Underplayed Gems

The Mayor of Zalamea (1954)

The Mayor of Zalamea poster
Original title
El alcalde de Zalamea
Directed by
José Gutiérrez Maesso
Genre
drama film
Country
Spain
Runtime
1h 20m
Rated
AP
Rating
8.0 of 10 from 3 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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The catalogue in 3D

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How it feels

A Spanish magistrate becomes the mayor of a small town during the reign of Philip II. He must confront a nobleman who has dishonored his daughter.

historicaldramaticstatelymelodramaticslowformalaustereserious

What happens

The Mayor of Zalamea (Spanish:El alcalde de Zalamea) is a 1954 Spanish historical drama film directed by José Gutiérrez Maesso and starring Manuel Luna, Alfredo Mayo and Isabel de Pomés. The film is an adaptation of the Golden Age play The Mayor of Zalamea by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. This version of the play is remembered for Rey's "solemn" interpretation of Felipe II. According to José Lera, quoting the director himself, "Maesso, as director, had to fight "against the bombast, the flawed acting, the poor quality of the dialogue, the bad setting," although he has managed to give a natural aspect to the drama" (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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