Broken Silence

I cannot help thinking that sometimes the countryside in which a film is set is almost as important as the story-line of the film itself. This often happens with films by Montxo Armendáriz, who, not surprisingly, makes good use of his own native and beautiful Navarra. This is evidently the case with `Tasio' (qv) and `Secretos del Corazón' (qv), the latter film being without any doubt his masterpiece up till now.

For `Silencio Roto', he moved across to the north-east of Pamplona, in the heavily wooded valley of the River Urrobi, otherwise known as the `Valle de Arce' - precisely because that is what most abounds in this tight little valley: `arces', maple trees. Coming down the valley from Urrobi along the narrow winding road following the tumbling sparkling river, after about 5 kilometres you have on the left Villanueva de Arce and Arrieta, and on the right Lusarreta and Saragüeta, four villages where this film was shot: old timbered houses with cabbage allotments and runner-beans, chickens running free, a few pigs, old barns covering old Fordson tractors, and balconies ablaze with peonies, amid dung heaps not very hidden behind the hedgerows, and the odd "borda" where you can get something to eat! Do not go on down beyond Uriz or Arce as all the rest has been flooded by a monstrosity called the Aoiz Dam (Itoiz), a savage crime against nature, a heneous crime against those lovely little villages which have been drowned in the name of progress........

With `Silencio Roto' Armendáriz has carried out an ambition of his, which was to bring to life as realistically as possible life in the years following the Civil War, and specifically that of the `maquis'. The `maquis' were groups of men - a few women - who hid in the hills after the war finished, to continue their struggle against the fascist regime of Franco. These groups, which might be called `guerillas' (in Spanish `guerilleros'), lasted for years in the mountains of Asturias, Euskadi (Basque Country) and Navarra, principally, with a few in places like León and Cantabria.

Perhaps the best-known example for English readers on the hill-fighters in Spain is Hemingway's novel `For Whom The Bells Toll' which has also been made into film, but of course has no relation nor comparison with Almendáriz's film: Almendáriz is Navarran to the core and has nurtured his local folklore and traditions since he was born.

Thus authenticity would seem to be the key to the making of this film.

Frankly I am usually more than fed up with films here in Spain resorting to the Franco years as a kind of scapegoat, as I have said elsewhere on IMDb. I say that more or less in the same way I would say I get more than fed up with the eternal John Wayne being the `goodie', or with Harrison Ford playing himself in just about every film he has made.

However, with Armendáriz you have to take into consideration the artesan or craftsman at work: he is not there just to splash a story on screen so that you lap it up the same as you might with almost any frightful TV series or any of those ghastly Hugh Grant/Richard Gere/............... (I leave the space for you) tragic dollar-makers. There are a few European directors eminently capable of getting down to the innermost parts of the souls of people - Ermanno Olmi, Jaco van Dormael, Bertrand Tavernier, Víctor Érice and Mario Camus come to mind - and Armendáriz is one of that very select group.

Wonderful photography and acceptable music score accompany some good interpretations. Mercedes Sampietro as ever just wonderful, as also the veteran Álvaro de Luna, and it was nice to see Asunción Balaguer, now widower of our one and only Paco Rabal. I was disappointed not to see more of Andoni Erburu after his astounding playing in `Secretos del Corazón'. The lead actors, Juan Diego Botto as Manuel and Lucía Jiménez as Lucía (!!) were fine, especially Ms Jiménez who had to take the brunt of almost the whole run-time of the film on her shoulders, but did so with more than acceptable naturalness. There are also other actors with genuine Navarran surnames - Erro, Goñi - who gave us a few authentic accents!

I always mean to find some film-director and ask him: where the hell did you find that old bus/motor-cycle/aeroplane etc. for the film? You watch a film set in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, but made only the other day, and you marvel at these wonderful old vehicles or even genuine old Singer sewing-machines. But here, as in `Secretos del Corazón', Armendáriz knew where to find these lovely old treasures. The bus that pulls into the village at the beginning of the film is a wooden-bodywork, driver-behind-the-engine that might well have been running on solid tyres! In fact the film uses objects from the ethnological museum belonging to Julio Baroja, an eminent writer on philosophical, sociological and ethnological matters.

Not so far away you can visit the ethnological museum in Arteta, to the west of Pamplona. Painstakingly run by José Ulibarrena Arellano, a vast higgledy-piggledy collection of household and farm equipment - from old toys and kettles to hand-saws and drills and horseshoes. Even the house is a museum in itself, dating from the 16th/17th Century.

Just in case you are wondering: all this - and films by Armendáriz in general - is little more than an hour away by car from where I am now, and, it should be said, here in the Rioja we have a small city which years ago was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Navarra. Obviously, then, geographically and most definitely as a clear indication of neighbourliness, anything and everything to do with Navarra is of great interest to me. It is simply a question of Ramiro Sánchez and Doña Urraca and people like that, you see?

Seriously now, take pains to study this film closely. Whereas it may fall short of the poetic exquisiteness of `Secretos del Corazón', it is still worth the attention of intelligent viewers who would wish to grasp historical and cultural aspects of `old' Europe, well, Spain in this case.

I recently noted that one of the most forgotten men groups in the history about the terrible spanish civil war (1936-1939) are the "maquis". They were the fighters for freedom that resist in the mountains after the General Franco´s victory. They fought till nearly 1950, in several fast hits... they only wanted the liberty for the spanish people, then in the hands of the fascist ideology. But in more than 25 years of pacific democracy and progress, and a lot of movies about that war... very poor was the number of them that spoke about "maquis". Montxo Armendáriz, director of the 1998 Best Foreign Language Academy Award nominee "Secrets from the heart" has done it. It is a truly movie. With very good performances, specially Mercedes Sampietro and Lucía Jimenez, and a good screenplay he has done a spectacular movie for the heart. For the remenbrances. For the people who didn´t know nothing about this phenomenon, and for those that lived it... A song to the liberty... not only a movie.

After the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1938, Republican guerrillas continued to fight against the Franco government carrying out sabotage actions and executions of Francoist authorities and members of the hated Civil Guard guilty of crimes against civilians. During WWII they substantially contributed to the fight against Nazi Germany and the Vichy regime in France, both as members of the Resistance and as soldiers in the Free French army.

By 1944, with German forces in retreat, the guerrillas refocused their attention on the liberation of Spain. That year, there was an invasion by a maquis force through Val d'Aran and other passes in the Pyrenees with the hope of being supported by the invading Allied Armies in France. However, the Germans were still a formidable menace, the Allied command was wary of opening a new front, and help didn't materialize.

Guerrilla activities intensified right after the end of WWI in 1945. Due to its support for the Nazis during the war Spain was internationally isolated, its economy collapsed, and an uprising seemed imminent. However, the Franco government joined the nascent crusade against Communism and opened Spain to American bases. The enemy now was Communism, and Nazi crimes were discreetly swept under the rug. The Spanish government carried out a savage campaign against the guerrillas where civilians suspected of collaboration were tortured and murdered without trial. Savagery worked, and the guerrillas gradually faded away. All the while the regime suppressed every bit of information about this war, which may be the reason for the title Silencio Roto (Broken Silence).

The movie begins in 1944, with Lucía (Lucía Jiménez) returning to her birthplace, a village in Navarra and getting involved with Manuel (Juan Diego Botto), a blacksmith that acts as contact for the guerrillas and joins them shortly after. However the romance, realistically presented, is not the main subject. Navarrese director Montxo Armendáriz weaves an atmospheric tale of day-to-day life in the village, where guerrilla successes translate in savage reprisals, not reporting suspicious activities may be fatal and where neighbors denounce each other for survival or to avenge old grievances. Cinematography captures skillfully the melancholic landscapes and shady interiors and acting is excellent not only from the principals but from all the supporting cast, with special mention for Maria Sampietro. The movie can be found in the streaming services with the title Time of Honor.

Don't miss it.

First, I don't know if it's a honour to be the first one to make any statement on that film or just a shame not a person among those who've already seen it (only in Spain I think) made up its mind and write on it. For those who lack some knowledge on Spanish Civil War and Post-War period: some historical facts

Spanish War began 18th July 1936 when the African troops raised against Spanish Republican Gov. Their leader was Franco, who gained his reputation in 1920's colonial war's in Morocco. The Legion and it's leaders were demoralized after what they thought was a shameful withdrawal from Northern Africa. Spain retained two cities (Ceuta and Melilla), and Sidi Ifni (Western Sahara, which was occupied by Morocco after 'Green March' in 1974-75, and this time with a languishing Franco!). Spain became the ground to proof German modern war techniques sustained on persistent plane bombing ('Stukas' made their debut destroying cities loyal to Republic, remember Picasso's 'Gernica'? this Basque village with strong political and historical significance was demolished completely, not a building was standing after the German Luftwafe finished its work). As ever, some countries remained neutral ( mainly France, UK, USA)if it is possible to be so, while others (say Germany and Italy) played an important role in war. From neutral countries came lots (60-70 thousand) of men not only British, American and French but Italians, Germans, Canadians and from all around Europe. But these fighters weren't as well equipped and trained as German and Italian troops that were sent by Mussolini and Hitler. And what about USSR? They didn't mind much, just asked for money to send some weapons and ammunition. No troops. So the Republican side (which had in it's power the main cities and industrial regions in the beginning) couldn't beat the right army. This happened April 1st 1939. If war is thought to be a hard experience, what about some post-war periods? The victors revenged for years against those people belonging to republican families. 10 years after war ended still were thousands in prison. No amnesty. Some people didn't assume that the Coup had won, and they thought that if they resisted until Democratic countries beat Fascism in Europe, they would be helped dethrone Franco's dictatorship. But of course, they were wrong. Democratic leaders were afraid that Spain would became a communist country in line with centre-eastern Europe soviets satellites, so they, again, preferred a right wing government. The guerrillas were called 'Maquis' which is a French word meaning Bush. These commandos existed from 1939 (end of the war) to early 1950's! And is reckoned to be about 5000 men fighting in the countryside (mainly in northern regions) and a much bigger number of people supporting them. The most of the Maquis fighters are died but they were granted recently some political and historical recognition in Spanish Parliament.

The Film. The story runs in a little village in Navarra (close to French border). The main characters are the women ones' the men being just as egoistic as to think only of them and their ideas and to fight for them bravely but not caring for the consequences, at least not always. Quick summary of strong points: The screenplay, it's wonderfully written by also director Montxo Armendariz. He's from the land where it's shot and he's lived the ambient he describes. Lot's of good personages and sequences. Dialogs are also great, mordacious when it comes and also tender, even funny. The main plot line is the Maquis resistance, but there's a lot more underlying like self respect, dignity, love and courage in bad times. It's about people who fall in love like the two youngsters: (Manuel-Juan Diego Botto and Lucía-Lucía Jiménez) the blacksmith whose father is a Maquis and the Inn's owner's (Teresa-Mercedes Sampietro) niece. A story of a mature love affair between Teresa and Don Hilario (a former teacher due to its leftist ideals) that lasts instead of her marriage to a horrible husband. The love of parents for children, like the two old that live in the mountains hoping to see sometime their already died son ( their cabin is like a haven for Maquis were they can get some food, once in a while the supplier brings them a letter written on its own handwriting supposing to be from their son who was shot down time ago). The love too of a Guardia's wife whose always afraid for his life.

The actors and actresses: great, but especially the women. Teresa, Lucía, Lola, Juana, Julia. Are as good when they're leading the scene in close-ups as when they're just filling the screen, standing and hearing the others. They know how to suffer, they're so accustomed to suffer for others... and yet they're still human, deeply human. In war times women have to work twice.

Location, Photography, Score: Perfect. I think the music's a must buy.

Direction: Armendariz's best work. He deserves a 10.If scenes work perfectly and performances are full of shades who's to blame?

There's some flavour of 'film noir' in the final scene when Lucía's leaving the Inn and turns to Lola and says 'Siempre me quedará la duda de si fuiste tu quién les delató' ('I'll always doubt whether it was you that spoke against them'), while Lola's cleaning some glasses and doesn't even utter a word.

I gave it 9/10 (I'm waiting for some years to give it the 10 I think it deserves). BTW: the screenplay's already been published.

Well done film on the resistance against Francoist dictatorship in countryside Spain between 1944 and 1948. With beautiful historic reconstitution, It is a film focused on those characters, on those neighbors, and on the way they deal with reactionary authoritarian and abusive rule: armed struggle, conceived cooperation with rebels, coward betrayal, or systematic participation in repression. Fears, loves, concerns, it is more a movie about feelings than about action. Then, expect good characters' development and art direction, but not thrilling war action scenes. Those were hard times, as violent illegitimate regime would fall only three decades afterwards. The film express that, despite all the efforts of those brave people.