a.k.a. Left-handed Fate (1965)
Starring Teresa Gimpera, Marianne Benet, Marcos MartÃ
To be honest, I’m not sure what I just watched. The cover art, tagline, and back cover suggested a very different movie than what I experienced. It is a Spanish film from the mid-1960s and Mondo Macabro’s release has cover art that make the film look like a giallo, which it is definitely not. The description of the plot makes it sound like the main character will be stalked and murdered. What actually unfolded still has me questioning what the plot was.
Teresa Gimpera (a model starring in her first movie) plays a model named Gim who is trying to cross the city to meet up with her boyfriend. The backdrop of a nearly empty Barcelona is eerie and unsettling. The only people that she meets along the way are men who approach and harass her. There is also an ominous silver van cruising the streets and broadcasting a warning that everyone must evacuate the city. Simultaneously, a group of young men cut Gim’s face out of one of her billboards and march it through the streets. Then there is also a man that appears to be a professor giving a lecture on how murder victims seek out their destruction and predicts that Gim will be the next murder victim in the city. The film proceeds to follow the different characters around and it does not come together the way a traditional narrative would. The technical aspects of the film are well done. The environments are surprisingly bright and colorful and the soundtrack is full of jazzy music that contradict the unnerving behavior of the citizens. The overall effect is one of impending doom in an urban landscape.
This edition is a 2k scan from the original negative. The film looked good on a 4k TV. Besides the movie, it features an interview with Teresa Gimpera, an interview with the director of the Sitges Film Festival, an audio commentary from a film critic, and an alternate opening of the film. The interview with Ms. Gimpera was an interesting look at how the Spanish film industry differs from Hollywood and she shares many anecdotes, including the time she auditioned for Alfred Hitchcock. The interview with the film festival director mainly covers the history of the film and the movement with which the film was associated.
The movie itself held my attention and was not boring, even if I felt it lacked a coherent narrative. It is less a thriller and more of an art film but is well made. The special features were very informative and elevated the experience by adding context for the film. Overall, the release was enjoyable even if it is just for a single viewing.