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Umbracle poster

Umbracle

1972 · 1h 25m · Documentary · Spain

This film turns on two basic axes: the inquiry into ways of cinematographic representation and a critical image of official Spain at the time of the Franco dictatorship. “Montage of attractions” and Brechtianism in strong doses. Umbracle is made up of fragments (some are archive footage) that resound rather than progress by unusual links, with dejá vu scenes that promise us more but remain tensely unfinished. Jonathan Rosembaun said: “few directors since Resnais have played so ruthlessly with the unconscious narrative expectations to bug us”. Learning from the feeling of strangeness caused by Rossellini as he threw well known actors into savage scenery in southern Europe. Portabella makes Christopher Lee wander around a dream-like Barcelona. Without a doubt Portabella’s most structurally complex and most profoundly political film, that is ferociously poetic.

Directed by
Pere Portabella
Written by
Pere Portabella, Joan Brossa
Starring
Christopher Lee, Jeannine Mestre, Miguel Bilbatúa, Román Gubern
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6.0Smart score

The TMDB rating, pulled toward the movie average (6.03) as if it had 82 extra average votes. Few votes means more pull.

TMDB5.9

12 TMDB votes · IMDb page

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Connected through the crew

Vampir Cuadecuc1972 · Writer Pere Portabella, Director Pere PortabellaThe Silence Before Bach2007 · Director Pere Portabella, Writer Pere PortabellaNocturne 291969 · Writer Joan Brossa, Director Pere PortabellaWith Good Reason2004 · Director Pere PortabellaWarsaw Bridge1990 · Writer Pere Portabella, Director Pere Portabella

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Best Documentary Movies of the 1970sBest Documentary Movies of All Time