The prison drama has found the way to take root in our cinema. The production of this genre is not continuous, but it does reappear more regularly than in other areas. Possibly because of how the dictatorship has influenced when it comes to feeding the prison system with political prisoners, as well as others unjustly convicted for the different repressions (including support for the caciques) of the authoritarian context.
craving for freedom
There have been many reasons for ending up in prison during the Franco regime, not just purely criminal ones, and it is something that Alberto Rodríguez, one of the best directors in our country, knows how to pick up very well in his latest film with aspirations of Goya. Although awards are not necessary to corroborate the forcefulness of ‘Modelo 77’.
Already available in streaming through Movistar+, Rodríguez’s latest thriller returns to investigate the remains of the fire left by the dictatorial climate. In films like ‘La isla mínima’ and more subtly ‘The man with a thousand faces’ they bring out the institutional and moral corruption left behind by the regime, and their exploration of the life of the prisoners in the Modelo prison in Barcelona exposes it. clearly.
Through the character of Miguel Herrán, an accountant who has been cleverly exposed to be convicted of embezzlement, we enter the well-known prison that, after the dictatorship, began to request an amnesty for many of the prisoners who had received exaggerated and unfair sentenceswhether for ideological reasons or not. A powerful claim that sought to shake the Spanish prison system and many of its abuses.
The context is well explained through the small details, shaping the way in which these prisoners behave and where they direct their claims. It is also wonderfully explained by exploring the lives of these prisoners, the different reasons why they are there, how the passage of time in the cell has changed their expectations and why they want to fight. Characters such as Javier Gutiérrez show care when it comes to giving life and autonomy to these prisoners, making them fascinating and immersing ourselves in your journey.
Rodríguez wonderfully employs the codes of the prison thriller to give packaging to this biopic, as well as using images with incredible astuteness to develop the story (watch out for a neon sign that can be glimpsed from the jail). His ability to narrate is beyond doubt, being one of the best filmmakers in this countryand ‘Model 77’ shows it wonderfully.
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