sal_paradise i can't help wondering what the point of this film pamphlet was. it seemed to veer towards naive heroism in the beginning and at the end again, meanwhile completely neglecting a discussion of what set these people apart from other 'normal' terrorists. and then we get a subplot of the last death penalty dealt in Spain with this kid who of course doesn't deserve to be murdered at the hands of the state, but who does really. it fails on this level as well as a level of human relationship, using the story of the guard merely to make a point of how the revolution lives on. so i felt really ambiguous and detached from the film, which seemed so uncommitted to an involved and deep discussion of its story.

EduardoFS I was disappointed with this film. The first half is boring, unengaging and very poorly shot. The nervous hand-held camera and the fast editing are very irritating, and completely unnecessary. It really put me off. It might seem very cool and trendy, and you can tell the director might have shot lots of music videos and commercial spots, but it's poor storytelling. Cause it doesn't allow you to sink your heart into the film, to feel it. It might be appropriate for films like Moulin Rouge, but not for a drama like this. There's no depth in the construction of the characters, and there is nothing special about Salvador's character, there's nothing about him that makes his tragic death special save for the fact that it is horrendously brutal. We don't get to know his foibles, his weaknesses, his dreams. It's funny how the death of the protagonist of 'Dead Man Walking' -a true murderer- is far more moving and affecting than this one. And the second half is more engaging, although it has a TV movie feel to it. Leonardo Sbaraglia's character is the most interesting of them all, the only one who has some kind of evolution arc. But even the ending, which could so easily have been powerful and touching, given the extent of the tragedy, is somehow rendered bland and anticlimactic, due to the intercutting of a sentimental scene in which the youngest sister runs to the place where the execution is going to take place while we overhear in voice-over the corny words that Salvador dedicated to her the last time she saw him,and also due to poor camera-work at the moment of the execution. Again the camera can't stand still and starts going in unjustified circles in a moment where we should all be holding our breaths.

gabiurbon I've seen this film today, and although I wouldn't say it's great film wise, I think it's important for people to know about recent history, especially Spaniards. I'm totally against death penalty, and this film has only reassured me in the matter. But I must say the film is somehow partial, as Salvador was in fact a bank robber, no matter what he used the money for. The acting is quite impressive. I must confess I wasn't too convinced about Daniel playing Salvador, as he's German, but he's great. Tristán Ulloa is also very good, and he speaks really good Catalán, sounding native although he's actually Galician (north west Spain). And finally Leonardo Sbaraglia plays an impressive policeman. Incredibly, you forget he's an Argentinian sex symbol and does a really good Spanish accent.Also, I may be a bit impartial myself, since I know the sister of one of Salvador friends in the film and about the family suffer...

fruizd1 I just saw the movie tonight at Club Coliseum in Barcelona, and it was fantastic to see how people resisted the dictatorship until the end of Franco's days.If it wouldn't be for people like Salvador Puig Antich, we wouldn't have democracy until 10 years later, I think he was a real hero that fought for democracy.The last scene of Salvador Puig dying in "El Garrote Vil" is very hard, I cant believe it happened in my country in 1974. Daniel Brühl is a great actor, like he demonstrated in Good Bye Lenin, I think that being trilingual helps him a lot.Go and see this movie now.