A curious and little-known Spanish/Italian co-production with decent cast and acceptable filmmaking . A very violent feature film dealing with an ex-monk (Javier Escrivá) who has lost his faith , as he hangs up his robes , leaves the cloister and becomes the leader of a dangerous gang of robbers and lets loose all the low passions restrained for so many years . As he forms a criminal group along with his brothers (Tony Isbert , Luca Bonicalzi , Luis Folledo) recruiting members among young thieves and murderers , as they'll stop at nothing to get their purports and at whatever cost . To carry out their astonishing crimes they are covered by a Ku Klux Klan red hood type , it personalizes the group to execute the robberies.
This Spanish-Italian co-production displays action enough , plot twists , and villain roles ; being pretty entertaining from start to finish . Including a worthy reflection about the relationship established between the Catholic religion and crime . As Javier Escrivá is a peculiar monk with a special religious passion who , in the midst of a crisis of faith holding a twisted idea that , by doing evil , he will find God , because He will end up punishing him , sooner or later . It has rhythm enough , violence with tremendous sequence of murders , the action never falters , the performances are quite good, the issues raised are interesting , the direction is compelling . As well as attractive musical score from Italian composer Stelvio Cipriani and atmospheric cinematography shot in Galicia by prestigious cameraman Luis Cuadrado, Carlos Saura's regular , and showing the spectacular Galician coast . Stars Javier Escrivá giving a nice acting as a friar in the midst of a crisis of faith joins three criminals to participate in a series of robberies . As Javier Escrivá is top-notch as a nasty ex-priest who will stop at nothing by killing and robbing , while falling in love for a mysterious women well played by Alexandra Bastedo . Javier Escrivá is nicely accompanied by a national and international cast , as the British Alexandra Bastedo , Italian Antonio Sabato and fine support actors very reminiscent of a certain Spanish genre film : Terror , Euro-spy , Paella Western from the 1970s, with names like Tony Isbert, Alvaro de Luna , the ill-fated Sandra Mozarowsky and Carlos Romero Marchent who's Joaquin and Rafael Romero Marchent's brother.
This Spanish "thriller" to rediscover and claim was compellingly directed and in his own personal style by Joaquin Luis Romero Marchent at his best . He began directing two films for producer Ignacio F. Iquino such as ¨Juzgado Permanente¨ and ¨Sor Anqelica¨ . Marchent replaced Mexican director Fernando Soler filming ¨El Coyote¨ and the sequel titled ¨Revenge of Coyote¨ , both of them shot in Mexico . These successes along with ¨The shadow of Zorro¨ and ¨Revenge of Zorro¨ became a notorious writer and director of good Western . He went go directing Paella Western as ¨ Riding to death ¨ , ¨Adventures in the West¨ , ¨Three good men¨, ¨Sabor Venganza ¨ , ¨Fedra West¨ and , of course , his greatest hit : ¨Condenados a Vivir¨ or ¨9 Cutthroats¨ . Plus , he wrote for his brother Rafael Romero Marchent the following Westerns : ¨Manos Torpes¨, ¨Ocaso Un Pistolero¨ and ¨Garringo¨ . Although he also made Neo-realist comedy such as ¨Fulano Y Mengano¨ ,¨Hombre Viajaba Despacito¨ , and ¨Hombre De Paraguas Blanco¨. ¨El clan de los Nazarenos¨ (1975) rating : 6.5/10 . Better than average , this a popular and violent Spanish/Italian thriller that's worthwhile watching .
