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.
