"El Héroe De Cascorro" is a peculiar Spanish silent film, a bizarre fact in itself for a country's film industry scarce in interest or remarkable oeuvres. The film depicts the true, but dramatized, story of the brave Spanish soldier, Herr Eloy Gonzalo, rewarded during the Cuban war for his bravery defending the Spanish army position at Cascorro village.
The first bizarre fact of this film it is that its director, Herr Emilio Bautista was a boxer before being a film director (he directed only two films). However incredible as it seems, he uses the camera properly and not with his fists as did other Spanish film directors in those silent times. Herr Bautista likes to move the camera (travelling shots, pan shots) and use special effects (remarkable and astonishing is a décor made by Herr Paulino Méndez, a house divided into sections that allows us to see different action at the same time). This gives the story continuity and flexibility via technical aspects used by many 1929 silent film productions, certainly; but not very usual for a Spanish film.
Another interesting aspect of this film it is the social reality shown in the film (social underdevelopment, illiteracy, local customs including a duel between two gentlemen with big mustaches ). The film is without patronizing attitudes. It has a slight sense of humor, sometimes intended and others not even in serious aspects depicted in the film such as all kinds of war games with their military men, battles, patriotism, etc. If the public forgets those patriotic hails, "El Héroe De Cascorro" includes fitting and thrilling battle scenes for which Herr Eloy was decorated.
"El Héroe De Cascorro" is a film of local customs and manners that doesn't show excessively moralizing, conservative or fussy aspects that had been included in the majority of the Spanish films of that time. That's a merit as much as Herr Eloy's war merits.
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must decorate himself for unknown brave deeds.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/
The first bizarre fact of this film it is that its director, Herr Emilio Bautista was a boxer before being a film director (he directed only two films). However incredible as it seems, he uses the camera properly and not with his fists as did other Spanish film directors in those silent times. Herr Bautista likes to move the camera (travelling shots, pan shots) and use special effects (remarkable and astonishing is a décor made by Herr Paulino Méndez, a house divided into sections that allows us to see different action at the same time). This gives the story continuity and flexibility via technical aspects used by many 1929 silent film productions, certainly; but not very usual for a Spanish film.
Another interesting aspect of this film it is the social reality shown in the film (social underdevelopment, illiteracy, local customs including a duel between two gentlemen with big mustaches ). The film is without patronizing attitudes. It has a slight sense of humor, sometimes intended and others not even in serious aspects depicted in the film such as all kinds of war games with their military men, battles, patriotism, etc. If the public forgets those patriotic hails, "El Héroe De Cascorro" includes fitting and thrilling battle scenes for which Herr Eloy was decorated.
"El Héroe De Cascorro" is a film of local customs and manners that doesn't show excessively moralizing, conservative or fussy aspects that had been included in the majority of the Spanish films of that time. That's a merit as much as Herr Eloy's war merits.
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must decorate himself for unknown brave deeds.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/
