Inferior but acceptable sequel dealing with the biography of a famous delinquent who became a popular myth , later became a published writer . As his reputation became legendary , and he was a symbol of resistance to the oppression of the poor under Franco . He was a legendary Spanish outlaw who escaped several times from prison after being convicted of murder and sentenced at age 23 to 30 years . While in prison , he learned to read , earned a law degree, and became a writer, continuing to protest his innocence of the charges . He was pardoned and released on June 20, 1981 , at the age of 39 . He never received any formal education as a child and was illiterate . Sánchez and his family suffered discrimination as poor Mercheros, who were nomadic craftsmen earning money as tinkers . They were often considered suspect by police and forced to move on . The first part of the history of "El Lute", deals with his imprisonment , strong tortures and being locked in El Dueso jail . Lute (Arias) is a ¨Quincallero¨ , a hobo who falls in love for a young woman , Chelo . As he married Chelo (Victoria Abril), as poor as he and they had a daughter . As a young man, he stole two hens and was sentenced to six months in prison . Soon after his release , in 1965 , he associates two small thieves (Antonio Valero and Carlos Tristancho) and rob a jewelry in street Bravo Murillo (Madrid) with unexpected consequences , one of them kills a person . As in 1965 Sánchez was arrested and convicted of murder for the armed robbery of a jewelry store, in which a security guard was killed . At the age of 23, he was sentenced to death for the robbery and murder , and also received "sentences totaling 1,000 years for other crimes" . His death sentence was commuted to 30 years in a military prison . One time imprisoned , he breaks out , dropping from a train and being subsequently detained (1973) . In this 2ª part , Lute helped by his brothers (Pastora Vega, Jorge Sanz) escapes from Puerto De Santa Maria penitentiary during Christmas 1971, being relentlessly pursued by Guardia Civil . Lute flees throughout Andalucia and he and his family hide in mountains , sewers and finally at a flat in Sevilla , but he's finally caught up and carried to really-defended Cartagena prison . Maintaining his innocence, Sánchez fought his conviction . His reputation became legendary, and he was a symbol of resistance to the oppression of the poor under Franco . Afterward he married again, living in Tomares near Seville with his second wife Carmen Cañavate, and her two children . Nowadays , Eleuterio Sánchez , ¨El Lute¨ results to be a famed lawyer , he married twice and was divorced twice . Although Sánchez entered prison as an illiterate peasant, he taught himself to read and became self-educated . He went on to earn a law degree, wrote books and published two while in prison, and continued his fight to clear his name . After the change in governments , Sánchez was finally pardoned and released on June 20, 1981.
In 1987 and 1988 this two-part film series was released about his life, directed by Vicente Aranda, who portrayed Sánchez in the context of Franco's Spain . Being narrated in thriller style about the notorious thief and mythical character of the ¨Spanish Transicion¨ who was born into a desperately poor Merchero peasant family while his father was in prison . The movie gives an actual portrayal of a national myth ; packing intense drama , thrills , chills , and portentous interpretations . This is hard , provoking and stirring autobiography written the same Eleutorio Sánchez along with Joaquin Jordá and filmmaker Vicente Aranda . Concerning about a tough delinquent who became notorious in Spain for his prison getaways in the 60s and 70's , converting himself in a popular legend , and adding gypsy wedding , poor lives , and other social lower customs . Known as El Lute , during several escapes from prison, he was listed by the police as Spain's "most wanted" criminal. Here there is a sour retelling about lower classes , and on gypsies as well as marginal people . It is filled with brutality , enhancing sex and violence . It stand out the fabulous acting by the main cast : Imanol Arias and Pastora Vega . Imanol won awards in Festival De San Sebastian and Fotogramas De Plata . The 2th installment is plenty of action , realism and political remarks . ¨El Lute¨I : Camina o Revienta¨ achieved big success and that's way it had a follow-up . This second part in which he escapes from penitentiary , fleeing , hiding and finally re-captured , being realized by similar artist and technician team ; it has various folkloric elements , society habits chronicles and inferior to previous outing .
Colorful and appropriate cinematography by prestigious cameraman Jose Luis Alcaine who was first cinematographer to use fluorescent tube as "key" lightning and deemed to be one of the best Spanish cameramen . Alcaine frequently works with Pedro Almodóvar , Bigas Luna and Vicente Aranda , as he has photographed ¨The skin I live in¨ , ¨The bad education¨ , ¨Volver¨ , ¨Women in the verge of a nervous breakdown¨, among others . Evocative and sensitive musical score by Jose Nieto , Aranda's ordinary . The motion picture was well directed by Vicente Aranda who gives an interesting description of ¨La Otra España¨(the other Spain) during last years of General Francisco Franco dictatorship . Aranda considered to be one of the best Spanish filmmakers with known titles as ¨Carmen¨, ¨Pasión Turca¨, ¨Amantes¨, ¨Si Te Dicen Que Cai¨, ¨Celos¨ and several others .
