Candelas can’t forget her lover, Diego, who died in a fight. Antonio, who loves her, seeks to help get rid of her obsessions. While Candelas dances with passion Diego appears to her. His death is a drill. A fight to death happens between the two men.
Director: Francisco Rovira Beleta. AKA Bewitched Love
Stars: Antonio Gades, La Polaca, Rafael de Córdoba, Morucha, Nuria Torray, José Manuel Martín, Fernando Sánchez Polack, Emilio Acosta, Chaqueta de Cádiz, Emilio de Diego, José El Rumbero.
1968 Academy Awards – Nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
You are AMAZING!
SPOILERS HERE: Otherwise known as Bewitched Love, this is the Oscar-nominated version of a much adapted (often flamenco danced) folk tale of young Candela, torn between passionate Antonio and wicked Diego, who’s supposedly dead. Kind of meanders for its first hour: We don’t get any backstory on Candela or Diego (his supposed murder takes place just before the credits); mostly, she lurches around haunted by what she thinks is Diego’s ghost. Once Diego reappears (I can’t say I ever figured out why he made everyone think that was his corpse on the beach, or why he chose this particular moment to come forward) the action heats up. OK, I get it, it’s “elemental,” so we’re supposed to be above caring about character details. But that will fly in a flamenco ballet; it’s rather unsatisfying in a (mostly) realistic film. Glad I saw it, though—this is truly a rare filmm. 😊