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El Mar

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Synopsis

Three adolescents in Spain, friends since childhood, confront both the horrors of wartime and desires of the flesh in their struggle to transcend the past and be free. Plenty of male nudity, homoeroticism and a climactic gay kiss highlight this difficult film.

Review

Disturbingly violent, very homoerotic, gorgeously photographed and at times, poetic, El Mar is an excellent portrait of a troubled, violent young man and the consequences of his actions. Filled with plenty of male nudity and an overwhelming essence of homoeroticism, El Mar is a difficult journey that might pay off handsomely for you guys who can stick out the bloody and difficult themes.

As children during the Spanish Civil War, Andreu Ramallo, Manuel Tur and their friend Francisca live in a world of political assassinations and suspicion between neighbors. When the father of one child is found to be involved with the assassination of another the lives of these three children are changed forever. Ramallo murders one of the children with his own hands and throws a rock at Francisca's head. The tragedy marks the children, who silently carry the secret into their adulthood.

Years later, the three meet again as young adults at a tubercular sanatorium. Ramallo and Manuel have both been admitted as patients and Francisca is a nun in the hospital. Having so far averted the worst ravages of this epidemic, Ramallo and Manuel face other torments in their close quarters. Ramallo, who has spent many of his growing years as a a prostitute and assistant to a middle-aged drug runner, chafes under the attentions of the callous older man. Now that he is in the hospital, he seeks release from this exploitative relationship. Sensitive Manuel has sought solace from past and present horrors in an intense, religious devotion with which he attempts to repress his homosexuality and his desires for his old friend, Ramallo. Only Francisca the nun knows the darkest secrets her friends harbor, and she tells no one save God.

Director Agustin Villaronga authentically invests this strange, beautiful story with an edgy intensity. Featuring excellent performances, and superbly atmospheric cinematography, the film compellingly evokes a time and place. (Catalan with English subtitles)

-- Scott Cranin

Customer Reviews

Nice But Flawed

Gree Giant wrote on 03/05/2005:

the basic story of 3 childhood friends dealing with a deep dark secret as young adults is not bad. the acting, the writing and the direction are solid but
that's it. also i have to admit but of my mixed reaction to the film has to do
with the Adult Advisory warning on the cover. considering that several recent
French and Spanish films have blurred the line between legit films and porn i
was expecting something eye popping
as a result of the Adult Advisory Label.
but the final scene between the 2 lead
male characters looks like something on
the Disney Channel compared to the
much talked about very graphic fuck in
the sand dunes between Jeremie Elkam
Stephane Rideau in COME UNDONE. i'm
guessing Picture This Ent. is placating
the right wing prudes in this country
and attaching the Adult Advisory to any
film of a sexual nature regardless of how graphic it might actually be.

Dark & disturbing

Barceloneta wrote on 12/15/2004:

This is not a light-hearted film. It follows a group of childhood friends from the horrors of the Spanish Civil War to the death wards of a TB Sanatormium. There is blood and violence galore, not to mention a protagonist who is warped and evil to the core. It is an interesting movie in some respects, but so dark and disturbing, that many my find the film utterly objectionable. Oh yeah, and there's lots of full frontal male nudity if you can stomach the rest.