satisfactory explanation so far!
• Marta has had enough with Benito after he brings in a trollop from a bar - Ana (she wouldn't reveal her weight) is played by Raquel Blanca.

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Penélope Cruz & co in "Jamón Jamón" [1992 Spain]

It is the 100th Spanish language film to be reviewed in the blog - about time I introduced one major actress named Penélope Cruz here...

It's a special film too, for many reasons. Perhaps Bigas Luna's most widely known film outside Spain, "Jamón Jamón" [Eng. Title: Jamon Jamon] was also the cinema debut for Penélope Cruz, one which also saw her nominated for a Goya, and one which also introduced her to future husband Javier Bardem. Of course she'd go on to win many more awards including Oscar, but this is where it all began for an eighteen year old starlet.

And what a film too - completely twisted in Luna's inimitable style! Right from the first shot of the film - panning from behind a huge cut-out of a Spanish bull to reveal its cracked balls, this is a film teeming with machismo and testosterone, only to be mocked at the same time. He transgresses ingrained traditional values and customs by questioning their purpose, be it the courting ritual, their sense of honour, pride, and vengeance. The point the film tries to make is that we humans think we know what we want, but then again, we might not know for sure. This is told through a bizarre merry-go-around of coupling and sexual antics.

Storyline:
Silvia works at an underwear factory and is in love with José Luis, the owner's son, and he loves her back, also wanting to marry her. But this is vehemently opposed by his mum Concha, because Silvia's mother Carmen is a prostitute. Carmen and José Luis' father have a history too - they were once in love long ago - she turned to prostitution after they went their separate ways and her husband abandoned her and the child. Add to this, José Luis also visits Carmen to use her services from time to time. Concha plots to break the young couple apart, and hires Raúl, local hunk and ham delivery boy who also models for her male underwear. She instructs him to seduce Silvia. The plan works, initially, but when Concha starts having an affair with Raúl and wants him to end his relationship with Silvia, things become murky as they're both already in love. To complicate things further, Silvia is already pregnant through José Luis, whose father also wants to climb onto the merry-go-around now..!

One of Luna's trademarks is the manner in which he peruses food and sex to draw parallels with our desires - it is the humble ham this time, and is used in different ways, from an aphrodisiac to a weapon (strange scene that, where two men clobber each other with legs of ham to win the right to be with Silvia). Animals are used as a metaphor too - the obvious bull apart, you have a foul-mouthed parrot, a highly 'distressed' pig, and a persistent 'fly'! But as is with many of his films, the characterisation is incomplete, and it remains my main complaint with this director. But this is a remarkable and memorable film nevertheless, for both the strange scenes and dialogue. Another pleasant fact is the inclusion of Italian actresses Stefania Sandrelli and Anna Galiena among the main cast, both of whom have had the distinction of every nook and cranny of their respective bodies 'examined' in a Tinto Brass film. They're much more modest here, but nevertheless a welcome addition to the cast and therefore, Highly Recommended Viewing..!

I'm not terribly pleased with the quality of my bare-bones DVD as it hasn't been letter-boxed properly - forcing me to leave black borders in some scenes in the compilation. But at least it's not particularly expensive in Amazon for the moment.

Amazon DVD Link




Compilation: Penélope Cruz, Anna Galiena, and Stefania Sandrelli



Scene Guide:

• José Luis opines Silvia's breasts are just as delicious as her omelettes. He should know. Silvia is played by a young, enchanting, 'guapa' Penélope Cruz.
• No nudity - Silvia complaining to her mum Carmen that José Luis hasn't yet told his parents that he wants to marry her. Carmen is played by a favourite among French art-house directors, the very dishy Anna Galiena.
• Brief nudity, twisted scene - definitely worth checking. José Luis begs Carmen, his soon-to-be mother-in-law for sex one last time. She obliges. "Wacaaa..!" :D
• Silvia having a bizarre dream, with stray dogs, bulls, and you guessed, ham..!
• Concha with the hired local stud Raúl. She likes his package so much that she now wants him all for herself. Luna makes it a point to show Raúl struggling to get going at first. Concha is played by legendary Italian actress Stefania Sandrelli.
• But Silvia had already fallen in love with Raúl, and makes known her displeasure when José Luis tries to have sex with her under the bull. He leaves Silvia in the rain.
• Continued from above - Silvia walks dripping wet into the bar where Raúl is counting his good fortune with the fruit machine - and with Silvia, now the jackpot too. They're totally unmindful of other people at the bar.
• It's now Raúl's turn to judge Silvia's breasts - apparently they taste of both omelette and ham - he tucks in as if he was starving for days. Watched by the José Luis and mum Concha, each frustrated for different reasons.
• Concha manages to wrest Raúl back after promising him a Mercedes. José Luis barges into Raúl's warehouse to find his mother in bed with his enemy. If you watch carefully in a few frames only, Bardem must have been 'quite close' to Sandrelli at some point during the shoot. You'll know what I mean when you get to 13:25 mts. :)

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Mathilda May & Laura Mañá in "La Teta i la Lluna" [1994, Spain / France]

This is a famous classic which needs to go in here as part of Bigas Luna's filmography. "La Teta i la Lluna" [Spanish Title: La Teta y la Luna, Eng. Title: The Tit and the Moon] is possibly Luna's finest 'mainstream' film, one that has surprisingly been overlooked by many critics - this film deserves a lot more accolades than it has due to its rich symbolism and captivating story.

Unlike some who think this is a 'coming-of-age' film, it is actually a celebration of childhood, motherhood, womanhood, and good old Catalunya. This film has great depth, which may relate to native Catalonians readily than others who may require more than one viewing to understand some of its nuances. Having said that, the film is also playful in a style reminiscent of Federico Fellini's "Amarcord" - what we see is Luna's unabashed love of his homeland, its people and their quirks. He throws in a lot of 'foreigners' in the film to give us an insight into what it means to be a Catalonian. Unbelievably this is also so unlike a typical Bigas Luna film - most of his films are darker and sceptical.

The film has a lot of things going for it - the lush cinematography, the hilariously incongruous Flamenco soundtrack, the excellent performances by the young protagonist (he's one cute little fellar) and the delightful French actress Mathilda May, the characterisation is superb, as is the witty and sometimes irreverant dialogues. If you are ever stuck with the option of having to buy only one film by Bigas Luna, make sure it is "La Teta y la Luna" - trust me - you will not regret it. Highly Recommended Viewing..!




Compilation 1: Laura Mañá and Mathilda May
The compilations follow the storyline, explained through the scene guides.



Scene Guide:

• Young Tete is the final piece required to complete the human castle for his team in this Catalonian cultural sport - he introduces us to his friends and family (including his insufferably macho-dad demanding his son to prove he has 'balls' - I left some of the funny dialogues in this scene so you'll get the idea). Tete also tells us how he always makes sure to feel up the 'rock solid' tetas of Stallone's girlfriend on his way up (the woman is played by Vanessa Isbert if you really need to know).
• Tete is upset he can no longer be suckled by his mum - his kid brother had now arrived - he watches with jealousy when his mother feeds him. He asks the moon to find him a new set of tits just for himself. The mother is played by the wholesome Laura Mañá. She had however played a totally different character in a Vicente Aranda film which I'll post later.
• Hilarious scene - Tete believes his dad fills his mother up with milk every night so she could feed the baby brother - his mum's ecstatic cries while making love, "fill me - fill me with your milk" is his proof of what's happening every night..!
• The moon listens to Tete and sends in Estrellita, a Portuguese ballerina performing at a travelling circus. She lives with her French husband Maurice in a caravan - who'd earned his reputation as the 'Fire King' - you'll now what I mean very soon. Here he finds it hard to accomplish his conjugal duties after a long day at work..!
• Tete watches Estrellita practice, and perform later at the show. Estrellita is played by the lovely Mathilda May.
• There's a beautiful mixture of reality and fantasy here as Tete goes about sizing the breasts of women n his neighbourhood.
• Tete has competition in winning the affections of Estrellita - his Andalusian friend Miguel who'd already fallen in love with her. Here Estrellita tells her husband about the lad who sang to her and feels 'sparks' when touched by her.
• Tete trumps Miguel by befriending Estrellita first, and endearingly begs her for milk as his mum will give him milk no more.

 

Compilation 2: Mathilda May and Laura Mañá



Scene Guide:

• Tete narrates the 'strange' habits of foreigners, about Estrellita's toe-sucking fetish and her fondness for baguette.
• We also see Estrellita enjoying licking Miguel's tears (naughty Luna). She nevertheless rewards him afterwards.
• But the water bed springs a leak, and husband Maurice finds out what's going on - but there's little he could do but allow Miguel to 'fill her up' with the milk that he couldn't.
• Estrellita vanishes briefly with her husband - she loves her Maurice too much to keep messing with Miguel. But returns during the next human castle - Tete is 'inspired' to complete the castle and wins accolades from his dad. He also gets rewarded by the two most important women in his short little life, Esrtellita and of course, his mother - his mother's milk tastes much better than Estrellita's - he opines.

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Francesca Neri in "Las Edades de Lulú" [1990 Spain]

Bigas Luna revelled in pushing the envelope, especially when it came to exploring the darker recesses of the human mind - he certainly does in the 1990 drama, "Las Edades de Lulú" [Eng. Title: The Ages of Lulu].

Despite a plethora of such films in his filmography, it'd been difficult even for hardened critics to dismiss Sr. Luna's work outright as exploitative. It's because Luna's films doesn't only depict the depravity of his characters. On many occasions, they are honest attempts to dig deep into his subjects' mind and look at things from their perspective. Besides, most of his subjects are female, and he certainly knows a thing or two about women.

What makes me mad at times however, is not so much his choice of subject or the frankness with which it is portrayed, but his unwillingness to develop the other key characters adequately. Honourable exceptions apart, like La Femme de Chambre du Titanic, La Teta y la Luna , and Jamón Jamón to name a few, his screenplay leave the same impression as unfinished artworks - it's as if he'd lost interest halfway.

The same happens in "Las Edades de Lulú". While the protagonist (Lulú) is given the required depth and texture, thanks also due to fine acting, the other main characters like her husband and brother are totally unidimensional - almost caricatures, due to which some of the decisions made by Lulú are not explained convincingly.

Apart from this great big hole, it is not a bad film at all - it could however have been a great film. It certainly starts off with a bang - more like a slap to the audiences' face, by giving us an upfront view of Lulú's vagina as she's attended by her mother - of course, Lulú is a tiny baby. The film also carries a twisted sense of humour, like in the scene where Pablo proposes to Lulú immediately after sodomising her - forget about timing - talk about irony..!

I've made these compilations from a recently re-released DVD, with some restored footage, and the quality is pretty good.




Compilation 1: The Initiation
Adolescent Lulú is infatuated with Pablo, her brother's best friend. Returning from a concert, Lulú lets Pablo know she's not too keen on being driven home immediately. He'd been toying with her all evening - telling her how to behave and what to eat. She's now like putty in his hands. After a brief scene in the car, Pablo takes Lulú to his studio, and starts to 'make her perfect', before taking her virginity. The scene, if anything, is unsettling, considering Lulú's age and Pablo's desire to make her look even younger by default. While shaving her vagina, he asks her to narrate her first masturbatory experience (apparently with a flute). When she tells him that her brother also came to know about it, he asks her if he had ever touched her - she replies in the negative. Lulú is portrayed by the fine Italian actress Francesca Neri, both as adolescent and adult.








Compilation 2: Love, and Marriage



Scene Guide:

• Pablo returns from the US, and for all his maturity, brings Lulú a vibrator for a present - 'American flute' as he puts it. She complains about its 'coldness', and just as she's getting used to it, Pablo intervenes, and deflowers her again - this time through the back door. He then proposes to a still-in-pain Lulú.
• Pablo and Lulú get married. In probably the best erotic scene in the film, interestingly shot and edited, Pablo and Lulú 'take a walk on the wild side'.
• Lulú the housewife begins to assert her growing sexual superiority.

Compilation 3: María Barranco and Francesca Neri
Pablo introduces Lulú to 'Transvestite Cruising', and they bump into a feisty Ely, who soon becomes friends. In a restaurant, Ely notices Lulú ogling at her tits, so she takes them out, and claims they're all natural. Lulú's inquisitiveness naturally extends to exploring Ely's 'package' under the belt - oh well, it's all fun. However, it is the final scene that is moving, when we see Ely excluded from the proceedings - sad to watch. They apologise and console her later. Ely is magnificently played by María Barranco, a talented character actress.








Compilation 4: The Incest
After a party, Pablo acts out one of his fantasies with an unsuspecting Lulú, by inviting her brother for a threesome, which she's made aware of only at the time of climaxing. The scene is transgressive in typical Bigas Luna style, but the initial kisses between Lulú and her brother are hard not to be turned on by, even if the brother's motive for participating in incest isn't made fully clear (the poor casting didn't help either). There's a brief but explicit cunnilingus scene and some close-ups which are oddly body-doubled for Francesca Neri (by Natalia Dicenta) - odd because of the next compilation.








Compilation 5: The Orgy, leading to a seedy Underworld
After what happened after the party, Lulú decides to leave Pablo. Interestingly, she explains that incest wasn't the actual reason - even though that had never been 'part of her plans' - it was just the straw that broke the camel's back. She rightly feels being used to meet Pablo's every new kink, and is tired of still being treated as if she were a little girl. Now free and alone, she decides to experiment with her own fantasies - starting with participation in a gay orgy. There is some explicit male nudity in this compilation - download at your own confidence.



Scene Guide:

• Inquisitive Lulú picks up three overtly homosexual guys and take them to her flat. Unusual role here for Javier Bardem as a gay gigolo, which he nevertheless does it with his customary exuberance. There is some very brief cunnilingus, but certainly without a body double - this is a panned shot of Neri with Bardem and another actor.
• Lulú accidentally gets into seedy Remy's books, who conducts S&M orgies for discerning clients. She was only looking for some action without having to pay each time, but is soon made aware of the fact that she's asked for more than she'd bargained for. A lot of the characters here are not just stereotyped but clearly distorted - as if the producers have threatened to pull the plug if the message 'gay is bad' is not clearly delivered - mind you - we're talking about the late 80's. However, at one point it appears that Francesca Neri may actually have been 'rimmed' by one of the actors - and there's certainly no body-double involved.

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Leonor Watling in "Son de Mar" [2001 Spain]

As far as I can remember, Bigas Luna films have always been on the twisted side - I have seen most of his work since his 1978 'Bilbao'. His 2001 drama however, "Son de Mar" [Eng. Title: Sound of the Sea] is one of his more poetic offerings, but twisted all the same. As ever, he shows no mercy towards his characters, and unapologetically depicts their flaws - warts and all.

This isn't a breezy romance by any measure, even if it starts out as a beautiful idea - doesn't every romance start that way anyway! He liberally borrows from Greek myths here, but made it into his own. Like the male lead character Ulises, a literature teacher who takes up a post mid term at a school in a small seaside village, his passion for sailing, his sudden disappearance, and his equally sudden return after several years when assumed dead by everyone. The film isn't easy to watch, even if the female lead character Martina keeps our interest. Leonor Watling as Martina is at her sensual best here - she plays the village belle, the only daughter of a local restaurateur, the one who falls for the charms of the teacher and his oft quoted verses from Virgil's Aeneid. These lines are repeated so often that it beccomes a precursor and later a prerequisite for Martina, to be sufficiently aroused for the sex act.

The scenes posted here are freshly cut from my DVD, but have to admit my first scene is a bit overcooked - I was still getting to grips with a new filter I've been trying. But I think it is still watchable, so left it as it is.



Scene 1:
I loved the first half hour of the film where Sr. Luna allocates enough time to allow the protagonists' relationship to develop. Martina's first spontaneous 'date' with Ulises in the caves by the sea would induce nostalgia for anyone who has been in love. I've edited several scenes and combined them into one, it works better for the sake of this review - me feels.





Scene 2:
When Martina gets pregnant, Ulises proposes and they get married, even if her parents feel a better match for their daughter would have been Sierra, the real estate tycoon. This scene is during their honeymoon in Valencia.





Scene 3:
Ulises disappears on a fishing trip, leaving his wrecked boat that he named after his wife. He's presumed dead by all, and with a young child to care for, Martina agrees to marry the cash-rich Sierra. Five years pass, her son grows up thinking Sierra is his daddy - and by any measure Martina is living a contented life, when out of the blue a familiar voice calls her one day, quoting a familiar verse from the Aeneid. Confused, Martina is justifiably pensive performing her conjugal duties that night.





Scene 4:
Martina follows the instructions given by the owner of the voice, and ends up at a hotel where a tearful Ulises awaits holding a tuna fish. When an angry Martina asks where the hell he'd been for the past five years, he reveals his affair with a woman in red dress he met at a party. He claims it's all now over, and begs her to have him back. She succumbs to his verse again, and what's more - to continue their 'affair' Martina puts him up in one of her husband's empty block of flats - it's been empty because it hadn't received the necessary planning permission - and visits him every day after hubby leaves for work. But Sierra soon finds out about Ulises' return and decides to finish them off when he realises his wife still loves him. The couple try to escape in Sierra's yacht, named 'Son de Mar', but end up in the morgue after trying to escape from the sinking yacht. I must add I was never a great fan of Jordi Mollâ who plays Ulises, nor his bits that keep hanging out ever so often - I simply bore him for the sake of the impending glimpse of a more alluring Leonor.





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A Tribute to Valeria Marini in "Bambola"

Valeria Marini

I simply couldn't resist making this tribute after re-watching this film..!

Made a compilation of some of the scenes of the very, very 'feminine' Valeria Marini from the 1996 Bigas Luna film, "Bambola". The music - as the original theme song, is from my favourite Italian singer, the one and only - Patty Pravo. It's an awesome song, and I hope you guys enjoy this tribute as much as you would, the music..!

53.4 MB: http://www.fileserve.com/file/VHzQfEA/



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Valeria Marini in Bigas Luna's "Bambola" [1996 Italy, Spain, France]

Bigas Luna is one of those fine, 'earthy' directors who doesn't shy away from exploring the darker areas of the mind - and repressed sexuality is a recurring theme in many of his films. I have had the opportunity to watch most of his films - and have steadily added his classics to my DVD collection since - as any ardent fan of independent unadulterated cinema would, I guess.

I'll start off by reviewing some scenes from one of my favourites - his 1996 film, "Bambola". I chose this film partly because of the sultry vixen Valeria Marini - she had made this film into her own - and some of her nude scenes in the film are all time classics..!

The story is set in a remote fishing village in Italy, where Mina aka 'Bambola' runs a restaurant with her gay brother Flavio. 'Bambola' - Valeria Marini - and her brother notice a handsome man during an aqua park outing and both of them flirt to gain his attention. The guy falls for Valeria though, but soon enough ends up in prison for 'accidentally' killing her fiancee. Furio - a fellow prisoner, is the top dog there, and when he sees Valeria for the first time, decides she should only be his. When her lover in prison refuses to let go of Valeria to Furio, he arranges for some guys to rape him. He then blackmails Valeria into having a 'conjugal visit' with him, otherwise threatening more physical harm for her poor lover.

The film makes some interesting points - it takes a rape for the lover-guy to realise he's gay, and 'Bambola', while always wanting tenderness and romance in her relationship, couldn't resist the beastly behaviour of Furio - the more he humiliates her, the more she wants him - it's as if her harmones switch into overdrive everytime Furio does something despicable. The whole film reeks of testosterone and oestrogen - Bigas Luna is certainly no Julio Medem, that much is for sure..!

It was possible for me to enhance these clips from my DVD to 720pp - may be I got carried away after discovering for the first time that Valeria Marini does have a mole on her left breast - I certainly don't remember noticing it when I watched the film earlier - it was a Spanish version DVDRip - but I think the end result is satisfactory.



Scene 1:
Valeria is coerced into visiting Furio, played by the Cuban born actor Jorge Perugorría - he even delivers all his dialogues in Spanish which is dubbed over. The scene is darkly lit, but it is an erotically charged one nevertheless.

Scene 2:
Furio is relased early from prison for 'good behaviour' and where do you think he comes straight after - with liberal groping and full-on kissing, this scene is titillating as hell..!

Scene 3:
Furio decides to stay with 'Bambola' much to her brother's annoyance...

Scene 4:
An eel, albeit dead, gets intimately acquainted with Valeria Marini.

Scene 5:
This is surely one of the most awesome nude scenes in mainstream cinema - Valeria Marini is knickerless as she's pursued by Furio through the fields. Long tracking shots and intermittent pantyless upskirts - all shot in broad daylight - now that's some nude scene..!

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